Listed 11 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "DIAKOPTO Small town EGIALIA" .
ELIKI (Ancient city) EGIALIA
Helike: Eth. Helikonios (Steph. B. s. v.); Helikeus (Strab.viii.).
A town in Achaia, and one of the 12 Achaean cities, was situated on the coast
between the rivers Selinus and Cerynites, and 40 stadia E. of Aegium. It seems
to have been the most ancient of all the cities in Achaia. Its foundation is ascribed
to Ion, who is said to have made it his residence, and--to have called it after
his wife Helice, the daughter of Selinus. It possessed a celebrated temple of
Poseidon, who was hence called Heliconins; and here the Ionians were accustomed
to hold those periodical meetings which were continued in Asia Minor under the
name of Panionia. After the conquest of the country by the Achaeans, the latter
likewise made Helice the place of meeting of their League, and it continued to
be their capital till the destruction of the city by an earthquake in B.C. 373,
two years before the battle of Leuctra. This earthquake happened in the night.
The city and a space of 12 stadia below it sank into the earth, and were covered
over by the sea. All the inhabitants perished, and not a vestige of Helice remained,
except a few fragments projecting from the sea. Its territory was taken possession
of by Aegium. The neighbouring city of Bura was destroyed by the same earthquake.
The catastrophe was attributed to the vengeance of Poseidon, whose wrath was excited
because the inhabitants of Helice had refused to give their statue of Poseidon
to the Ionian colonists in Asia, or even to supply them with a model. According
to some authorities, the inhabitants of Helice and Bura had even murdered the
Ionian deputies.
On the 23rd of August, 1817, the same spot was again the scene of
a similar disaster. The earthquake was preceded by a sudden explosion, which was
compared to that of a battery of cannon. The shock which immediately succeeded
was said to have lasted a minute and a:.half, during which the sea rose at the
mouth of the Selinus, and extended so far as to inundate all the level immediately
below Vostitza (the ancient Aegium). After its retreat not a trace was left of
some magazines which had stood on the shore, and the sand which had covered the
beach was all carried away. In Vostitza 65 persons lost their lives, and two thirds
of the buildings were entirely ruined. Five villages in the plain were destroyed.
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
KERYNIA (Ancient city) ACHAIA
Keruneia, also Kerunia, Keraunia, Kerauneia, &c.: Eth. Keruneus. A
town of Achaia, was not originally one of the 12 Achaean cities, though it afterwards
became so, succeeding to the place of Aegae. Its population was increased by a
large body of Mycenaeans, when the latter abandoned their city to the Argives
in 468. Ceryneia is mentioned as a member of the League on its revival in B.C.
280; and one of its citizens, Marcus, was chosen in 255 as the first sole General
of the League. In the time. of Strabo, Ceryneia was dependent upon Aegium. It
was situated inland upon a lofty height, W. of the river Cerynites (Bokhusia),
and a little S. of Helice. Its ruins have been discovered on the height, which
rises above the left bank of the Cerynites, just where it issues from the mountains
into the plain. (Pol. ii. 41, 43; Paus. vii. 6. § 1, vii. 25. § 5; Strabo.) Theophrastus
stated that the wine of Ceryneia produced abortion. (Theophr. Hist. Plant. ix.
20)
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
VOURA (Ancient city) DIAKOPTO
Boura: Eth. Bouraios, Bourios. A town of Achaia, and one of the 12
Achaean cities, situated on a height 40 stadia from the sea, and SE. of Helice.
It is said to have derived its name from Bura, a daughter of Ion and Helice. Its
name occurs in a line of Aeschylus, preserved by Strabo. It was swallowed up by
the earthquake, which destroyed Helice, B.C. 373, and all its inhabitants perished
except those who were absent from the town at the time. On their return they rebuilt
the city, which was visited by Pausanias, who mentions its temples of Demeter,
Aphrodite, Eileithyia and Isis. Strabo relates that there was a fountain at Bura
called Sybaris, from which the river in Italy derived its name. On the revival
of the Achaean League in B.C. 280, Bura was governed by a tyrant, whom the inhabitants
slew in 275, and then joined the confederacy. A little to the E. of Bura was the
river Buraicus; and on the banks of this river, between Bura and the sea, was
an oracular cavern of Heracles surnamed Buraicus. (Herod. i. 145; Pol. ii. 41;
Strab. pp. 386, 387, and 59; Diod. xv. 48; Paus. vii. 25. § 8, seq.) The ruins
of Bura have been discovered nearly midway between the rivers of Bokhusia (Cerynites),
and of Kalavryta (Buraicus) near Trupia. (Leake, Morea, vol. iii. p. 399, Peloponnesiaca,
p. 387.) Ovid says that the ruins of Bira, like those of Helice, were still to
be seen at the bottom of the sea; and Pltny makes the same assertion. (Ov. Met.
xv. 293; Plin. ii. 94.) Hence it has been supposed that the ancient Bura stood
upon the coast, and after its destruction was rebuilt inland; but neither Pausanias
nor Strabo states that the ancient city was on the coast, and their words render
it improbable.
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
ELIKI (Ancient city) EGIALIA
One of the chief cities of Achaia, situated on the shore of
the Sinus Corinthiacus, near Bura. It was celebrated for the temple and worship
of Poseidon, thence called Heliconius. Here, also, the general meeting of the
Ionians was convened, while yet in the possession of Aegialus, and the festival
which then took place is supposed to have resembled that of the Panionia, which
they instituted afterwards in Asia Minor. A tremendous influx of the sea, caused
by a violent earthquake, overwhelmed and completely destroyed Helice two years
before the battle of Leuctra, B.C. 373. The details of this catastrophe will be
found in Pausanias and Aelian. Eratosthenes, as Strabo reports, beheld the site
of this ancient city, and he was assured by sailors that the bronze statue of
Poseidon was still visible beneath the waters, holding an hippocampus, or sea-horse,
in his hand, and that it formed a dangerous shoal for their vessels. Two thousand
workmen were afterwards sent by the Achaeans to recover the dead bodies, but without
success.
This text is cited Sep 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
VOURA (Ancient city) DIAKOPTO
One of the twelve original cities of Achaea, formerly situated near the sea; but having been destroyed by an earthquake, it was rebuilt by the survivors about forty stadia from the shore, on the river Buraicus.
Receive our daily Newsletter with all the latest updates on the Greek Travel industry.
Subscribe now!
