Naxos stands out for its age-old history which goes back into the mists of time. Located in the center of the Cyclades island group, it was one of the oldest hubs of civilization - not just in Greece but in Europe as a whole.

Byzantine Period

Many scholars consider that the center of Naxos during Byzantine times was in the area of Apano Kastro/Tragea/Aperathou and in the broader district of Sagri/Kastro t’Apalirou, stretching as far as Agiassos bay.

The Sagri valley, with the many and noteworthy churches, has been described as “Little Mystras” –an analogy with the Byzantine citadel in the southern Peloponnese, in the midst of farming countryside.

Kastro t’Apalirou, built in the 7th century, controlled not only extensive farming areas of the island but also the sea area among Naxos, Paros and Ios which, most likely, was part of the route from Crete to Constantinople.

Its construction coincides with the difficult period set by a cutoff in sea communications between the eastern and the western Mediterranean, the first Arab incursions and the end of the monopoly for Byzantine traders, and is seen as part of the broader efforts of the Empire to buttress the defensive capability of the Aegean islands.

The 7th, 8th and 9th centuries were key for the future development of Naxos. In 727, the navy of the provinces of mainland Greece and the Cycladic islands rebelled against Emperor Leon III Isavros, laid siege to the Constantinople but this was thwarted. Scholars differ on the causes of this rebellion but the participation of the Cyclades in it suggests considerable administrative and economic clout.

Naxos, indeed, held a prominent position in the administration of the Empire –accompanied by economic prosperity- in the so-called “dark centuries” of Byzantium (7th-9th).

Its participation in the Iconoclastic movement that was hostile to icons (8th and 9th centuries) probably reflected an administrative restructuring of the island, in the framework of reforms pursued by the Isavri dynasty.

The restructuring brought changes in the local society: new state services were created and foreign soldier-farmers were installed on the land.

About 500 churches –of all architectural styles- and fortified monasteries indicate that on this island, which pioneered the development of the plastic arts in prehistoric times, people continued during Byzantine times to seek new forms of expressing their inner selves in architecture and iconography.

Ancient temples were converted into paleo-Christian basilicas, such as Agios Ioannis at Gyroulas, Sagri. Also, many churches feature successive construction phases which begin in the early Christian centuries, such as Panagia Protothroni in Chalki, Panagia Drossiani in Moni and Christ Photodotis in Danakos.

And because cultural activity in Byzantium did not end with the two falls of Constantinople, in 1204 and 1453, and continued throughout the Greek-speaking areas, Naxos also has important, so-called, post-Byzantine monuments.

Historic Timeline

Naxos has been uninterruptedly inhabited since the 4th millennium BC.

The first inhabitants are thought to have come from the northeastern Greek region of Thrace.

According to the myth, King Voreas’s son, Voutis, seeking women companions, arrived in Thessaly, central Greece, where he pursued the Bacchae nymphs, abducted some of them, including Koronis and Iphimedia, and brought them to Naxos.

The Thracians dominated for 200 years and were succeeded by the Carians. The latter came from Asia Minor and were led by Naxos, who imposed his name on the island.

Homeric-era elements survive in idiomatic forms spoken on Naxos today.

The oldest, to date, archaeological find on the island and among the oldest in Greece was located in Stelida - pyrite processing workshops of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic Period (c. 80000-10000 BC).

Other finds attest to a developed society at the end of the Neolithic civilization but Naxos’s first important period of civilization is the Cycladic, in the 3rd millennium BC.

There is evidence that the island had a dense population, mostly spread in small settlements on its eastern side. A larger and much more developed settlement, however, with meticulously built houses and numerous pottery items, has been discovered at Grotta, where main town Chora is today.

Cemeteries of the era have been found throughout the island, with masterpieces of art and style virtually found in all tombs.

Naxos emerges from archaeological research as one of the most important centers of the Proto - Cycladic civilization.

An oligarchic society ruled by a sizeable and powerful nobility, which lived on the hill of present-day Kastro in Chora and the various medium-size towns of the island, had been formed by the 7th century.

The majority of the people were engaged in agriculture, animal farming, fishing and crafts.

Naxos colonized Arkesini - and perhaps Aegiali on Amorgos - and formed a close relationship with Thera (Santorini). In 734 BC it offered its navy to the city of Chalkis (on the island of Euboea), to help the city transport colonists to Sicily, where one of the first Greek colonies was named Naxos.

The archaeological finds from the Mycenean and Geometric eras, particularly the ceramic items, are highly aesthetic. The gigantic statues of Naxos - Kouroi- lie unfinished at the ancient marble quarries of Melanes and Apollonas, abandoned due to technical reasons or political and accidental events, such as the death of a client. Another famous find also dating to this era is the statue of Artemis, a votive offering of Nicandre (650 BC) –of a rich Naxiot family at the holy sanctuary island and religious center of Delos.

The Sphinx of Delphi, the famous Lions, the House of Naxiots and numerous votive offerings at Delos and other prominent sanctuaries stand as irrefutable witnesses of the civilization, prosperity and power of Naxos and its economic dominance over this most important religious center.

It was in Naxos that the large-scale plastic arts - born in Greece during the Archaic period- first showed all the elements of the monumental.

This fact, combined with the development of the small-scale plastic art (idols) during the 3rd millennium, led to the view that the plastic arts were born on Naxos.

The abundance of marble undoubtedly contributed to this development. Emery - an exclusively Naxiot product- was used in the final abrasion and polishing of works in marble.

Naxiot craftsmen were much sought and appear to have been so rich that they donated themselves to the gods large and costly works of theirs.

Naxos also made a key contribution to the emergence of the monumental form of Greek architecture, particularly of the marble Ionian school.

At the Yria sanctuary, one can see - step-by-step - all the phases of the development of Greek architecture: from the single-space temple (around 800 BC), made from woodwork and bricks, to the archaic, Ionian-style Hekatompedon (100 feet long), which included the adyton –reserved for mystical worship-, a monumental colonnade at the entrance, marble altar and marble colonnades in the interior.

The all-marble temple of Apollo and Demeter at Gyroulas, Sagri is of the archaic type of Telesterion –initiation hall dedicated to mystical rituals. It is the sole well-preserved example of a Telesterion, belonging to the period of the tyrant Lygdamis (around 530 BC) - in common with the great temple of Apollo, on the isle of Palatia, at the Chora harbor.

The Classical era on Naxos –as in the rest of Greece- was marked by tremendous cultural achievements but also numerous and long wars.

In 490 BC Naxiots adopted a passive stance in the face of the Persian attack. Most fled to the mountains, while those who remained in the city were taken captive, their city was destroyed and the sanctuaries were torched.

In the naval battle of Salamis, however, the Naxiots absconded from the Persians and fought on the side of the Athenians.

In the 4th century, Athens and Sparta -the two great powers of the day- clashed over control of Naxos. While a member of the Island Commonwealth, Naxos fell in succession under the influence of the Ptolemies of Egypt, the Macedonians and the Rhodians.

After 41 BC Naxos was part of the Roman province of the islands which was governed from Rhodes. The Romans often used it as a place of exile. Its religious affairs were also administered from Rhodes during the early Christian era.

Modern History

Naxos joined the Greek struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire on May 6, 1821.

Dozens of Naxiots are recorded in the so-called Struggle Archive at the National Library of Greece. Leading figures were the bishop of Paros and Naxos, Ierotheos, and Michail Markopolitis.

In the 19th century, main town Chora had about 2,500 people, while the population in the rest of the island was spread out in dozens of villages and was mostly engaged in farming and animal breeding.

Society was divided into three classes: the “masters” and feudal lords that lived in mansions, the simple peasants and other working people, and the “harbor” people, that hanged around the port barefoot and hungry, looking for the odd job that would earn them a bit of money.

Four cafes in the harbor area were the main meeting points for the local society in the interwar years.

The port was the main hub of the island, where commercial vessels loaded and unloaded goods.

The exporting of emery, which is mined on the eastern seaboard, made an important contribution to the economy of Naxos.

The Kastro neighborhood, in the old fortified citadel, retained its aristocratic character up to the 1960’s.

Prehistoric Era

Naxos has been uninterruptedly inhabited since the 4th millennium BC.

The first inhabitants are thought to have come from the northeastern Greek region of Thrace.

According to the myth, King Voreas’s son, Voutis, seeking women companions, arrived in Thessaly, central Greece, where he pursued the Bacchae nymphs, abducted some of them, including Koronis and Iphimedia, and brought them to Naxos.

The Thracians dominated for 200 years and were succeeded by the Carians. The latter came from Asia Minor and were led by Naxos, who imposed his name on the island. Homeric-era elements survive in idiomatic forms spoken on Naxos today.

The first settlements on the island date to the Neolithic era. Archaeological finds indicate a developed society at the end of that period.

The first important period of civilization on Naxos is the Cycladic, in the 3rd millennium BC. There is evidence that the island had a dense population, mostly spread in small settlements on its eastern side.

A characteristic hamlet of the era has been discovered at the Korfari position, in Amygdalies, near Panormos.

A larger and much more developed settlement, however, with meticulously built houses and numerous pottery items, has been discovered at Grotta, where main town Chora is today. Cemeteries of the era have been found throughout the island, with masterpieces of art and style virtually found in all tombs.

Naxos emerges from archaeological research as one of the most important centers of the Proto-Cycladic civilization.

Characteristic of this importance is the usage -- even though conventional -- by archaeologists of place names when referring to particular aspects or phases of this period.

And so, we speak of the local civilization of Grotta-Louros, which refers to the Proto-Cycladic I phase (3200-2800 BC), or of the “Louros-type” idols from the Louros cemetery in the Sagri area.

The Proto-Cycladic acropolis at Korfari, Amygdalies, the unique, wrought representations found at Korfi t’Aroniou, in SE Naxos, and all the other finds compose an exceptional picture of a great civilization center in the Aegean Sea in the 3rd millennium.

An oligarchic society ruled by a sizeable and powerful nobility, which lived on the hill of present-day Kastro in Chora and the various medium-size towns of the island, had been formed by the 7th century.

The majority of the people were engaged in agriculture, animal farming, fishing and crafts.

Naxos colonized Arkesini - and perhaps Aegiali on Amorgos - and formed a close
relationship with Thera (Santorini).

In 734 BC it offered its navy to the city of Chalkis (on the island of Euboea), to help the city transport colonists to Sicily, where one of the first Greek colonies was named Naxos.

The archaeological finds from the Mycenean and Geometric eras, particularly the ceramic items, are highly aesthetic. The gigantic statues of Naxos - Kouroi- lie unfinished at the ancient marble quarries of Melanes and Apollonas, abandoned due to technical reasons or political and accidental events,
such as the death of a client. Another famous find also dating to this era is the
statue of Artemis, a votive offering of Nicandre (650 BC) –of a rich Naxiot family at the holy sanctuary island and religious center of Delos.

The Sphinx of Delphi, the famous Lions, the House of Naxiots and numerous votive offerings at Delos and other prominent sanctuaries stand as irrefutable witnesses of the civilization, prosperity and power of Naxos and its economic dominance over this most important religious center.

It was in Naxos that the large-scale plastic arts - born in Greece during the Archaic period- first showed all the elements of the monumental. This fact, combined with the development of the small-scale plastic art (idols) during the 3rd millennium, led to the view that the plastic arts were born on Naxos.

The abundance of marble undoubtedly contributed to this development. Emery -- an exclusively Naxiot product -- was used in the final abrasion and polishing of works in marble.

Naxiot craftsmen were much sought and appear to have been so rich that
they donated themselves to the gods large and costly works of theirs.
the emergence of the monumental form of Greek architecture, particularly of the marble Ionian school.

At the Yria sanctuary, one can see - step-by-step - all the phases of the development of Greek architecture: from the single-space temple (around 800
BC), made from woodwork and bricks, to the archaic, Ionian-style Hekatompedon (100 feet long), which included the adyton –reserved for mystical worship-, a monumental colonnade at the entrance, marble altar and marble colonnades in the
interior.

The all-marble temple of Apollo and Demeter at Gyroulas, Sagri is of the archaic type of Telesterion –initiation hall dedicated to
mystical rituals.

It is the sole well-preserved example of a Telesterion, belonging to the period of the tyrant Lygdamis (around 530 BC) - in common with the great temple of Apollo, on the isle of Palatia, at the Chora harbor.

The Classical Era 

In 490 BC Naxiots adopted a passive stance in the face of the Persian attack. Most fled to the mountains, while those who remained in the city were taken captive, their city was destroyed and the sanctuaries were torched.

In the naval battle of Salamis, however, the Naxiots absconded from the Persians and fought on the side of the Athenians.

In the 4th century, Athens and Sparta -the two great powers of the day- clashed over control of Naxos.

While a member of the Island Commonwealth, Naxos fell in succession under the influence of the Ptolemies of Egypt, the Macedonians and the Rhodians.

After 41 BC Naxos was part of the Roman province of the islands which was governed from Rhodes. The Romans often used it as a place of exile.

Its religious affairs were also administered from Rhodes during the early Christian era.

Venetian and Ottoman Occupation

Around 1207 AD, the Venetian Marco Sanudo occupied Naxos and Andros, and founded the Duchy of the Aegean Sea with Naxos as the capital –thereby ushering in the Latin ascendancy in the region which lasted for centuries. Sanudo gradually conquered all the Cycladic islands, except Tinos and Mykonos which were controlled by the Ghisi family.

Despite their Venetian origins, the Sanudos acknowledged as superior authority the Latin Emperor of Constantinople (conquered in 1204) rather than Venice, towards which they followed an independent policy –as far as the geopolitical conditions of the era allowed.

Friction with Venice grew and the Duchy ultimately became a Venetian protectorate.

According to the local tradition, Sanudo divided the island into feuds which were allocated to the Latin nobility. Shortly before his death in Venice in 1228, he ceded the monastery of Christ Photodotis to the Order of Benedictine monks.

The period of the Sanudo ascendancy was marked by turbulence, as they were forced to be on a continuous war footing to deal with the Ghisis, the pirates roaming the Aegean, Venetian interventions, as well as the Byzantine fleet of Emperor Vatatzes of Nicaea who had never abandoned his claims on the Cyclades.

The dynasty produced seven dukes.

The last one, Niccolo Dalle Carceri, was murdered in 1383 by Francesco Crispo, the pro-Venetian ruler of the island of Milos, during a hunting outing near the village of Melanes.

Crispo, who had married into the Sanudo family, took over the Duchy and the dynasty he founded produced a line of 12 dukes.

When the renowned Ottoman admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa conquered the Cyclades in 1537-38, the Duchy of the Aegean Sea already was already in a state of decline and administrative disarray.

The Duke of Naxos, Giovanni IV Crispo, was allowed to remain in charge of his dominion on condition that he paid heavy taxes to the Ottoman treasury.

This exacerbated the dire economic situation and his son, Jacopo IV Crispo, who succeeded him upon his death in 1564, was imprisoned by the Turks two years later, following representations to Sultan Selim II (1566-1574) by local Greek notables who asked for greater fairness in the administration.

The end of the Crispi dynasty, however, ushered in new Latin feudal lords. Prominent families, like Barozzi, Grimaldi, Justiniani, Della Rocca and De Modena either bought land or acquired it through marriage, creating large estates. The “Place of Filoti” was a case in point.

The new order, in fact, brought about an intensification of the conditions of serfdom for the local population.

The Turks did not colonize Naxos and the other Cyclades. Few settled on the islands, due to the fear of pirates, and very few inhabitants converted to Islam. The Sultan ceded the Duchy to his protégée Iosif Naze, a Portuguese Jew adventurer and banker who had converted to Christianity and adopted the Portuguese name of Joao Miquez. Naze never visited his dominion, appointing as ruler in his place Francesco Coronello –a man of his trust.

Naze maintained the old customs and Latin feudal laws but under Sultan Selim’s successor, Murat III (1574-1595), his power weakened and he finally met his death by stoning in 1579.

In 1580, the Sultan conceded particularly favorable privileges to the Greek islanders.

The old head tax remained in place but they would now enjoy complete religious freedom and could build churches as they wished. The old laws and customs were also preserved, while silk, wine and foodstuffs were completely tax exempt on the islands.

These privileges were later confirmed by Sultan Ibrahim (1640-1648) and formed the basis of a constituent Charter for the Cyclades under Ottoman rule.

The legal regime of the so-called capitulations, which was led by France and allowed special trading and other privileges to Western residents of the Ottoman Empire, had already been initiated in the 16th century and gathered pace in the 17th century. A result of this influence was the appearance of the Jesuit and Franciscan monastic orders on Naxos, as well as the founding of an Ursuline monastery. All three orders also founded schools on the island.
Naxiots rebelled against their Latin and Turkish masters several times.

In a bold conspiratorial move in 1595, representatives of 15 islands met on Naxos and discussed plans to overthrow Ottoman rule.

There were revolts against the Frankish masters in 1563, 1643, 1670 and 1681. Even more significant revolts took place in the 18th century, led by members of the Politis family and centering in the Tower of Markos Politis in the village of Akadimi, in the Tragea basin.