Listed 52 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "EPIDAVROS LIMIRAS Province LACONIA" .
MEGALI AMMOS (Seaside settlement) ZARAKAS
It is the settlement of the Kyparissi port.
AFRODISSIAS (Ancient city) VOION
Aphrodisias, a town in the S. of Laconia, on the Boeatic gulf, said to have been founded by Aeneas. (Paus. iii. 12. § 11, viii. 12. § 8.)
AKRIES (Ancient city) ELOS
Akriai, Akreia, Akreia: Eth. Akriates. A town of Laconia, on the eastern
side of the Laconian bay, 30 stadia S. of Helos. Strabo describes the Eurotas
as flowing into the sea between Acriae and Gythium. Acriae possessed a sanctuary
and a statue of the mother of the gods, which was said by the inhabitants of the
town to be the most ancient in the Peloponnesus. Leake was unable to discover
any remains of Acriae; the French expedition place its ruins at the harbour of
Kokinio.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited May 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
ASSOPOS (Ancient city) LACONIA
Asopus, Asopos. A town of the Eleuthero-Lacones in Laconia, on the eastern
side of the Laconian gulf, and 60 stadia south of Acriae. It possessed a temple
of the Roman emperors, and on the citadel a temple of Athena Cyparissia. At the
distance of 12 stadia above the town there was a temple of Aselepius. Strabo speaks
of Cyparissia and Asopus as two separate places; but it appears that Asopus was
the later name of Cyparissia. Pausanias says that at the foot of the acropolis
of Asopus were the ruins of the city of the Achaei Paracyparissii. Strabo describes
Cyparissia as a town with a harbour, situated upon a chersonese, which corresponds
to the site of Blitra. The latter is on the high rocky peninsula of Kavo Xyli,
east of which there is a deep inlet of the sea and a good harbour. The acropolis
of Cyparissia or Asopus must have occupied the summit of Kavo Xyli.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited May 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
ELAFONISSOS (Island) PELOPONNISOS
Onugnathus (Onou gnathos), the jaw of an ass, the name of a peninsula
and promontory in the south of Laconia, distant 200 stadia south of Asopus. It
is now entirely surrounded with water, and is called Elafonisi; but it is in reality
a peninsula, for the isthmus, by which it is connected with the mainland, is only
barely covered with water. It contains a harbour, which Strabo mentions; and Pausanias
saw a temple of Athena in ruins, and the sepulchre of Cinadus, the steersman of
Menelaus. (Paus. iii. 22. § 10, iii. 23. § 1; Strab. viii. pp. 363, 364; Curtius,
Peloponnesos, vol. ii. p. 295.)
EPIDAVROS LIMIRA (Ancient city) MONEMVASSIA
Epidauros n Limera. A town on the eastern coast of Laconia, situated
at the head of a spacious bay, formed by the promontory Kremidhi, on the north,
and the promontory of Monemvasia, on the south. It was a colony from Epidaurus
in Argolis, and is said to have been built in consequence of an intimation from
Asclepius, when an Epidaurian ship touched here on its way to Cos. (Paus. iii.,23.
§ 6.) Its foundation probably belongs to the. time when the whole of the eastern
coast of Laconia, as far as the promontory Malea, acknowledged the supremacy of
Argos. (Herod. i, 82.) The epithet Limera was considered by the best ancient critics
to be given to the town on account of the excellence of its harbours, though other
explanations were proposed of the word (limeran .... hos a limeneran, Strab. viii.).
Pausanias describes the town as situated on a height not far from the sea. He
mentions among its public buildings temples of Aphrodite and Asclepius, a temple
of Athena on the acropolis, and a temple of Zeus Soter in front of the harbour.
(Paus. iii. 23. § 10.) The ruins of Epidaurus are situated at the spot now called
Old Monemvasia. The walls, both of the acropolis and town, are traceable all round;
and in some places, particularly towards the sea, they remain to more than half
their original height. The town formed a sort of semicircle on the southern side
of the citadel. The towers are some of the smallest I have ever seen in Hellenic
fortresses; the faces ten feet, the flanks twelve: the whole circumference of
the place is less than three quarters of a mile. The town was divided into two
separate parts by a wall; thus making, with the citadel, three interior divisions.
On the acropolis there is a level space, which is separated from the remaining
part of it by a little insulated rock, excavated for the foundations of a wall.
I take this platform to have been the position of the temple of Athena. On the
site of the lower town, towards the sea front, there are two terrace walls, one
of which is a perfect specimen of the second order of Hellenic masonry. Upon these
terraces may have stood the temples of Aphrodite and Asclepius. There are, likewise,
some remains of a modern town within the ancient inclosure; namely, houses, churches,
and a tower of the lower ages. The harbour of Zeus Soter has entirely disappeared,
but this is not surprising, as it must have been artificial; but there are two
harbours, one at either extremity of the bay, the northern called that of Kremidhi,
and the southern that of Monemvasia.
South of Epidaurus Pausanias mentions a promontory (akra) extending
into the sea, called Minoa (Paus. iii. 23. § 11; Strab.) This promontory is now
an island, connected with the mainland by a bridge of 14 small arches; it is not
improbable that it was originally part of the mainland, and afterwards separated
from it by art.
Epidaurus is rarely mentioned in history. Its territory was ravaged
by the Athenians in the Peloponnesian War. (Thuc. iv. 56, vi. 105.) In the time
of Strabo there appears to have been a fortress on the promontory Minoa, since
he calls it a phrourion. Pausanias mentions Epidaurus Limera as one of the Eleuthero-Laconian
towns. (Paus. iii. 21. § 7.) Ptolemy enumerates, as separate places, Minoa, the
harbour of Zeus Soter, and Epidaurus. In the middle ages the inhabitants of Epidaurus
abandoned their ancient town, and built a new one on Minoa,--which they now, for
greater security, probably, converted for the first time into an island. To their
new town, because it was accessible by only one way, they gave the name of Monemvasia
or Monembasia, which was corrupted by the Franks into Malvasia. In the middle
ages it was the most important Greek town in the Morea, and continued purely Greek
in its language and customs for many centuries.
Leake remarked, about a third of a mile southward of the ruins of
Epidaurus, near the sea, a deep pool of fresh water, surrounded with reeds, about
100 yards long and 30 broad, which he observes is probably the lake of Ino, small
and deep, mentioned by Pausanias (iii. 23. § 8) as 2 stadia from the altars of
Asclepius, erected to commemorate the spot where the sacred serpent disappeared
in the ground, after landing from the Epidaurian ship on its way to Cos.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited May 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
EPIDILION (Ancient city) MONEMVASSIA
Epidelion. Called Delium simply by Strabo, a small place on the eastern
coast of Laconia, situated within the territories of Boeae, at the distance of
100 stadia from Cape Malea, and 200 from Epidaurus Limera. Epidelium, however,
appears to have been little more than a sanctuary of Apollo, erected at the time
of the Mithridatic War, when a wooden statue of the god floated to this spot from
Delos, after the devastation of the island by Metrophanes, the general of Mithridates.
Epidelium probably stood on Cape Kamili, where there are a few ancient remains.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited May 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
ITI (Ancient city) VOION
Etis (Etls), a town in the S. of Laconia, the inhabitants of which
were removed to Boeae. (Paus. iii. 22. § 11; Steph. B. s. v.)
KOTYRTA (Ancient city) ASSOPOS
Koturta: Eth. Koturtaios. A town in the S. of Laconia, near the promontory Malea,
which was garrisoned by the Lacedaemonians, along with Aphrodisias, in the Peloponnesian
War, in order to protect this part of the coast from the ravages of the Athenians,
who had established themselves at Cythera.
KYFAS (Ancient city) ZARAKAS
ta Kuphanta. A town on the eastern coast of Laconia, belonging to
the Eleuthero-Lacones. It was in ruins in the time of Pausanias, but from the
notice of it in other writers, it was evidently at one period a place of some
importance. Pausanias describes it as situated 6 stadia from Zarax, and 10 stadia
inland; and Ptolemy speaks separately of the porttown and city. Pausanias adds
that Cyphanta contained a temple of Asclepius, called Stethaeum, and a fountain
issuing from a rock, said to have been produced by a blow of the lance of Atalante.
The numbers in Pausanias, however, cannot be correct. At the distance of 6 stadia
from Zarax (Hieraka), there is no site for a town or a harbour; and it is scarcely
conceivable that, on this rocky and little-frequented coast, there would be two
towns so close to one another. Moreover Pausanias says that the distance from
Prasiae to Cyphanta is 200 stadia; whereas the real distance from Prasiae (Tyro)
to Zarax (Hieraka) is more than 300 stadia. In addition to this Ptolemy places
Cyphanta considerably further north than Zarax; and it is not till reaching Cyparissi
that there is any place with a harbour and a fountain. Accordingly, we may here
place Cyphanta, changing with Boblaye the very improbable number in Pausanias
hex pou stadia, into hekaton stadia. Cyparissi is as nearly as possible 100 stadia
from Hieraka, and 200 stadia from Tyro.
In his Morea, Leake placed Cyphanta at Cyparissi; but in his Peloponnesiaca,
he supposes its site to have been further north at Lenidhi. If we are right in
identifying Prasiae with Tyro, this position for Cyphanta would be at once inadmissible;
but Leake, we think erroneously, places Prasiae also further north, at St. Andrew
in the Cynuria.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
KYPARISSIA (Ancient city) ASSOPOS
Kuparissia, Kuparisseeis, Kuparissiai, Kuparissai, Kuparissos, Eth.
Kuparissieus. (Stephanus alone has the form Kuparisseus). A town on the western
coast of Messenia, situated a little south of the river Cyparissus, upon the bay
to which it gave the name of the Cyparissian gulf. (Plin. Mela, ll. cc.) This
gulf was 72 miles in circuit according to Pliny, and was bounded by the promontory
of Ichthys on the north, and by that of Cyparissium on the south. Cyparissia was
the only town of importance upon the western coast of Messenia between Pylus and
Triphylia. It is mentioned in the Homeric catalogue (Il. l. c.), and appears to
have been inhabited from the earliest to the latest times. It was beautifully
situated upon the sides of one of the offshoots of the range of mountains, which
run along this part of the Messenian coast. Upon the narrow summit of the rocks
now occupied by a castle built in the middle ages, stood the ancient acropolis.
There is no harbour upon the Messenian coast north of Pylos; but Leake remarks
that the roadstead at Cyparissia seems to be the best on this part of the coast;
and in ancient times the town probably possessed an artificial harbour, since
traces of a mole may still be seen upon the sea-shore. This was probably constructed
on the restoration of Messene by Epaminondas; for it was necessary to provide
the capital of the new state with a port, and no spot was so suitable for this
object as Cyparissia. Hence we find Messene and the harbour Cyparissia mentioned
together by Scylax (p. 16). Pausanias found in the town a temple of Apollo, and
one of Athena Cyparissia. The town continued to coin money down to the time of
Severus. In the middle ages it was called Arkadia, a name which was transferred
from the interior of the peninsula to this place upon the coast. It continued
to bear this name till its destruction by Ibrahim in 1825, and when rebuilt it
resumed its ancient name Cyparissia, by which it is now called. Some remains of
ancient walls may be traced around the modern castle; and below the castle on
the slope of the hill, near the church of St. George, are some fragments of columns.
On the south side of the town, close to the sea-shore, a fine stream rushes out
of the rock and flows into the sea; and a little above is a basin with a spring
of water, near which are some stones belonging to an ancient structure. This is
the ancient fountain sacred to Dionysus, which Pausanias perceived near the entrance
of the city, on the road from Pylus.
Stephanus calls Cyparissia a city of Triphylia, and Strabo (viii.
p. 349) also distinguishes between the Triphylian and Messenian Cyparissia, but
on what authority we do not know.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
PALEA (Ancient city) NIATA
Pleiai. A town of Laconia, mentioned by Livy (xxxv. 27) as the place
where Nabis pitched his camp in B.C. 192, must have been situated in the plain
of Leuce, which lay between Acriae and Asopus. The name of the place occurs in
an inscription (Bockh, Inscr. no. 1444). From its position it would appear to
be the same as the palaia kome of Pausanias (iii. 22. § 6), in which passage Curtius
suggests that we might perhaps read Pleiai koen.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
SIDI (Ancient city) VOION
A town on the eastern coast of Laconia, a little N. of the promontory Malea. It
was said to have existed before the Dorian conquest, and to have derived its name
from a daughter of Danaus. The inhabitants were removed by the Dorian conquerors
to the neighbouring town of Boeae. It probably occupied the site of the monastery
of St. George, where there is a port.
VIES (Ancient city) VOION
Boeae. Bioai: Eth. Boiates. A town in the south of Laconia, situated between
the promontories Malea and Onugnathos, in the bay called after it Boeaticus Sinus
(Boiatikos kolpos). The town is said to have been founded by Boeus, one of the
Heraclidae, who led thither colonists from the neighbouring towns of Elis, Aphrodisias,
and Side. (Paus. iii. 22. § 11.) It afterwards belonged to the Eleuthero-Lacones,
and was visited by Pausanias, who mentions a temple of Apollo in the forum, and
temples of Aesculapius and of Sarapis and Isis elsewhere. At the distance of seven
stadia from the town there were ruins of a temple of Aesculapius and Hygieia.
The remains of Boeae may be seen at the head of the gulf, now called Vatika.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
VOION (Municipality) LACONIA
Boeae (Bioai: Eth. Boiates), a town in the south of Laconia, situated
between the promontories Malea and Onugnathos, in the bay called after it Boeaticus
Sinus (Boiatikos kolpos). The town is said to have been founded by Boeus, one
of the Heraclidae, who led thither colonists from the neighbouring towns of Elis,
Aphrodisias, and Side. (Paus. iii. 22. § 11.) It afterwards belonged to the Eleuthero-Lacones,
and was visited by Pausanias, who mentions a temple of Apollo in the forum, and
temples of Aesculapius and of Sarapis and Isis elsewhere. At the distance of seven
stadia from the town there were ruins of a temple of Aesculapius and Hygieia.
The remains of Boeae may be seen at the head of the gulf, now called Vatika. (Paus.
i. 27. § 5, iii. 21. § 7, iii. 22. § 11, seq.; Scylax, p. 17; Strab. viii. p.
364; Polyb. v. 19; Plin. iv. 5. s. 9; Boblaye, Recherches, &c. p. 98.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
YPERTELEATON (Ancient sanctuary) ASSOPOS
Hyperteleatum (Huperteleaton), a place in the territory of the Laconian
Asopus, at the distance of 50 stadia from the latter town, containing a temple
of Asclepius. The French Commission discovered on the coast below the village
of Demonia some remains of the inclosure of this temple on a rock artificially
cut, with many tombs excavated in the rock, and at 500 steps from the temple,
nearer Demonia, a fine source of water. (Paus. iii. 22. § 10; Boblaye, Recherches,
&c. p. 98; Leake, Peloponnesiaca, p. 168; Curtius, Peloponnesos, vol. ii. p. 294.)
ZARAX (Ancient city) ZARAKAS
(Zarex, Eth. Zarekios) A town on the eastern coast of Laconia, with
a good harbour, situated upon a promontory, which is a projection of Mt. Zarax.
Like Prasiae and some other places on this part of the Laconian coast, it passed
into the hands of the Argives in the time of the Macedonian supremacy; and this
was apparently the reason why it was destroyed by Cleonymus, the son of Cleomenes.
From this disaster it never recovered. Augustus made it one of the Eleuthero-Laconian
towns; but Pausanias found in it nothing to mention but a temple of Apollo at
the end of the harbour. It is now called Hieaka, which is evidently a corruption
of Zarax, and there are still ruins of the ancient town. The promontory bears
the same name, and the port, which is on its northern side, is described as small
but well sheltered. Pausanias says that Zarax was 100 stadia from Epidaurus Limera,
but this distance is too great.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
EPIDAVROS LIMIRA (Ancient city) MONEMVASSIA
Styled Limera, a town in Laconia, on the east coast, said to have been founded by Epidaurus in Argolis.
EPIDILION (Ancient city) MONEMVASSIA
A town on the southeastern coast of Laconia with a temple of Apollo which contained an image of the god, said to have been cast into the sea at Delos and to have drifted ashore at Epidelium.
MALEAS (Cape) LACONIA
A promontory on the southeast of Laconia, separating the Argolic and Laconic gulfs. At this point the sea is so rough as to give rise to the proverb, Cum ad Maleam deflexeris, obliviscere quae sunt domi (Mela, ii. 3).
FINIKI (Ancient city) ASSOPOS
According to Kourtion (History of ancient Greece p.214) the name comes from Finikes "According to Maleon abound are Finikes, so years now the memorial village is called Finiki". So it is ancient. The settlement should have been established then, when the sea reached there or even higher, before the land was turned to a plain after the illuviations. The Finikes (850 bc) had established a merchant station to exploit and monopolize the exceptional quality of the purple shells, which, as Pafsanias mentions were found only on the beaches of Lakonias.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Municipality of Assopos URL below.
GLYFADA (Settlement) ASSOPOS
Magnificent Coastline County at the borders of the Municipality with the Municipal District of Elias county of Molai.
YPERTELEATON (Ancient sanctuary) ASSOPOS
Its position was identified from marble and brass inscriptions during the excavations in 1885 from the Geek Archeological Company, as well as from Pafsanias who reports that its distance was 50 stadiums from Asopos (about 9 kilometers). It was situated in a gorge South of Finiki in a part of the road, which leads to the Village Velies, where there were Temples, built dedicated to the God Apollonas and the Asklipeon of Iperteleaton. The Pantheon of Apollonas according to the inscriptions found, was the central shrine of the people, Liberal-Lakones. During the whole year a throng of palmers visits the Temple, from other cities of this Lakonean Confederation. In the Museum of Sparti there are two inscriptions, which are not legible, that were found in this area.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Municipality of Assopos URL below.
ARCHANGELOS (Settlement) ASSOPOS
KYPARISSI (Village) LACONIA
Kiparissi, to the north of Monembassia and southerst of Sparta, is a charming coastal village which has recently developed into a resort attracting those who like to "get away from it all". It has three marvelous stretches of beach lining three successive coves.
MONEMVASSIA (Village) LACONIA
EPIDAVROS LIMIRA (Ancient city) MONEMVASSIA
ASSOPOS (Ancient city) LACONIA
There are two aspects regarding the location of the ancient Assopos. One of them sets the position in today's location of Bozas and the other in the location of Plitra. The confusion resulted, because there was another ancient city in this area, Kiparissia. From the Lakonika of Pafsanias, where he mentions the distances of Assopos to the Akries (Kokkinia) and the Iperteleaton (North from Finikio), comes out, the location of Plitra. Today in the position of Kokkines in Plitra and at the bottom of the sea, ruins of a pier, podiums and other constructions are on sight. It is speculated that the town sunk after a powerful earthquake (perhaps 375 ac.), from which also resulted the separation of the rock of Monemvassia. Others say that the sinking might have been the result of the explosion of the volcano in Santorini.
EPIDAVROS LIMIRA (Ancient city) MONEMVASSIA
KYPARISSIA (Ancient city) ASSOPOS
The laconian town of Cyparissia is located, although not with certainty, to the south of the modern Assopos village, formerly called Kontevianika (Ekdotiki Athinon, Pausaniou Periegissis, vol. 3, p. 418, note 2).
Regarding the actual location of this city (Kyparissia) there has been confusion with the location of Assopos. The most possible location should be considered west of cape Xili (Xili, for the ancient, is the shape of the cradle) on today's location of Bozas. There are two interpretations. One states that it comes from the colonists who came from Kiparissia of Messinia and the other from the Temple of Goddess Athena, which was situated in the grove of Kiparissia. Its establishment is dated during the Homer Years. Because of its exceptional position it had great prosperity. It was maintained until the Roman Years, then the reason is unknown it was abandoned. Perhaps because of the leak of habitants to the prosperous back then city of Assopos.
EPIDAVROS LIMIRA (Ancient city) MONEMVASSIA
On the E coast, beside the bay dominated by the rock of Monemvasia.
The epithet, of doubtful meaning even in antiquity, distinguishes the city from
Epidauros in the Argolid. According to Apollodoros (Strab. 368) limera meant of
the good harbor (= limenera), but others explained the word as signifying parched
or deficient (Schol. Thuc. 7.26). Pausanias (3.23.6) alleges that the city was
founded from the Argolic Epidauros. There was a cape (akra, Paus. 3.23.11) with
a fort (Strab. 368) called Minoa; this may have been the promontory of Monemvasia,
which, however, is now an island. The city overlooks a long stretch of coastline
and the E end of the easiest route from Sparta to the E coast of the Peloponnese.
Athenian raids during the Peloponnesian War are mentioned by Thucydides (4.56.2,
6.105.2, 7.26.2). The city became a member of the Eleutherolakonian League (Paus.
3.21.7).
The acropolis is enclosed by a Hellenic fortification wall. Ancient
towers and terrace walls are also visible; there is a leveled surface on the acropolis,
perhaps for a temple. Mycenaean sherds have been noted near the summit. Inland,
a series of chamber tombs yielded pottery extending in time from Late Helladic
II to Late Helladic IIIC. Some of the earliest vases from the burials suggest
Minoan connectlons.
G.L.Huxley, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
NYMFEON (Ancient port) VOION
This site in the peninsula of Maina, 18 km to the N of Cape Tainaron
and 570 m above sea level, can be reached by a two and a half hour climb on foot
from the small port of Nymphi. It is not mentioned by any ancient author, and
its name in antiquity is unknown. The ancient establishment is 500 m from a plentiful
spring near which a convent stands, in the place called Ta Kionia (The Columns).
It has never been systematically explored. The principal buildings recognizable
are two Doric shrines. The first, peristylar, with a proportion of seven columns
to six, measures ca. 8.4 x 9.2 m on the stylobate. The second, with two columns
in antis, measures some 7 x 5 m. The roofs bore a round acroterium. No inscription
or sculpture allows us to guess to whom these shrines were dedicated. Some of
the architectural fragments, above all the capitals, are said to have been taken
to Kythera in the 19th c. To the S of these shrines was doubtless a third sanctuary.
A cliff relief shows three figures, of which two are still distinct: in the center,
a woman holding a cornucopia (Rome?) and to the left a standing warrior. All around
are the remains of several ancient buildings. Everything appears to date from
the Imperial period.
C. Le Roy, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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