Greek Texts & Translations

And Aeglete Anaphe, close to the Lacedaemonian Thera;
and in another, he mentions Thera only,

Mother of my country, celebrated for its fine breed of horses. Thera is a long island, about 200 stadia in circumference. It lies opposite to the island Dia, ^note towards the Cnossian Heracleium. It is distant about 700 stadia from Crete. Near it are Anaphe and Therasia. ^note The little island Ios ^note is distant from the latter about 100 stadia. Here according to some authors the poet Homer was buried. ^note In going from Ios towards the west are Sicenus ^note and Lagusa, ^note and Pholegandrus, ^note which Aratus calls the iron island, on account of its rocks. Near these islands is Cimolus, ^note whence is obtained the Cimolian earth. From Cimolus Siphnus ^note is visible. To this island is applied the proverb, a Siphnian bone (astragalus), on account of its insignificance. Still nearer, both to Cimolus and Crete, is Melos, ^note more considerable than these. It is distant from the Hermionic promontory, the Scyllaeum, ^note 700 stadia, and nearly as many from the Dictynnaean promontory. The Athenians formerly despatched an army to Melos, ^note and put to death the inhabitants from youth upwards.

These islands are situated in the Cretan sea. Delos, ^note the Cyclades about it, and the Sporades adjacent to these, belong rather to the Aegaean sea. To the Sporades also are to be referred the islands about Crete, which I have already mentioned. 2

The city of Delos is in a plain. Delos contains the temple of Apollo, and the Latoum, or temple of Latona. The Cynthus, ^note a naked and rugged mountain, overhangs the city.