Kythira

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Kythira (Greek Κύθηρα (n. pl. ), Ancient Greek transcription Kythera, Mycenaean ( Linear B ) Ku -te- ra, Italian Cerigo ) is a Greek island off the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese.

The island, which belongs to the Ionian Islands, came up with these in 1864 to Greece and formed from 1997 to 2010 an independent municipality; Since 2011 it constitutes, together with the southern neighbor island Andikythira the municipality Kythira in the Attica region.

The deepest part of the Mediterranean, the 5,267 m deep Calypso Deep, is located about 150 kilometers west of the island. Because of the sparseness of the country many residents have emigrated, mainly to Australia.

History

First traces of settlement have been proven (2500-1900 BC) since the Early Helladic period. Herodotus, the Phoenicians from Ashkelon had the worship of Aphrodite Urania introduced on the island, although there seems no archaeological evidence. Perhaps these Phoenician Aphrodite was originally identical with Astarte, Atiratu or Derketo.

Acquired early on Kythera by trading Purple importance: trade relations with Egypt since 2450 BC occupied, also in Egyptian language in the list of place names of Amenhotep III. with the note: Kutira belonging to Tanaja / Danaja ( Peloponnese ). With Mesopotamia existed since about 1750 BC compounds.

Homer called Cythera as a separate island, later it belonged to Argos, since the middle of the sixth century BC to Sparta. The island was strategically important and was therefore in the Peloponnesian War fought strong. In the Middle Ages, was ruled as Kythera of Venice, was built on the ancient Acropolis, the city Paliochora that could accumulate great wealth in their heyday. Although their fortress seemed to be impregnable, conquered and destroyed the Ottoman admiral Khair ad-Din Barbarossa in 1537 the town.

After the end of Venetian rule Kythira was part of the French département Mer - EGEE of the Ionian Islands. When the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville Tahiti occupied from the 6th to April 15th 1768 for the French, he named the island Ile de la Nouvelle Cythère ( New Kythira ). After the end of the Napoleonic rule, the island was part of the Republic of the Ionian Islands, in 1864 united with the Kingdom of Greece. The Brockhaus Encyclopedia from 1911 indicates a population of 12306 for 1896.

Mythology

In Greek mythology, Kythera is next to Cyprus the island of Aphrodite. The goddess of love is to be born from the sea foam and rose on land.

Reception

In his three paintings Embarkation for Cythera has made ​​to this myth Antoine Watteau reference. You are now in the Städel in Frankfurt / Main ( 1710), in the Louvre ( 1717) and in the National Museums Berlin ( 1719) to see.

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