Skyllia Monument
Skyllia Monument
The monument of the ancient diver in Nea Skioni
Skyllias was an excellent and famous diver and swimmer from ancient Skioni. In 480 BC the Persians tried to use him against the Greeks, capturing him and forcing him to sabotage the Greek fleet. But Skyllias managed to dive into the sea, to damage the Persian ships and, swimming a distance of 9 miles, to warn the Greeks, resulting in the victorious naval battle that followed.
In honor of Skyllias and his daughter Idna, the ancient Greeks erected statues, which are now in Rome, in the area of Delphi. The sculptor Vassilis Pavlis created a modern monument on the beach of Nea Skioni, honoring the local ancient diver with his great role in history. The composition has dimensions of 2.20 x 1.80 meters and is made of Afitos stone.