The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, PAROS Greece. (2024)

PAROSGreece.

One of the larger Ionian islands, W of Naxos, celebrated for its fine, white marble. It was an important center of Cycladic culture of the 3d and 2d millennia B.C. (Neolithic finds have been made onthe small desert island of Saliangos near Paros) andcontinued to flourish until Late Mycenaean times. Reflecting this period are the myths about the subjection of the island by Minos (it was on Paros that he learned about the death of Androgeus) and by his sons, whowere expelled by Herakles when he captured the island.In historical times lyric poetry flourished here withArchilochos (7th c. B.C.), the poet and warrior, who isthe primary source for the myths and history of theisland. Paros took an energetic part in the fierce rivalryof the long Lelantine war (8th-7th c. B.C.) and then inthe great wars caused by the spread of Greek trade andcolonization. Paros' alliance with Eretria and Miletosexplains the war with Naxos, which belonged to the rivalcombination of Chalkis, Corinth, and Samos; it also explains the colonization of Thasos by Telesikles, the father of Archilochos. Thasos, with the Thracian possessions on the mainland (gold mines) was the source ofwealth and power, while Paros' chief natural resourcewas marble, exported everywhere throughout antiquity.At the peak of its sculptural importance, Parian marblewas used in all the major Greek temples and for the manufacture of marble furniture, even for the anthropomorphic sarcophagi of Sidon.

At the beginning of the 5th c. the strength of Paroswas demonstrated by the failure of Miltiades' expeditionagainst the island after the battle of Marathon, althoughhe had vowed that he would take it with ease and bringback a wealth of gold (Hdt. 6.133). Themistokles latersucceeded in part (Hdt. 8.112). Paros was a member ofthe Athenian Alliance after this, and as an ally duringthe Peloponnesian war tried vainly to revolt from Athensin 412-410. Governed either as a democracy or anoligarchy consistent with the style of the ruling power inthe Aegean, Paros continued to exist as an importantstate until the Late Roman period. It maintained connections in various directions and with the support of Dionysios the elder, tyrant of Syracuse, it colonized Pharos, an island off Dalmatia (mod. Hvar) in 385 B.C.,an area with which it had apparently had contacts sincethe prehistoric period, through its fleet. It achieved a cultural flowering in the Hellenistic period. From the 3d c.restoration of the 6th c. B.C. Archilocheion, a heroonwhich was probably a part of the Gymnasion, come important literary inscriptions: the Parian Chronicle andan extensive Biography of Archilochos with lines fromhis poetry (an epitome was added in the 1st c. B.C.).

The ancient city, of the same name as the island, isnow covered by Paroikia, the modern capital; it was muchlarger, as can be seen by the preserved portion of thewall, which was continually renewed but whose earliestparts are archaic. The acropolis was on a low peak inthe middle of the hill overlooking the modern jetty. Apart of this hill including its W peak has fallen into thesea, so only the E end of a large Ionic temple of Athenaon the summit has been preserved. This is distinguishedby the large gneiss foundation slabs of the opisthodomosand cella, and a few marble courses over the foundations, on which rests the N wall of the church of AgiosKonstantinos. Its exact plan is uncertain. Numerousarchitectural fragments from the buildings of the ancientcity, including many from the temple, are built into thenearby Venetian fort; in particular there are parastades(h. 6 m, w. 0.9 m) and a lintel (1. 5.9 m). The doorswere as big and as beautiful as those of the contemporary temple at Naxos, and the two may have been thework of the same artisans. Among the marbles in thekastro are also pieces of a Doric colonnade from a stoaof the Late Hellenistic period. The round structure in thekastro is half of a Hellenistic building (heroon?) whichwas reconstructed in its original form as the apse of achurch with orthostates, courses, a Doric frieze, an internal meander and a geison, not in situ.

Remains of houses from the Cycladic town have beenfound near the archaic temple. These are the most important building remains from this period, althoughtombs have been found all over the island. Some remainswhich have not been scientifically investigated have alsobeen found under the Basilica of Katapoliani (the onlysuch building which has been preserved in its entirety;its present appearance dates from the time of Justinian).A noteworthy mosaic depicting the Labors of Heraklesand numerous ancient carvings and inscriptions werebuilt into the Basilica or have been discovered in itsvicinity. Two archaic bas-reliefs from the frieze of theArchilocheion have been found: the funerary feast (ofArchilochos) and a lion attacking a bull.

At the SW edge of the city, near Haghia Anna, aresome scanty remains of the Pythion and the Asklepieion,and two high terraces. Only a trace of the supportingwall is preserved of the first, but on the second, the terrace of the Asklepieion, there are two fountains. Theearlier one (4th c. B.C.) is smaller, surrounded with plainslabs; the other made of marble. There is a rectangulartemenos in front, with colonnades, and an altar inside.

The remains of the Delion are more fully preserved.This is on the flat top of a hill (ca. 150 m) now calledKastro or Vigla, N of Paroikia, above the NW side ofthe harbor. It consists of a marble peribolos nearlysquare (26 x 24 m) with an entrance at the S. Theperibolos encloses in its NW corner a small Doric temple in antis (9.5 x 5.4 m), the foundations of which are preserved. It dates no earlier than the beginning of the 5th c. Behind the temple, the peribolos wall is interrupted by a projecting terrace with two steps on eachside. To the. left of the temple are rooms with benchesaround a mosaic floor, perhaps a banqueting hall (hestiatorion). There are remains of an altar (and possibly another earlier one in front of the temple) under which were traces of an older building which contained finds ofthe 8th-7th c. B.C. Approximately in the middle of theperibolos is a rock outcropping surrounded by a circularwall which has been theoretically identified as the archetypal altar founded by Herakles in honor of Apollo (Pind., frg. 140a, Snell). There are notable sculptures of the Severe period in the museum. The sanctuary wasdedicated to the Delian gods: Delian Apollo, DelianArtemis, Zeus Kynthios, and Athena Kynthia.

To the NW of the Delion, about an hour's drive fromParoikia, is a hill called Kounados with a chapel ofProfitis Elias at the summit, where, according to an inscription found there, Zeus Hypatos was worshiped. Alittle to the W was a shrine of Aphrodite, a temple without a peribolos; S and lower down was a shrine ofEilethyia, a narrow terrace with a spring and a cavenext to it carved out to receive offerings. The rock hascollapsed so that it is now almost unrecognizable. Nearerthe city, 1200 m beyond the Katapoliani, near the roadto Naousa, the “Three Churches” or “Crossroads” were shown by excavation to have been built over a three-aisled basilica (6th-7th c. A.D.) into which a number ofancient marbles had been built: architectural fragments,sculpture, inscriptions. Among these is an archaic Ioniccolumn capital with a later inscription (4th c. B.C.) mentioning Archilochos' tomb. It is not likely that all thepieces came from one nearby building, and especially notfrom the Archilocheion. Three orthostates from this building (including the two with the biographical inscriptions about Archilochos) were found in the E bank of the Elita river and other places in the city.

An hour's drive from Paroikia, near the old monasteryof Aghios Mamas, are important marble quarries (lychnites lithos, because quarried by lamplight). There is a continuous underground gallery with entrance and exit close to each other. On the rock at the entrance is a carving of the Nymphs dedicated by Odryses the son of Adamas.

Of the sparse and little-known antiquities from the restof the island, the most important is the cave of AghiosIoannis at Dris harbor at the SE end, where there was ashrine of Artemis. Inscriptions and sculpture have beenfound, including a large statue of a seated Artemis (of the Muses).

The museum contains some prehistoric sherds andCycladic idols. There are important archaic statues and reliefs, some pottery, inscriptions, and architectural fragments. There is an anthropomorphic sarcophagus as well as later ones, and fragments of funerary heroa.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

O. Rubensohn s.v. Paros,

(1947);

25 (1900) 341ff; 26 (1901) 157ff; 27 (1902)189ff; 42 (1917) 1ff;

(1923-24) 118ff, 278;Ionic temple: G. Gruben & W. Koenigs, “Der ‘Hekatompedos’ von Naxos und der Burgtempel von Paros,”

(1970) 135ff; Delion: O. Rubensohn,

(1962) (cf.

[1966] 202ff);Three Churches: A. Orlandos,

(1960) 246f;(1961) 184ff; Archilocheion: N. M. Kontoleon, Νέαι Επιγραφαί περί τοῦ Ἀρχιλόχου,

(1952) 32ff.

N. M. KONTOLEON