CYTHERA, an island (mod. Cerigo, but officially Cythera), situated about 8 m. from Cape Malea, the southern promontory of Greece. From north to south it is nearly 20 m. long and its greatest breadth is about 12 M. It is rocky, but streams abound, and there are fertile districts. Two great caves with stalactites are among its natural peculiarities. Much land is pasture, but wine and corn are produced, and the olive oil is good. The honey is highly prized, as in antiquity, and goat cheese, salt, flax, cotton and currants are exported. The people are industrious, and find employment as labourers in the Morea and Asia Minor. There is no regular harbour ; sea currents are strong, and storms fre quent. The best anchorage is at San Nicolo, on the eastern side. The principal village, Capsali, at the southern extremity, has a bishop, and several convents and churches.
There are few traces of antiquity. The ancient capital was at Paleo-Kastro. - In the church of St. Kosmas are preserved archaic Doric columns of the famous temple of Aphrodite of Cythera, who was supposed to have emerged here from the sea. Cythera was the seat of a purple fishery; hence its poetical name j'orphyris and tradition of a Phoenician settlement. For a time dependent on Argos, it belonged later to the Spartans. In the Peloponnesian war, it was occupied by Athens, but in 421 it was recovered by Sparta. In mediaeval and modern history Cythera ranks as one of the Ionian Islands and shares their history ; but it was subject to Venice only from 1717 to 1797.
See the works referred to under CEPHALONIA, and also Weil, in Mittheil. d. deutsch. Inst. zu Athen (188o), pp.