The Cyclades: Discovering the Greek Islands of the Aegean

By John Freely

Book Overview

The Cyclades are the quintessential Greek isles, renowned for the beauty of their seascapes, their historical monuments, and a unique way of life deeply rooted in the remote past of the Aegean. Over the course of more than 7,000 years the Cyclades have seen a succession of civilizations, the earliest of them perpetuated in legends such as that of Atlantis, which has been identified with volcanic Santorini. The islands are arrayed around their sacred centre on Delos, where Leto was said to have given birth to the divine twins Apollo and Artemis, children of Zeus. Dionysus was born on olive-embowered Naxos, where he fell in love with Ariadne, and myths relate that Poseidon was the protector of Tinos, whose mid-summer festival of the Virgin is celebrated with the folk-dances and songs for which the Cyclades are famous. In this comprehensive guide to the Cyclades, John Freely describes the immemorial past and timeless present of these enchanting islands, which still await discovery.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1845111605
• ISBN13: 9781845111601
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris & Company
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

A useful read, but not a guide

We're just back from a sailing vacation in the Cyclades, and brought this book along for reference. The historical perspective that the author carefully provides, is the most useful aspect of the book. After reading the book, and visiting the land, it is clear that many aspects of Ancient Greece are still alive! Visiting today and observing the ruins, one feels like a mere speck in time. The only criticism I have, is that some of the information in the book is out of date. For example, the Chora in Kea was not clean, but somewhat dirty and depressed, and felt chronologically displaced. So we're told, it turns out that Kea was a Communist enclave during the 1960's, and we even observed the word "Castro" written in Greek and engraved in large stone letters on a walkway. I recommend the book as an interesting historical read, but not as a practical guide. At least for sailing, the most popular text is "Greek Waters Pilot" by Rod Heikell. It also contains good general information about Greece and its ports.