Mykonos...now...and then

The island of Mykonos claims 7 thousand inhabitants in the summer...4 thousand in winter. In it's pre-Roman heyday 30 thousand lived on Delos, a nearby island, with maybe ten thousand slaves lugging all manner of stones uphill to build a very complex and compact little enclave. They were good builders as there are a lot of walls still standing...they even prepared for the minor earthquakes that occur here. The second and third floors have crumbled. Vegetation is sparse at best and they had all the correct cisterns ready to collect any drop of water that fell.



Delos is the island where Zeus's lover, Leto, gave birth to their twins, Apollo and Artemis ( I think we know her as Diana). His current wife had not exactly been thrilled with the situation and forbid Mother Earth to give Leto refuge. Fortunately an island appeared among the waves for her...and ultimately became quite the destination to worship them all





The lions behind Tom are a part of the Lion's Terrace...meticulously carved...even though no one there had ever seen the animal ( they had seen vases and trinkets with the images.

Back to Mykonos ...it was constructed as a labyrinth so that invading pirates and such might get in...but would have a heck of a time getting out and the locals could attack in return..

This seems to have been a Venetian ruse....after they HAD occupied...and the Romans took over later...So much for good planning





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Location:Mykonos and Delos