Kea Stone Lion

Location: Ioulida

The Stone Lion of Ioulis in Kea: A little further up the road of the Spring of Kounderis, on an old stone road, lies the Lion of Kea. The Lion, or Liondas, constitutes one of the most famous sights on the island and is an archaic structure carved out of stone. According to mythology, Kea was once known as the Water Island and was named Ydroussa. The island was considered to be inhabited by water Nymphs. Due to its splendor, the gods got jealous of the island and sent a lion down to ravage its beauty. The lion drove all the Nymphs out of the island, and the place dried out.

The inhabitants of Kea then asked Apollo's son, Aristaeus, for help. He decided to build a temple and dedicate it to the mightiest of all gods, Zeus. His act pleased Zeus, so the god brought rain to the island and the nymphs back to it as well. The most interesting feature of the Stone Lion is the fact that it has a smiling expression on its face. This adds to the mystery of the statue and its existence, considering that its creator is unknown.