The Ionian Islands

ISBN: 9781845116965 出版年：2008 页码：256 John Freely Bloomsbury Publishing

Legend has it that the Ionian Islands were created as Zeus' beautiful lover, Io, raced through the Ionian Sea escaping Hera's wrath. Rising from the waters between Greece and Italy, the Ionians - peaks of an underwater mountain range - are quite unlike any of the other Greek islands and amost culturally, historically and mythologicalGreece. Consisting of Corfu, Paxos, Ithaka, Lefkas, Cephalonia, Zakynthos (Zante) and Kythera, they have been inhabited since Paleolithic times and have a colourful and often turbulent past. Variously invaded and occupied by the Goths, Arabs, Normans, Venetians, British, Germans and most recently by tourism, thabsorbed and assimilated other cultures whilst still retaining their unique character and identity. The Ionians have bein literature from Homer and Aeschylus to Gerald Durrell and Louis de Bernières and numerous myths are associated with them: Corfu is linked to the voyage of Jason's Argonauts, Aphrodite was born on Kythera, Paxos and Corfu weuntil Poseidon threw his trident and separated them and OdysseuIthaka. John Freely, who has visited and travelled throughout the islands over the course of 40 years, here illuminates the history, culture and present day of all seven islands, providing the most readable and comprehensive guide to the magnificent Ionians.