History
About Milos
The name of the island came from the pre-Hellenic word "vilos" which later evolved in the ancient "Milos", meaning sheep. The first inhabitants of the island are the Kares or the Phoenicians.
Initially, Milos and Kimolos formed an island, but later after a powerful earthquake, the island was divided in two. During antiquity, Milos flourished because of it's mineral wealth.
Excavations have shown that it has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age (7000 BC) and soon became richer than it's neighboring islands thanks to obsidian stone, a black volcanic rock used by Mileans to make arms and tools.
It is believed that they were also in the exporting trade, because of the obsidian that was found in the Peloponnese, Crete, Cyprus and even Egypt. Given the wealth that Milos had, the Athenians were interested in it during the Classical period, and the locals were forced to pay annual tribute to Athens.
The Romans conquered the island in the 2nd century BC, and even build their own community here. At the same time, they built a theater, which is still used from time to time.
It should be emphasized that Milos is one of the first Greek islands that embraced Christianity, probably the first century. This is particularly evident in the Catacombs, which besides of being a cemetery were also a place of worship for Christians.
Aphrodite of Milos
The Aphrodite of Milos( Venus de Milo) is an amazing work of Hellenistic art, combining harmony of beauty and femininity. It is dated around 100 BC and was formerly considered the work of Praxiteles, but now it is clear that the author is someone else.
The statue is made of Parian marble, has a height of 2.02 m , it weights about 900 kilos and represents the goddess Aphrodite. It was found mutilated and speculations, sometimes say that the goddess was holding in her left hand an apple or a mirror or was holding with both hands the shield of Mars, and sometimes say that she was ready to bathe. According to a myth her hands broke during a fight between a French and a Greek archaeologist during transportation of the statue. The statue was found in more than six separate pieces in the spring of 1820 in a rural area of the island by a farmer, named George Centrists, and a year later it was sent to the Louvre Museum, where it stands until today. In the Archaeological Museum of Milos there is currently a plaster replica of the statue, which was later sent by the Louvre as a donation.
