DELOS, an island of the Archipelago, famous in ancient history. It is said to have been originally a floating island; but afterwards it became fixed and immoveable. It is held sacred on account of its being the birth-place of Apollo and Diana. Anciently this island was governed by its own kings. The Persians allowed the Delians to enjoy their ancient liberties, after they had reduced the rest of the Grecian islands. In subsequent ages the Athenians made themselves masters of Delos, and held it until they were driven out by Mithridates the Great, who plundered the rich temple of Apollo, and obliged the Delians to take part with him. Mithridates was in his turn expelled by the· Romans, who granted the inhabitants many privileges, and exempted them from all sorts of taxes. Strabo and Callimachus tell us that the island of Delos was watered by the river Inapus; but Pliny calls it only a spring, and adds, that its waters swelled and abated at the same time with those of the Nile. At present there is no river in the island, but one of the noblest springs in the world, about twelve yards in diameter, and inclosed partly by rocks and partly by a wall. Mount Cynthus, whence Apollo had the surname of Cynthius, is by Strabo placed near the city, and said to be so high, that the whole island was covered by its shadow; but modern travellers speak of it as a hill of very moderate height. On the top of the mountain are still to be seen the remains of a stately building, with a mosaic pavement, many broken pillars, and other valuable monuments of antiquity. From an inscription discovered there, which mentions a vow made to Serapis, Isis, and Anubis, some have conjectured that on this hill stood a temple dedicated to these Egyptian deities, though it is nowhere mentioned in history. The city of Delos contained many noble and stately buildings, particularly the temples of Apollo, Diana, and Latona; the porticos of Philip of Macedon, and Dionysius Eutyches; a gymnasium; an oval basin formed at an immense expense, for the representation of sea-fights; and a most magnificent theatre. The temple of Apollo was, according to Plutarch, begun by Erysichthon, the son of Cycrops, but afterwards enlarged and embellished at the common charge of all the states of Greece. Plutarch tells us that it was one of the most stately buildings in the universe; and speaks of an altar therein, which, in his opinion, deserved a place among the wonders of the world. It was built with the horns of various animals, so artificially adapted to one another that they hung together without any cement. This altar is said to have been a perfect cube; and the doubling it was among the ancients a famous mathematical problem, which went under the name of Problernα Deliacum, and is said to have been proposed by the oracle for the purpose of freeing the country from a plague. So very sacred was the island of Delos held by the ancients, that no hostilities were practised there, even by [7:7:689]the nations who were at war with one another, when they happened to meet in the island. Of this Livy gives an instance. He mentions that some Roman deputies being obliged to put in at Delos, in their voyage to Syria and Egypt, found the galleys of Perseus, king of Macedonia, and those of Eumenes, king of Pergamus, anchored in the same harbour, though these two princes were then making war upon each other. Hence this island was a general asylum, and the protection extended to all kinds of living creatures. No dead body was suffered to be buried in it, nor was any woman allowed to lie in there; all dying persons, and women ready to be delivered, were carried over to the neighbouring island of Rhenaea.