PATMOS, in Ancient Geography, one of the Spo-
rades (Dionysius); 30 miles in compass (Pliny); con-
cerning which we read very little in authors. It was
rendered famous by the exile of St John, and the Re-
velation showed him there. The greatest part of interpre-
ters think that St John wrote them in the same place
during the two years of his exile; but others think that
he did not commit them to writing till after his return
to Ephesus. The island of Patmos is between the island
of Icaria and the promontory of Miletus. Nothing has
done it more honour than to have been the place of the
banishment of St John. It is now called Patino, or Pae-
tino, or Patmol, or Palmosa. Its circuit is five and
twenty or thirty miles. It has a city called Patmos,
with a harbour, and some monasteries of Greek monks.
It is at present in the hands of the Turks. It is con-
siderable for its harbours; but the inhabitants derive
little benefit from them, because the corsairs have ob-
liged them to quit the town, and retire to a hill on which
St John's convent stands. This convent is a citadel con-
sisting of several irregular towers, and is a substantial
building seated on a very steep rock. The whole island
is very barren, and without wood; however, it abounds
with partridges, rabbits, quails, turtles, pigeons, and
snipes. All their corn does not amount to 1000 barrels
in a year. In the whole island there are scarcely 300
men; but there are above 20 women to one man, who
expect that all strangers who land in the island should
carry some of them away. To the memory of St John
is an hermitage on the side of a mountain, where there
is a chapel not above eight paces long and five broad.
Over head they show a chink in the rock, through
which they pretend that the Holy Ghost dictated to
St John. E. Long. 26. 84. N. Lat. 37. 24.