Naxos
placeNaxos was the island where Theseus abandoned Ariadne — and where Dionysus found and married her, transforming abandonment into divine love.
The Myth
The largest of the Cyclades, Naxos was sacred to Dionysus. Theseus left Ariadne sleeping on its shore — either out of forgetfulness, divine command, or cold calculation. Dionysus discovered her and made her his immortal wife. The island became the centre of Dionysus's worship. Its famous marble (Naxian marble) was prized for sculpture. The island's massive unfinished gateway (Portara) still stands, the door to an incomplete temple of Apollo.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The Portara on Naxos — a massive marble doorway to nowhere — is perhaps Greece's most photographed ruin. The temple was never finished.
Explore Further
Apollo
godGod of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine...
Ariadne
heroDaughter of King Minos who fell in love with Theseus and gave him the thread that allowed him to...
Dionysus
godGod of wine, ritual madness, and theatrical performance. Dionysus was the only Olympian born of a...
Theseus
heroThe hero who navigated the Labyrinth, slew the Minotaur, and became the legendary king of Athens....
Acheron
placeThe Acheron was the River of Woe in the underworld, which the dead had to cross — in some...
Aeaea
placeAeaea was the mythical island home of Circe, the divine sorceress who transformed Odysseus's men...