Santorini

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SANTORINI
The small but beautiful island
of Santorini is located at the
south end of the island complex
of the Cyclades.
Its first name was "Strongyli"
("Round"). Later it was called
"Kalliste" ("Most Beautiful"), and
finally Thera. It was named in
honor of Theras, son of Autesion
(A Theban hero and descendant
of Kadmus).
Theras was a regent of Sparta
and the guardian of his twin
nephews, Proklos and Eurys-
thenes. After his nephews
reached adulthood and assumed
the throne, Theras left Sparta,
taking with him a group of nobles
from Orchomenos, and settled in
Kalliste, which was thus named
Thera.
The name Santorini is a much
more recent one. It comes from
the Church of the island, which
honored St. Irene called "Aghia
Irini" by the Greeks and "Santa
Rini" by foreign sailors.
This name became es-
tablished with the linguistic types
"Santo-Rim" and Santorini.
Many legends and traditions
are connected to the existence of
this unique island of the
Cyclades. It has been ascertained
that its present geographical
shape and its geological com-
position -with the exception of
Mt. Profitis Ilias- are the result of
the action of the local volcanoes.
Santorini is different from the
other islands of the Cyclades: it
is an island built from the thick
lava of the volcano, which rose
from the molten core of the
earth. Its reddish-black bulk,
with the unscalable cliffs, the
huge masses of rock, and the
hard, impressive colours, are all
the products of the volcano's ac-
tion.
The contrast of the deep blue
of the sea with the red, brown,
and black colours of the land
create a wild, imposing natural
beauty not found elsewhere.
Santorini's landscape,
together with the colours of the Vissza