|
MIlos[mE´lOs] Pronunciation Key or Milo[mE´lO, mI´–] Pronunciation Key, mountainous island (1991 pop. 4,390), 58 sq mi (150 sq km), SE Greece, in the Aegean Sea; one of the Cyclades. The main town is MIlos, formerly known as Plaka. The island's products include grain, cotton, fruits, and olive oil. MIlos flourished as a center of early Aegean civilization because of its deposits of obsidian and its strategic location between the Greek mainland and Crete. It lost importance when bronze replaced obsidian as a material for tools and weapons. Despite its neutrality in the Peloponnesian War, MIlos fell victim to Athens, which conquered the island in 416 B.C. and then massacred the men, enslaved the remaining persons, and founded an Athenian colony. Much excavation has been done on MIlos. The most famous find is the Venus of Milo (now in the Louvre, Paris), discovered in 1820.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2009, Columbia
University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
|
Topics
that might be of interest to you: |
• Cyclades
|
|
