View source for Levitha

{{Short description|Island in Greece}}
{{Infobox islands
| name             = Levitha 
| native_name      = Λέβιθα
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| image_name       = Levitha.jpg
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| image_caption    = View of Levitha island
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| country          = [[Greece]]
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| population       =5 
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'''Levitha''' ({{langx|el|Λέβιθα}}), known in [[classical antiquity]] as '''Lebinthus''' or '''Lebinthos''' ({{langx|grc|Λέβινθος}}) is a small  Greek [[island]] located in the east of the [[Aegean Sea]], between [[Kinaros]] and [[Kalymnos]], part of the [[Dodecanese]] islands. It is part of the municipality of [[Leros]]. The island is mentioned in two of [[Ovid]]'s works ''[[Ars Amatoria]]'' and the ''[[Metamorphoses (poem)|Metamorphoses]]'' in connection with the saga of [[Daedalus]] and [[Icarus (mythology)|Icarus]]. While escaping from [[Crete]], Daedalus and Icarus flew over Lebinthus.<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses (poem)|Metamorphoses]]'' 8.222; ''[[Ars Amatoria]]'' 2.81.</ref> Besides Ovid, the island is noted by the ancient authors [[Pliny the Elder]],<ref>{{Cite Pliny|4.12.23}}</ref> [[Pomponius Mela]],<ref>{{Cite Mela|2.7.11}}</ref> [[Strabo]],<ref>{{Cite Strabo|x. p. 487}}</ref> and [[Stephanus of Byzantium]].<ref>{{Cite Stephanus|''s.v.'' Δρεπάνη}}</ref> In addition, it is mentioned in the [[Stadiasmus Maris Magni]].<ref>[https://topostext.org/work/217#281 Stadiasmus of the Great Sea, 281]</ref>

{{As of|2009}}, the population of the island is five with a family of two children and their grandmother. The total area of the island is {{convert|9.2|km2|0|abbr=out}} and its total coastline is {{convert|34|km|0|abbr=off}}.

== Archaeological findings ==
In June 2019, archaeologists from the Greek culture ministry's [[Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities]] department discovered five 2000-year-old shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea near the Levitha island.<ref>[http://en.protothema.gr/amazing-archaeological-discovery-of-6th-century-bc-anchor-in-aegean-sea-points-to-colossal-ship/ Amazing archaeological discovery of 6th century BC anchor pole in Aegean Sea points to colossal ship]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geek.com/news/2000-year-old-shipwrecks-with-cargo-discovered-off-greek-island-1799465/|title=2,000-Year-Old Shipwrecks With Cargo Discovered Off Greek Island|date=2019-08-09|website=Geek.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-16|archive-date=2019-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816212110/https://www.geek.com/news/2000-year-old-shipwrecks-with-cargo-discovered-off-greek-island-1799465/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Along with the shipwrecks, a big granite anchor pole dating back to the 6th BC and [[amphora]]e dating back to the 3rd B.C were found. The amphorae were used during the era of the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]] as a container for transporting goods such as [[wine]]. Archaeologists assumed that 400&nbsp;kg weighted anchor pole was used on a “colossal-sized ship”.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/05/ancient-shipwrecks-discovered-in-the-sea-near-small-greek-island|title=Ancient shipwrecks discovered in the sea near small Greek island|last=Hurst|first=Luke|date=2019-08-05|website=euronews|language=en|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://greekcitytimes.com/2019/08/06/2000-year-ancient-shipwreck-discovered-aegean-sea/|title=2000-year-old ancient shipwreck discovered in the Aegean Sea|last=GCT|date=2019-08-06|website=Greek City Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/science/cargo-laden-ancient-shipwrecks-discovered|title=Stunning cargo-laden ancient shipwrecks discovered off Greek island|last=Rogers|first=James|date=2019-08-09|website=Fox News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.culture.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=2891|title=Αποτελέσματα της Ενάλιας Αρχαιολογικής έρευνας στη νήσο Λέβιθα|website=www.culture.gr|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.archaeology.org/news/7889-190808-greece-aegean-shipwrecks|title=Ancient Shipwrecks Discovered in the Aegean - Archaeology Magazine|website=www.archaeology.org|date=8 August 2019 |access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.protothema.gr/amazing-archaeological-discovery-of-6th-century-bc-anchor-in-aegean-sea-points-to-colossal-ship/|title=Amazing archaeological discovery of 6th century BC anchor pole in Aegean Sea points to colossal ship|date=5 August 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://neoskosmos.com/en/143167/five-major-ancient-shipwrecks-discovered-off-small-greek-island-in-the-aegean/|title=Five major ancient shipwrecks discovered off small Greek island in the Aegean {{!}} Neos Kosmos|date=2019-08-07|website=English Edition|language=en|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kenznews.com/its-a-story-for-morning-and-afternoon-about-ancient-shipwrecks-discovered-in-the-sea-near-small-greek-island/|title=Ancient shipwrecks discovered in the sea near small Greek island|last=Ain|first=Noor ul|date=2019-08-06|website=KENZ News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Geography of Greece]]
* [[List of Greek place names]]
* [[List of islands of Greece]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DGRG|title=Lebinthus}}

{{Dodecanese Islands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Leros]]
[[Category:Dodecanese]]
[[Category:Populated places in Kalymnos (regional unit)]]
[[Category:Islands of the South Aegean]]
[[Category:Islands of Greece]]
[[Category:Landforms of Kalymnos (regional unit)]]


{{SouthAegean-geo-stub}}