Strabo Geography 10.5.3

[3] Now at first the Cyclades are said to have been only twelve in number, but later several others were added. At any rate, Artemidorus enumerates fifteen, after saying of Helena that it stretches parallel to the coast from Thoricus to Sunium and is a long island, about sixty stadia in length; for it is from Helena, he says, that the Cyclades, as they are called, begin; and he names Ceos, the island nearest to Helena, and, after this island, Cythnos and Seriphos and Melos and Siphnos and Cimolos and Prepesinthos and Oliaros, and, in addition to these, Paros, Naxos, Syros, Myconos, Tenos, Andros, and Gyaros. Now I consider all of these among the twelve except Prepesinthos, Oliaros, and Gyaros. When our ship anchored at one of these, Gyaros, I saw a small village that was settled by fishermen; and when we sailed away we took on board one of the fishermen, who had been chosen to go from there to Caesar as ambassador (Caesar was at Corinth, on his way ¹ to celebrate the Triumph alter the victory at Actium ² ). While on the voyage he told enquirers that he had been sent as ambassador to request a reduction in their tribute; for, he said, they were paying one hundred and fifty drachmas when they could only with difficulty pay one hundred. Aratus also points out the poverty of the island in his Catalepton ³

[3] Originally, there were said to be twelve Cyclades, but many others were added to them. Artemidorus enumerates (fifteen?) where he is speaking of the island Helena, ¹ and of which he says that it extends from Thoricus ² to Sunium, ³ and is about 60 stadia in length; it is from this island, he says, the Cyclades, as they are called, begin. He names Ceos, ⁴ as the nearest island to Helena, and next to this Cythnus, Seriphus, ⁵ Melos, Siphnus, Cimolus, Prepesinthus, ⁶ Oliarus, ⁷ and besides these Paros, ⁸ “Naxos, ⁹ Syros, ¹⁰ Myconus, ¹¹ Tenos, ¹² Andros, ¹³ Gyarus. ¹⁴ The rest I consider as belonging to the Twelve, but not Prepesinthus, Oliarus, and Gyarus. When I put in at the latter island I found a small village inhabited by fishermen. When we left it we took in a fisherman, deputed from the inhabitants to go to C$esar, who was at Corinth on his way to celebrate his triumph after the victory at Actium. ¹⁵ He told his fellow-passengers, that he was deputed to apply for an abatement of the tribute, for they were required to pay 150 drachmae, when it was with difficulty they could pay 100.

Aratus, ¹⁶ in his Details, intimates how poor they were;