CYCLADES (island in Paros)
Greek island group in the Aegean Sea
- Kind of place
- Island
- Region
- Paros
- Where
- 37.00° N, 25.17° E
The group derives its name from its circular arrangement around Delos. Pliny, Nat. Hist. 4.22 ¶1 The Cyclades are described as islands scattered among the waves. Aeneid 3.121 The Cyclades are described as a calm abode for Nereids. Statius, Achilleid 1.389-416 ¶1
Described in the sources
The Cyclades are a group of islands situated in the Aegean Sea, centered around the island of Delos. Diodorus 5.50 +4 Some of the Cyclades are located near Crete and within the Cretan, Saronic, and Myrtoan Seas. Strabo 10.4.1 +2 The Cyclades lie in the middle of the sea route from Trogilium to Sunium. Herodotus 5.31.2 +1 The Cyclades are located opposite the Greek mainland and the regions of Pamphylia, Isauria, Lycia, Pisidia, and Cilicia. Pausanias 1.1.1 +1 Some islands in the Cyclades were completely uninhabited in ancient times before colonization began, while others had sparse populations. Diodorus 5.50 +1 The Cyclades islands are ruled by Ptolemy. Theocritus, Idyl 17 ¶6 The Argolic Gulf faces towards the Cyclades. Strabo 8.6.1 Sailors swear oaths by the isles of the Cyclades. Statius, Achilleid 1.389-416 ¶1 The Cyclades extend two hundred miles in breadth. Pliny, Nat. Hist. 4.23 ¶3 The islands echoed the loud roarings of Hercules. Seneca, Hercules Oetaeus act 3 ¶5
Stories and history
Carians and Cretans lived together on some of the islands. Diodorus 5.84 Butes and his Thracian companions traveled through the Cyclades islands. Diodorus 5.50 Greeks eventually inhabited most of the islands and drove out the Carians. Diodorus 5.84 Minos settled the majority of the islands by distributing them to colonists. Diodorus 5.84 Carians later took possession of the islands and expelled some Cretan residents. Diodorus 5.84 A fisherman from Gyarus was sent to Caesar at Corinth to request a tax reduction. Strabo 10.5.3 The islands are compared to ships crashing together in the sea during the battle. Aeneid 8.671 The inhabitants of Gyarus struggled to pay their required tribute of 150 drachmae. Strabo 10.5.3 The number of scattered islands in the group increased as mountains rose from the sea. Ovid Met. 2.1-303 (12) The Cyclades sent sacred delegates, sacrifices, and virgins to Delos at public expense, and their inhabitants traveled there in large numbers to celebrate festivals. Strabo 10.5.2