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Milos

The civilization of Milos is considered to be as ancient as that of Crete, and spans over a period of at least 5,000 years.

Its fame spread throughout the civilized world thanks to the masterpiece of the Venus de Mile, a statue found buried on the island in the 19th century and now in the Louvres Museum in Paris. Around 5000 B.C. Flakopí, the oldest settlement on the island, was in existence. The settlement was destroyed twice by invaders and was finally re-built in 800 BC in a different style. The ability to take advantage of the various mineral ores and zinc, tin etc., gave the inhabitants a surplus of tools of incredible precision for those days.

Flakopi’s existence is situated between the Neolithic and iron ages, as many recent archaeological excavations have discovered. At the end of these ages, the town was burnt down. The end of Flakopí came around the same time as the Mycenaean civilization was flourishing elsewhere. It was around 1000 B.C., that the Dorian invaders arrived on the island. In fact, Thoukidides reported in one of his books that it was for about 700 years that the Dorians made Milos their home. Mílos became a center for artistic endevour as shown by the wonderful statue of Aphrodite of Mílos, created around 400 B.C. and currently on display at the Louvre Museum of Paris.

The ancient city of Milos and its theatre on a wonderful site overlooking the sea, were discovered in Klima on this cycladic island, with a volcano at the bottom of its harbour Adamas.

Sections of an auditorium and the marble seats of the roman period were excavated. It was there, that in 1820 the famous statue of Aphrodite of Milos, presently at the Louvre, was also found.

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