Paros

Paros

Πάρος
Paros Πάρος
UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	844 00
Area code(s)	22840
Vehicle registration	EM
Website	www.paros.gr

Paros (

Municipality of Paros includes numerous uninhabited offshore islets totaling 196.308 square kilometres (75.795 sq mi) of land.^[3] Its nearest neighbor is the municipality of Antiparos, which lies to its southwest. In ancient Greece, the city-state of Paros was located on the island.^[4]

Historically, Paros was known for its fine white

china of similar qualities.^[5]

Today, abandoned marble quarries and mines (with some still being in use) can be found on the island, but Paros is primarily known as a popular tourist spot.

Geography

Paros' geographic co-ordinates are 37° N. latitude, and 25° 10' E. longitude.[2] The area is 165 km² (64 sq mi). Its greatest length from N.E. to S.W. is 21 km (13 mi), and its greatest breadth 16 km (10 mi).^[2] The island is of a round, plump-pear shape, formed by a single mountain (724 m (2,375 ft)) sloping evenly down on all sides to a maritime plain, which is broadest on the north-east and south-west sides.^[2] The island is composed of marble, though gneiss and mica-schist are to be found in a few places.^[2] To the west of Paros lies its smaller sister island Antiparos. At its narrowest, the channel between the two islands is less than 2 km (1 mi) wide. A car-carrying shuttle-ferry operates all day (to and from Pounda, 5 km (3 mi) south of Parikia). In addition a dozen smaller islets surround Paros.

Paros has numerous beaches including

Naxos makes it a favoured windsurfing

location.

Islands

Gaiduronisi – north of Xifara
Portes Island – west of the town of Paros
Tigani Island – southwest of Paros
Drionisi – southeast of Paros

History

Antiquity

The story that Paros of Parrhasia colonized the island with

Arcadians^[6] is an etymological fiction of the type that abounds in Greek legends. Ancient names of the island are said to have been Plateia (or Pactia), Demetrias, Strongyle (meaning round, due to the round shape of the island), Hyria, Hyleessa, Minoa and Cabarnis.^[2]^[7]

The island later received from

Archilochus,^[10] a native of Paros, is said to have taken part. As late as 385 BC the Parians, in conjunction with Dionysius of Syracuse, founded a colony on the Illyrian island of Pharos^[2] (Hvar).^[11]

Shortly before the

talents.^[2] But the town offered a vigorous resistance, and the Athenians were obliged to sail away after a siege of 26 days, during which they had wasted the island.^[2] It was at a temple of Demeter Thesmophoros in Paros that Miltiades received the wound from which he died.^[2]^[13] By means of an inscription, Ludwig Ross was able to identify the site of the temple; it lies, as Herodotus suggests, on a low hill beyond the boundary of the town.^[2]

Paros also sided with

shahanshah Xerxes I of Persia against Greece in the second Greco-Persian War (480–479 BC), but, after the battle of Artemisium, the Parian contingent remained inactive at Kythnos as they watched the progression of events.^[2]^[14] For their support of the Persians, the islanders were later punished by the Athenian war leader Themistocles, who exacted a heavy fine.^[2]^[15]

Under the Delian League, the Athenian-dominated naval confederacy (477–404 BC), Paros paid the highest tribute of the island members: 30 talents annually, according to the estimate of Olympiodorus (429 BC).^[2]^[16] This implies that Paros was one of the wealthiest islands in the Aegean. Little is known about the constitution of Paros, but inscriptions seem to show that it was modeled on the Athenian democracy, with a boule (senate) at the head of affairs.^[2]^[17] In 410 BC, Athenian general Theramenes discovered that Paros was governed by an oligarchy; he deposed the oligarchy and restored the democracy.^[18] Paros was included in the second Athenian confederacy (the Second Athenian League 378–355 BC). In c. 357 BC, along with Chios, it severed its connection with Athens.

From the inscription of Adule, it is understood that the Cyclades, which are presumed to include Paros, were subjected to the

Hellenistic dynasty (305–30 BC) that ruled Egypt.^[2] Paros then became part of the Roman Empire and later of the Byzantine Empire

, its Greek-speaking successor state.

Crusades

In 1204, the soldiers of the

fiefdom made up of various Aegean islands ruled by a Venetian duke as nominal vassal of a succession of crusader states. In practice, however, the duchy was always a client state of the Republic of Venice

.

Ottoman era and independence

In 1537, Paros was conquered by the

Kingdom of Greece, the first time the Parians had been ruled by fellow Greeks for over six centuries. At this time, Paros became the home of a heroine of the nationalist movement, Manto Mavrogenous, who had both financed and fought in the war for independence. Her house, near Ekatontapiliani church

, is today a historical monument.

On 26 September 2000 the ferry MS Express Samina collided with the Portes islets off the bay of Parikia, killing 82 of those on board.^[19]

Parikia

Panoramic view over the bay of Parikia

The capital,

Ios, Mykonos, and Santorini

.

In Parikia town, houses are built and decorated in the traditional Cycladic style, with flat roofs,

bas-reliefs, inscriptions, columns, and so on, are numerous. On a hillside in the southern outskirts of Parikia on the left of the Parikia – Alyki road are the remains of a temple dedicated to Asclepius

. In addition, close to the modern harbour, the remains of an ancient cemetery are visible, having been discovered recently during non-archaeological excavations.

Back from the port, around 400 m left of Parikia's main square, is the town's principal church, the

Saint Helen, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There are two adjoining chapels, one of very early form, and also a baptistery with a cruciform font.^[2]

The

Athens National Archaeological Museum. The Paros museum contains a fragment of the Parian Chronicle, a remarkable chronology of ancient Greece. Inscribed in marble, its entries give time elapsed between key events from the most distant past (1500 BC) down to 264 BC.^[20]

Other settlements

On the north side of the island is the bay of

Naoussa (Naussa, formerly Agoussa or Ausa), which provides a natural spacious harbor for boat traffic. In ancient times it was closed by a chain or boom

. In modern times it is experiencing great touristic development.

The three villages of Prodromos (formerly Dragoulas), Marmara, and Marpissa (formerly Tsipidos), situated on an open plain on the eastern side of the island, and rich in remains of antiquity, probably occupy the site of an ancient town.^[2] They are known together as the "villages of Kephalos" after the steep and lofty hill of Kephalos.^[2] On this hilltop stands the monastery of Agios Antonios (St. Anthony). Around it are the ruins of a medieval castle which belonged in the late Middle Ages to the Venetian noble family of the Venieri^[2] which fought a battle against the Turkish admiral Barbarossa in 1537.

Another settlement on the island Paros is Lefkes (Λεύκες). Lefkes is an inland mountain village 10 km (6 mi) away from Parikia. In the late 19th century, Lefkes was the center of the municipality of Iria which belonged to the Province of Naxos until 1912. The name of the municipality Iria was one of the ancient names of Paros. Lefkes was the capital of the municipality Iria which included the villages Angyria or Ageria, Aliki, Aneratzia, Vounia, Kamari, Campos, Langada, Maltes, and Marathi. Iria became Lefkes Community following the law enforcement DNZ/1912 "On Municipalities". At that time, the village managed to achieve great economic development. In the 1970s many residents moved to Athens due to urbanization. However, the last few years, tourism presented to be a new source of income for the locals that led to the reconstruction of homes and landscaping to make it appealing as a tourist destination. Lefkes became part of the municipality of Paros in the Kapodistrias local government reform. In the latest census (2011) the population numbered 545 inhabitants.

Marble quarries

Pentelic

counterpart, is only used for archaeological restorations.

In December 1883 these quarries were visited by Theodore and Mabel Bent during their tour of the Cyclades.^[22]

Notable people

Ancient

Agoracritus (5th century BC), sculptor
Archilochus (c. 680 BC–c. 645 BC), lyric poet
Scopas (c. 395–350 BC), sculptor and architect
Theoctiste of Lesbos
(9th century), hermit saint
Thrasymedes (4th century BC), sculptor
Thymaridas (c. 400 BC–350 BC), mathematician

Modern

Ottoman Sultan Murad III

Vassilis Argyropoulos (1894–1953) actor
Nicholas Mavrogenes (1738–1790), prince of Wallachia
Athanasius Parios
(1721/22–1813), theologian
Manto Mavrogenous (1796–1848), heroine in the Greek War of Independence
Joseph the Hesychast (1897-1959), monk
Augoustinos Kantiotes (1907-2010), bishop
Yiannis Parios (1946-), musician
Yiannis Ragousis
(1965–), politician
Argyro Barbarigou (1967-), celebrity chef
Christos Perakis (1973-), entrepreneur, founder of Zoottle, former Apple country business manager of Greece and Cyprus
Stan (Stratos Antipariotis) (1987-), musician
Christos Arianoutsos (1993-), footballer

Gallery

Parikia, Paros with the church of Agios Konstantinos
Agia Anna in Parikia, Paros
A street in Parikia, Paros
Naoussa, Paros
Street in Naoussa, Paros
Naoussa, Paros
Church in Lefkes
Lefkes, Paros, Greece.
Paros, Antiparos & Despotiko islands
Church of the 100 doors (Ekatontapyliani), Baptistery, Parikia
Alyki, Paros
Old lighthouse on the island of Paros

References

Notes

^ "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Paros" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 860–861.
^ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.
^ Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
^ "Parian – definition of Parian by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia". Thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
^ Heraclides De rebus publicis 8
^ Stephanos Byz.
^ Schol. Dionysius Periegetes 525; Herodian I.171
^ Thucydides Peloponnesian War IV.104; Strabo Geography 487
^ Zafeiropouloy F., and A., Agelarakis “Warriors of Paros”, Archaeology 58.1(2005): 30–35.
^ Diodorus Siculus XV.13
^ Herodotus Histories V.31
^ Herodotus op.cit. VI.133–136
^ Herodotus op.cit. VIII.67
^ Herodotus op.cit. VIII.112
^ Olympiodorus 88.4
^ Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum 2376–2383; Ross, Inscr. med. II.147, 148
^ Diodorus Siculus XIII.47
^ "Ferry Disaster off Paros". Greek Island Hopping. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2011. ()
^ Inscriptiones Graecae XII.100 seqq.
^ Pliny the Elder Historia Naturalis XXXVI. 5, 14; Plato Eryxias, 400 D; Athenodorus V.205 f; Diodorus Siculus 2.52
^ “Next morning we went in a tram drawn by horses up to the quarry of marble... We were received by the engineer who took us down the quarry. We all had miners’ lamps, not very light to hold, and scrambled and slipped and crawled through the various passages up and down… At the entrance is a bas-relief of figures dedicated to the Nymphs. It is carefully covered with wood. The middle figures have been removed by someone...” Extract from The Travel Chronicles of Mrs J. Theodore Bent, Vol. 1 (2006, Oxford, p.22). See also, Theodore Bent, The Cyclades, or Life Among the Insular Greeks (1885, London, pp.372 ff.).

Sources

Clarke Travels III (London, 1814)
de Tournefort, J.R. Voyage du Levant I.232 seqq. (Lyon, 1717)
Leake, William Martin, Travels in Northern Greece III.84 seqq. (London, 1835)
Where to stay in Paros, Thanasis Mougios (which owns "KingLIke Concierge")

External links

Media related to Paros at Wikimedia Commons
Paros travel guide from Wikivoyage
Website of the municipality of Paros
Moving Postcards Paros
Church of Ekatontapyliani (Church of a Hundred Doors)
Folklore Art Museum of Cycladic Civilization by Benetos Skiadas.GR

[census21-1] "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.

[EB1911-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Paros" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 860–861.

[stat01-3] "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.

[4] Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.

[5] "Parian – definition of Parian by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia". Thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 2009-05-06.

[6] Heraclides De rebus publicis 8

[7] Stephanos Byz.

[8] Schol. Dionysius Periegetes 525; Herodian I.171

[9] Thucydides Peloponnesian War IV.104; Strabo Geography 487

[10] Zafeiropouloy F., and A., Agelarakis “Warriors of Paros”, Archaeology 58.1(2005): 30–35.

[11] Diodorus Siculus XV.13

[12] Herodotus Histories V.31

[13] Herodotus op.cit. VI.133–136

[14] Herodotus op.cit. VIII.67

[15] Herodotus op.cit. VIII.112

[16] Olympiodorus 88.4

[17] Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum 2376–2383; Ross, Inscr. med. II.147, 148

[18] Diodorus Siculus XIII.47

[19] "Ferry Disaster off Paros". Greek Island Hopping. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2011. ()

[20] Inscriptiones Graecae XII.100 seqq.

[21] Pliny the Elder Historia Naturalis XXXVI. 5, 14; Plato Eryxias, 400 D; Athenodorus V.205 f; Diodorus Siculus 2.52

[22] “Next morning we went in a tram drawn by horses up to the quarry of marble... We were received by the engineer who took us down the quarry. We all had miners’ lamps, not very light to hold, and scrambled and slipped and crawled through the various passages up and down… At the entrance is a bas-relief of figures dedicated to the Nymphs. It is carefully covered with wood. The middle figures have been removed by someone...” Extract from The Travel Chronicles of Mrs J. Theodore Bent, Vol. 1 (2006, Oxford, p.22). See also, Theodore Bent, The Cyclades, or Life Among the Insular Greeks (1885, London, pp.372 ff.).

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