The Strange Island Where Ancient Greeks Lived Completely Nude

Gymnesian Isles known contiguous arsenic Mallorca and Menorca. Credit: flickr / Dave43251 CC BY-SA 2.0

Ancient Greek writers supply descriptions of immoderate unusual islands wherever the inhabitants lived nude, had a heavy emotion for women and hated money. According to these accounts, past Greek historians believed these islands were inhabited by warriors from Boeotia, cardinal Greece, who were shipwrecked portion traveling determination aft the Trojan War.

Origin of the Balearic islands’ names

The Gymnesian Isles, known contiguous arsenic Spain’s Mallorca and Menorca, are the 2 larger islands of the Balearics. The sanction Gymnesian comes from the Greek connection gymnos (γυμνός), meaning “nude,” referring to the deficiency of covering oregon the lighter attire worn by the inhabitants of these islands, arsenic observed by past Greek writers.

The Balearic Islands are known by galore names successful antithetic languages. There are assorted theories astir the root of the 2 past names successful Greek and Latin (Gymnasiai and Baleares), which are the ones that past contiguous from classical sources.

During Roman times, radical initially changed the sanction of the land analyzable to Baliares and Baliarides. Later, during the reign of Augustus, they further evolved it into Baleares, which remains successful usage today. In the poem Alexandra, past Greek tragic poet, Lycophron, describes the islands arsenic Gymnasiai (from the connection “naked”) due to the fact that their inhabitants often walked astir naked, apt owed to the consistently lukewarm climate. Greek and Roman authors often gave names based connected the abilities and qualities of the radical they encountered.

After the 10-year Trojan War, galore Greeks recovered themselves wandering the seas. That was either due to the fact that they had trouble uncovering their mode backmost location oregon they faced persecution arsenic exiles upon their return. This was often owed to governmental changes that had occurred successful their homelands during their absence.

The Gymnasiai and Pityoussai

Ancient historiographer Diodorus Siculus connects the connection Valiarides to the verb vallo, highlighting the inhabitants’ exceptional accomplishment successful throwing ample stones with their slings. Another mentation suggests that Valerieis comes from a Phoenician word meaning “lightly armed,” perchance linking the sanction to the Phoenician deity Baal. Meanwhile, Roman historiographer Livy connects the sanction to an chartless companion of Hercules, named Valios. Valios allegedly stayed connected the islands during Hercules’ run against Geryon.

Lycophron explains that successful past times immoderate Greek castaways from Boeotia landed nude connected the Gymnesian isles, inspiring the sanction Gymnasiai. Another contented claims that the metropolis of Rhodes colonized the islands aft the Trojan War.

People collectively referred to the islands arsenic the Gymnasiai and Pityoussai. They attributed the sanction Gymnasiai either to the natives walking astir bare during the summertime oregon to their usage of airy weapons (gymnētai).

The sanction Pityoussai (“pine-covered”) reflects the abundance of conifer trees connected the islands. According to Lycophron, the castaways from Boeotia came from assorted regions specified arsenic Gla, Chaeronia, the Kopaida region, and Tanagra. Ancient Greek geographer Strabo, connected the different hand, suggests that the archetypal Greeks to anchor connected the islands were from the island of Rhodes.

Geographic features and aboriginal inhabitants

The Gymnasiai consisted of 2 main islands: a larger 1 (insula maior) and a smaller 1 (insula minor). These names are the root of the modern names Majorca (Mallorca/Maiorca) and Minorca (Menorca/Minorca). The forms Maiorica and Menorica are already attested by the 3rd period AD.

The 2 islands were celebrated for their fertile onshore and their large, hearty mules. However, vine and olive cultivation was absent. The inhabitants, being fond of wine, imported it from different regions. Due to the scarcity of olive oil, they produced an lipid substitute made from linseed extract mixed with pork fat. At the clip of Diodorus Siculus, the Gymnasiai had a colonisation of implicit 30,000 inhabitants.

The Pityoussai islands included 2 main islands. The 1 successful Roman times had the sanction Ebusus, which is contiguous called Ibiza. The different named Colubraria (from the Greek ”ifiousa”, meaning “full of snakes”), present known arsenic Formentera. The ungraded of these islands offered mean imaginable for viticulture, and olive lipid accumulation began aft grafting chaotic olives. However, they were particularly renowned for the brushed wool produced by their sheep.

Originally, the Balearic Islands were location to the Talaiotic culture, a prehistoric civilization of warlike radical known for gathering fortified cities. From the 6th period BCE onward, the Carthaginian-Phoenician civilization took root. According to Strabo, it was during this play that the natives of the Gymnesian isles began wearing tunics for the archetypal time.

According to Diodorus Siculus, the Gymnesians (the inhabitants of Mallorca and Menorca) had a heavy emotion for women. If a pirate abducted 1 of their women, they would connection 3 oregon 4 men arsenic ransom to retrieve her. Credit: Sladky, CC BY-SA 3.0

Cultural improvement and humanities significance

In 202 BCE, the islands came nether Roman rule. After that, successive conquests followed. The archetypal by the Vandals successful 455 CE, the Byzantines successful 534 CE, and the Arabs successful 768 CE.

During the reign of Augustus (27 BCE–14 CE), a terrible famine broke retired owed to the uncontrolled breeding of rabbits, forcing the islanders to question assistance from Rome. In the 1st period CE, the Balearics served arsenic a spot of exile. Under Byzantine rule, the islands became importantly Christianized.

According to Diodorus Siculus, the Gymnesians (the inhabitants of Mallorca and Menorca) had a heavy emotion for women. If a pirate abducted 1 of their women, they would connection 3 oregon 4 men arsenic ransom to retrieve her. They avoided the usage of precious metals and banned the importation of metallic and golden coins to forestall greed oregon prying into their possessions. Even erstwhile they served arsenic mercenaries for the Carthaginians, they refrained from bringing wealth backmost to their homeland. Instead, they utilized their wages to acquisition women and wine.

Despite their emotion for simplicity, the Gymnesians cherished their beauteous onshore and enjoyed a peaceful manner for centuries. However, successful modern times, overtourism threatens to disrupt this tranquility.