MELOS, melos. MILO, or MILOS, Greece, an island in the )Egean Sea, in the southwest portion of the Cyclades, about 65 miles east of the mainland. Its length, east to west, is about 14 miles and it is about eight miles in extreme breadth; area, 64 square miles. It is mountainous, Mount Ilias rising 2,543 feet, of volcanic formation, has hot mineral springs and mines of sulphur. The island was once fa mous for its fertility and population, and corn, wine, cotton, oranges and other fruits are still grown. Sulphur, manganese ore, mill stone, gypsum, etc., are exported. Plaka is the principal town and nearby are the ruins of Melos, the ancient capital. Kastron is a large village on the north coast. The island of Melos was first colonized by Phoenicians and afterward by Dorians. During the Peloponnesian War it was the faithful ally of Sparta till 416 Lc., when it was taken by the Athenians and its inhabit ants massacred or sold as slaves. From 1204
till 1537 it formed part of the Venetian duchy of the archipelago. At the latter date it was taken by the Turks, with whom it remained till the epoch of Greek independence. Its ancient prosperity is claimed to be due largely to the fact that obsidian was found here, which was quarried and sold for making knives, hatchets and tools. In 1820 a peasant discovered here the celebrated statue known as the Venus of Milo now placed in the Louvre at Paris; the Poseidon in the National Museum at Athens was also discovered here. There are numerous Interesting archaeological remains, chief of which are those of the Hall of the Mystce on the site of the ancient capital near the village of Klima, and those of prehistoric Phylakopi, which were excavated by the British School at Athens from 1896 to 1899.