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Monday 13 December 2021

THE GREEK ISLAND OF KYTHIRA

 

  

  KYTHIRA---A PROUD, HISTORICAL ISLAND EXPLOITED BY COMMERCIAL INTERESTS




                                                           Venetian Castle




                                                                 KYTHIRA (WIKI)

                                          




                                                                   Chalkos Beach

                              




                                                   Kythira is the most southerly red island


 

                                                               TRAVEL GUIDE


                                                                  ARCHIVES

                                                                  DETAILED HISTORY




                                                                   Cave of Milopotamus




PRE-CLASSICAL AND ANCIENT HISTORY

There are archaeological remains from the Helladic period, contemporary with the Minoans. There is archaeological evidence of Kythiran trade as far as Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Kythira had a Phoenician colony in the early archaic age; the sea-snail which produces Tyrian purple is native to the island.[citation needed]Xenophon refers to a Phoenician Bay in Kythira (Hellenica 4.8.7, probably Avlemonas Bay on the eastern side of the island). The archaic Greek city of Kythira was at Scandea on Avlemonas; its ruins have been excavated. Its acropolis, now Palicastro (Palaeocastron, "Old Fort"), has the temple of Aphrodite Ourania, who may well represent a Phoenician cult of Astarte.

In classical times, Kythira was part of the territory of several larger city-states. Sparta took the island from Argos early in the sixth century, and ruled it under a kytherodíkes (kυθηροδίκης, "judge on Kythira"), in Thucydides' time [4,53,3]; Athens occupied it three times when at war with Sparta (in 456 during her first war with Sparta and the Peloponnesians; from 426 to 410, through most of the great Peloponnesian War; and from 393 to 387/386, during the Corinthian War against Spartan dominance) and used it both to support her trade and to raid Laconia.

Kythira was independent, and issued her own coins in 195 after the Achaean defeat of Sparta. In Augustus' time, it was again subject to Sparta, being the property of Gaius Julius Eurycles, who was both a Spartan magnate and a Roman citizen.

By this time, the Greek cities were in practice subject to the Roman Empire. Kythira continued to exist under the Roman Empire and its Byzantine successor state for centuries. Christianity is attested from the fourth century AD, the time of Constantine; according to her legend, Saint Elessa came from Laconia to convert the island.



                                 




 





Cave of Agia Sophia






Kapsali, Kythira









Mitata




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