Naxos is an island belonging to Greece and a part of the Cyclades island group being the largest isle in the group.
History[]
When returning home, Theseus abandoned Ariadne on Naxos after she guided him through the Labyrinth. Dionysus, who was the protector of the island, met Ariadne, and fell in love with her. Eventually Ariadne, unable to bear her separation from Theseus, either killed herself or ascended to heaven depending on the myth.
Naxos, the nymph of Naxos Island was one of the fifty Menae, making her a daughter of Selene and Endymion.
The island was also said to be the home of Otis and Ephialtes. The two giants who were sons of Iphimedia, the queen of Aloeus by Poseidon, the god of the seas. Both giants wanted to storm Olympus to gain Artemis for Otis and Hera for Ephialtes. They also managed to capture the war god Ares in a bronze pithos for thirteen months.
In order to free her half-brother, Artemis offered herself to Otis, making Ephialtes envious, which resulted in a fight between the brothers. Artemis turned herself into a doe and jumped between them, the brothers, not wanting her to get away threw their spears and killed each other simultaneously. Although sometimes they were said to be killed by Apollo or chained to columns by snakes in the Underworld.
Both of them were seen as bringers of civilization, founding cities and teaching humanity about culture. They were venerated in both Naxos and Ascra, two cities they had founded. Ephialtes was sometimes seen as the spirit of nightmares whose name can also be translated as nightmare.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]
The Titan's Curse[]
Dionysus mentions the island while telling Percy Jackson (who is sneaking away from camp to help Thalia, Grover, Bianca, and Zoë on their quest to save Artemis and Annabeth) about his wife, Ariadne whose heart was broken by a son of Poseidon, Theseus.
Trivia[]
- There is a nymph named Naxos who lives on the island.
- It is home of Ajax, a famous Greek warrior.