an island of the Archipelago, very famous in ancient history. Originally it is said to have been a floating island, but afterwards it became fixed and immovable. It was held sacred on account of its being the birth-place of Apollo and Diana.—Anciently this island was governed by its own kings. Virgil mentions one Anius reigning here in the time of the Trojan war. He was, according to that poet, both king and high-priest of Apollo, and entertained Æneas with great kindness. The Persians allowed the Delians to enjoy their ancient liberties, after they had reduced the rest of the Grecian islands. In after ages, the Athenians made themselves masters of it; and held it till they were driven out by Mithridates the Great, who plundered the rich temple of Apollo, and obliged the Delians to side with him. Mithridates was in his turn driven out by the Romans, who granted the inhabitants many privileges, and exempted them from all sorts of taxes. At present it is quite abandoned; the lands being covered with ruins and rubbish, in such a manner as to be quite incapable of cultivation. The inhabitants of Mycone hold it now, and pay but ten crowns land-tax to the Grand Signior for an island which... Delos, which was once one of the richest in the world.—Strabo and Callimachus tell us that the island of Delos was watered by the river Inapous; 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; being twelve paces in diameter, and inclosed partly by rocks and partly by a wall. Mount Cynthus, whence Apollo had the surname of Cynthia, is by Strabo placed near the city, and said to be so high, that the whole island was covered by its shadow; but our modern travellers speak of it as an hill of a very moderate height. It is but one block of granite of the ordinary sort, cut on that side which faced the city into regular steps, and inclosed on both sides by a wall. 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 some time ago, and 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 nowhere mentioned in history.—The city of Delos, as is manifest from the magnificent ruins still extant, took up that spacious plain reaching from one coast to the other. It was well peopled, and the richest city in the Archipelago, especially after the destruction of Corinth; merchants flocking thither from all parts, both in regard of the immunity they enjoyed there, and of the convenient situation of the place between Europe and Asia. Strabo calls it one of the most frequented empories in the world; and Pliny tells us, that all the commodities of Europe and Asia were sold, purchased, or exchanged, there. It contained many noble and stately buildings; as, the temples of Apollo, Diana, and Latona; the porticoes of Philip of Macedon, and Dionysius Eutyches; a gymnasium; an oval bason made 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 Ergichthon the son of Cecrops; but afterwards enlarged and embellished at the common charges 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 in it, 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 hanged together without any cement. This altar is said to have been a perfect cube; and the doubling it was a famous mathematical problem among the ancients. This went under the name of Problema Deliacum; and is said to have been propounded by the oracle, for the purpose of freeing the country from a plague. The distemper was to cease when the problem was solved.—The trunk of the famous statue of Apollo, mentioned by Strabo and Pliny, is still an object of great admiration to travellers. It is without head, feet, arms, or legs; but from the parts that are yet remaining, it plainly appears, that the ancients did not exaggerate when they commended it as a wonder of art. It was of a gigantic size, though cut out of a single block of marble; the shoulders being six feet broad, and the thighs nine feet round. At a small distance from this statue lies, amongst confused heaps of broken columns, architraves, bases, chapiters, &c., a square piece of marble 15½ feet long, ten feet nine inches broad, and two feet three inches thick; which undoubtedly served as a pedestal for this colossus. It bears in very fair characters this inscription in Greek, "The Naxians to Apollo." Plutarch tells us, in the life of Nicias, that he caused to be set up, near the temple of Delos, an huge palm-tree of braes, which he consecrated to Apollo; and adds, that a violent storm of wind threw down this tree on a colossal statue raised by the inhabitants of Naxos. Round the temple were magnificent porticoes built at the charge of various princes, as appears from inscriptions which are still very plain. The names of Philip king of Macedon, Dionysius Eutyches, Mithridates Euergetes, Mithridates Eupator, kings of Pontus, and Nicomedes king of Bithynia, are found on several pedestals.—To this temple the inhabitants of the neighbouring islands sent yearly a company of virgins to celebrate, with dancing, the festival of Apollo and his sister Diana, and to make offerings in the name of their respective cities.

So very sacred was the island of Delos held by the ancients, that no hostilities were practised here, even by the nations that were at war with one another, when they happened to meet in this place. Of this Livy gives an instance. He tells us, 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 Macedon, and those of Lemenes king of Pergamus, anchored in the same harbour, though these two princes were then making war upon one another.—Hence this island was a general asylum, and the protection extended to all kinds of living creatures; for this reason it abounded with hares, no dogs being suffered to enter it. No dead body was suffered to be buried in it, nor was any woman suffered to lie-in there; all dying persons, and women ready to be delivered, were carried over to the neighbouring island of Rheaea.