city state · Greece and the Aegean

Delos

314 BCE – 167 BCE · capital Delos

The sacred island of Apollo, independent from 314 to 167 BCE, when its sanctuary became a meeting place of kings and a hub of Aegean commerce.

Origins

Delos, birthplace of Apollo and Artemis in Greek myth, had long been under Athenian control. In 314 BCE, with Antigonus I extending his power into the Aegean, the Athenians were ousted and the Delians governed their island as an independent city, also hosting the Nesiotic League.

Rule and society

Independent Delos was run by an archon, council and assembly, while elected hieropoioi managed the sanctuary's lands, loans and treasures; their yearly inscribed accounts are among the richest economic records from antiquity. Kings of Macedon, Egypt and Pergamon built porticoes and dedications. Banking and trade grew, drawing merchants from Italy and the East.

Decline and legacy

In 167 BCE Rome handed Delos to Athens and made it a free port to damage Rhodes; the Delians were expelled to Achaea. Delos then boomed as a slave and grain market until sacked in 88 BCE by the forces of Mithridates VI and again by pirates in 69 BCE. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lineage

DelosAthens 900 BCE – 86 BCE

Connections (1)

Delos was part of Nesiotic League314 BCE – 167 BCE

More states of Greece and the Aegean →

Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Delos. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/delos
MLA: “Delos.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/delos. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Delos.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/delos.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Delos’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/delos (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻