Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "EPY Ancient city ILIA".
One of the six Minyan foundations (Hdt. 4.148), between Heraia and
Makistos (Xen. Hell. 3.2.30), was a natural stronghold in Makistia (Strab. 8.3.24),
continually threatened with Elean domination (Xen. 3.2.30, Polyb. 4.77, 80). There
is considerable uncertainty about the name, Herodotos giving Epion, Xenophon Epeion,
Polybios Aipion, whereas Strabo identifies it with Homeric Aipu (Il. 2.592), thus
including it in Nestor's realm. This identification is unlikely to be correct
and it is perhaps best to follow Xenophon, a near neighbor, and adopt Epeionas
the correct spelling. The location is also uncertain. The usual assumption has
been that Epeion is to be identified with the remains in a place called Eliniko
(now Epio) above Platiana just off the modern road from Andritsena to Pyrgos.
However, good reasons have been advanced for identifying this site with Trypaneae,
and also for placing Epeionat modern Mazi, which is usually identified with ancient
Skillous. Though the former is likely to be correct, it has seemed best here to
retain the traditional identification, and to describe the remains at Eliniko.
The town lies on an exposed hill in a position commanding the entire
area at an altitude of ca. 600 m above sea level, and is unusually long and narrow
(680 x 60-80 m). It is divided into three parts: an upper acropolis area separated
by terrace walls from a lower area still included within the fortification walls,
and a NW extension of the walls which guards a relatively easy approach to the
walls. The acropolis is itself divided into a number of terraces, of which the
highest (to the W) has its own wall, and must have served as the citadel. The
terrace next to the one farthest E contains a theater, while the next seems to
have served as an agora. The main entrance to the town was a gate in the imposing
E wall at its SE corner. The walls all seem of Hellenistic, possibly 3d c., date,
and are very well preserved in parts, particularly in the area of the citadel.
W. F. Wyatt, Jr., 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.
(Aipn: Eth. Aiphutes). A town in Elis, so called from its lofty situation, is mentioned by Homer, and is probably the same as the Triphylian town Epeium (Epeion, Epion, Aiphion), which stood between Macistus and Heraea. Leake places it on the high peaked mountain which lies between the villages of Vrina and Smerna, about 6 miles in direct distance from Olympia. Boblaye supposes it to occupy the site of Hellenista, the name of some ruins on a hill between Platiana and Barakou.
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
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