THE HISTORY
	A group of brave Chalcidians disembarked and settled here in 735 B.C., founding a "Polis" which would, over the years, acquire great religious, political, and economic significance. As well as being a flourishing economic and commercial centre for 300 years, Naxos was a centre for high-quality artisan work, and also produced its own coinage (several good examples of coins made by Prokles, a noted craftsman of the 5th. century B.C., have been found). At the height of its spleandor, Naxos had perhaps as many as 10,000 inhabitants, and was certainly happy and prosperous, and this aroused the jealousy of Syracuse, which destroyed the city in 403 B.C. The ruins of the ancient colony came to light during the course of the systematic series of excavations.Naxos is unique example of urban history, and is also one of the very few Greek colonies in which it is still possible to find the main structural, outlines of the ancient city prior to the changes in town planning which took place elsewhere.