Naxos
Náxos
(näk`sôs, năk`sŏs), island (1991 pop. 14,838), c.160 sq mi (410 sq km), SE Greece, in the Aegean Sea; largest of the CycladesCyclades, Gr. Kikládhes [Gr.,=circular], island group (1991 pop. 94,005), c.1,000 sq mi (2,590 sq km), SE Greece, a part of the Greek archipelago, in the Aegean Sea stretching SE from Attica.
..... Click the link for more information. . Náxos, the chief town, is on the western shore. The fertile island produces fruits, olive oil, and a noted white wine. It has been a source of white marble, emery, and granite since ancient times. Náxos is famous in mythology as the place where Theseus abandoned Ariadne. It was a center of the worship of Dionysius. The island was colonized by the Ionians and in 490 B.C. was captured and sacked by the Persians. It was a member of the Delian LeagueDelian League
, confederation of Greek city-states under the leadership of Athens. The name is used to designate two distinct periods of alliance, the first 478–404 B.C., the second 378–338 B.C.
..... Click the link for more information. , but after an unsuccessful attempt to secede was captured (c.470 B.C.) and became a tributary to Athens. Náxos passed to Venice in 1207 and was the seat of a Venetian duchy until 1566, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks. It became part of independent Greece in 1829.
Naxos
an island in the Aegean Sea, the largest of the Cyclades group. Area, 428 sq km. Naxos belongs to Greece. It is very mountainous, with elevations up to 1,008 m. The island is composed of schists, granites, and limestones. Vegetation is Mediterranean (maquis, xerophytic shrubs and subshrubs, and small oak groves). Citrus fruits, olives, grapes, and sheep are raised. A large emery deposit and a marble quarry are located there. The main city is Naxos.