The Cyclades are the quintessential Greek isles, renowned for the beauty of their seascapes, their historical monuments, and a unique way of life deeply rooted in the remote past of the Aegean. Over the course of more than 7,000 years the Cyclades have seen a succession of civilizations, the earliest of them perpetuated in legends such as that of Atlantis, which has been identified with volcanic Santorini. The islands are arrayed around their sacred centre on Delos, where Leto was said to have given birth to the divine twins Apollo and Artemis, children of Zeus. Dionysus was born on olive-embowered Naxos, where he fell in love with Ariadne, and myths relate that Poseidon was the protector of Tinos, whose mid-summer festival of the Virgin is celebrated with the folk-dances and songs for which the Cyclades are famous. In this comprehensive guide to the Cyclades, John Freely describes the immemorial past and timeless present of these enchanting islands, which still await discovery.

基克拉泽斯群岛是典型的希腊岛屿，以其美丽的海景、历史遗迹和深深植根于爱琴海遥远历史中的独特生活方式而闻名。在7000多年的时间里，基克拉泽斯群岛经历了一系列的文明，其中最早的是亚特兰蒂斯的传说，它被认为是圣托里尼火山的一部分。这些岛屿围绕着德洛斯岛这个神圣的中心排列，据说莱托在那里生下了宙斯的孩子阿波罗和阿尔特弥斯这对神圣的双胞胎。狄俄尼索斯出生在长满橄榄树的纳克索斯，他在那里爱上了阿里阿德涅，神话传说中波塞冬是蒂诺斯的保护神，蒂诺斯的仲夏圣女节以民间舞蹈和歌曲来庆祝，这也是基克拉迪群岛著名的节日。在这本关于基克拉泽斯群岛的综合指南中，约翰-弗里利描述了这些迷人岛屿的远古历史和永恒的现在，这些岛屿仍在等待着人们的发现。