MEGALOPOLIS AND MOUNT LYKAION

Text and research by Giota Christoforou, translation by Eva Trombetas

Once a hundred thousand years ago there was a large lake, which was on its surface, to create a great city (megali = great, polis = city). The lake was 22 km long and 10 km wide. In the mountains around the lake, huge mammals such as rhinos and elephants took their walk. The place became rich in flora and when the waters began to leave the lake, a great organic matter was created, making the city rich in lignite, as well as the second city after Ptolemaida to use electricity.

The reason for the capital of the Achaean confederacy or league of Arcadia, Megalopolis, which was founded during the Peloponnesian war. The divided Arcadians, who were subjugated to the Spartans for 40 years, with the help of Epaminondas, general of the Thebans in 368 BC, founded the capital of the Arcadian confederation. This association was based on religious adherence to ancient Arcadian cults, while at the same time the first series of coins from Heraia were minted. During the invasion of the Persians, the Arcadians took part in the battle of Plataea in 479 B.C. Megalopolis was built, on the two banks of the river Elissonas, with a strategy plan that lasted ten years, occupying the central and southern part of Arcadia, with a protective fort of 9 km and it is said to have been the youngest city of ancient Arcadia.

Εlissonas river, stone bridge

200 years the heyday of this city lasted, long enough to know glory and from it to be born great men of spirit, who wrote history, as well as monuments that marked our culture. In Megalopolis were born Ektimos, Polybius the greatest historian of the Hellenistic period, Kerkidas, Megalophanes and great generals such as Philopimen the Megalopolite, Lykortas and Diophanes. The ancient theatre of Megalopolis was a separate theatre, as well as the largest theatre of ancient Greece, with a capacity of 18,000 to 20,000 spectators. Its maker was Polykleitus of Argos, at the end of 370 AD. The initial plans of its foundation were to meet the needs of gathering representatives of 40 Arcadian cities, as well as theatrical performances. The archaeological site also includes the Thersileion bouleuterion, the ancient Agora, inside which were the sanctuary of Sotiros Zeus, the Myropolis and the Philippian Stoa. Over the centuries the city experienced fierce battles, but also great prosperity. During the Roman Empire the city lost its glory and the inhabitants sought refuge in mountains, while during the same period Byzantium built temples on the ruins of ancient temples. Ancient sculptures and archaeological finds of the Hellenistic and Roman times are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Tripolis. In the Hall of the museum dominates the statue of Aphrodite which holds a large shell as well as a headless female statue with a tunic.

Ancient Theater of Megalopolis

During the period of the Turkish occupation the plan of a Turkish chieftain called Sinanu, was for the city to acquire development, provided the city bore his name. In 1885 King Otto canceled the plan of the Turkish chieftain and again called the city Megalopolis. The threshold of the 20th century, finds the city with a railway station and electricity. In 1965 another great distinction for the city was the establishment of the power plant of PPC. The PPC plant, yielded significant economic growth in the local community. On the other hand, the impact it had on the environment was harmful. In recent years, however, due to an important infrastructure project of lignite, resulted in the application of district heating to Megalopolites.

power plant of PPC, Megalopolis

In the central square of today's Megalopolis stands the statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis, while around the square there are various shops, which serve locals and passers-by. Most cultural events and national holidays are organized in the central square, while on the day of the popular market the residents of the surrounding villages fill the cafes of the square with their presence, as it is the day they come down from their villages to shop. The roads around megalopolis lead to important sights, routes full of nature and religious monuments, while the new road that was given to traffic and concerns the section from Tripolis to Kalamata, offers the visitor quick and comfortable access.

Megalopolis square

The metropolitan church of Agios Nikolaos was founded on May 21, 1957, by King Pavlos I and was erected on metropolitan Eustathios, by whom it was inaugurated on September 12, 1965. The oldest church is next to the OTE building and was erected in the 1860s, and celebrates the day of collection of the remains of Agios Nikolaos every year. Just outside the city, on the road that leads to Kalamata, there is also the church of Agios Konstantinos and Eleni. In the city there is a cultural center called "Polybios", in which there is a cinema - theater hall, and since 2009 successful theatrical performances are given by the theatrical group of Megalopolis, which consists of 60 members. A successful course follows the Municipal Choir Pylades, which covers cultural events with its presence.

metropolitan church of Agios Nikolaos

Some called it mythical, others called it sacred, while in reality it is a massive mountain, full of traditions, between the prefectures of Messinia and Arcadia. Its name, Mount Lykaion. From a geomorphological point of view, it is a mountain with a rounded top and arid slopes, small bushes and yew trees. The mountain at its peaks forms an imaginary wave, with one peak rising to 1,400 m. under the name wreath. In the middle, the form of the mountain becomes flat, while the other top is lower and is adorned by the beautiful chapel of Profitis Ilias. In ancient times it was called Cretea. On this peak the ancient ancestors chose to build the sanctuary of Zeus Lykaios. According to legend, Rhea, wife of Saturn wanted to hide from her husband the birth of their son, Zeus. So she fled to mount Lyceum to give birth. The baby had to be washed, and there was no water. Then Rhea struck the ground with her stick and poured out a river called Neda. Neda, along with the nymphs Theisoa and Agno bathed the baby in the river Lousios and then nursed him.

Mount Lykaion

The place is flooded with monuments. On the flat side of the mountain was built the sanctuary of the tragopodaros god Pan, the sanctuary of Parrasius god Apollo, the hippodrome and the stadium where the Lykaian games were held, the fountain of Agni where the nymphs washed Zeus. The most important is the shrine of the god Zeus. The earthen altar, made on the flat surface of the top, reached a diameter of 30 m. while archaeological finds reveal animal sacrifices, bronze seats, silver coins and other votive offerings in honor of the god Zeus. In front of the altar, there were two columns, where at their top reflected the light from two golden eagles. Their morning reflection was enough to illuminate the bronze statue of the Epicurean Apollo in the basses of Figaleia. The visitor who will be found today in the archaeological site of Mount Lykaion, will see some statue bases, while the statues that decorated them, had transferred to megalopolis in the 2nd century AD.

altar of Zeus Lykaios

According to Pausanias, the games on the Mount Lykaion are older than the Olympic Games by 400 years and were held on the Mount Lykaion from the 13th century BC until the 2nd century AD while then the place where the games were held was Megalopolis. Since 1973 and every four years organized and revived Panarkadian Lykaia, under the supervision and initiative of the Association of Ano Karyotes. The Lykaonikas who win the games are crowned with a branch of wild olive, which symbolizes the honest effort of the competitors against their opponents. To continue with events that take place in recent years, it is worth mentioning the feast of Profitis Ilias on July 20, the day of the feast of Prophet Elias, in the chapel of the peak of Mount Lykaion. The local community celebrates and invites people to dance in the beautiful celebration. Moreover, the last Psychosabbon before the Holy Spirit revives the custom of Rousaliou, where people honor their own who left life with worship events in the cemetery. The mount of light, Lykaion, is ideal for excursions in nature, activities and archaeological wanderings. See the day that dawns on the sunlit mountain with awe and admiration for the greatness of nature, thinking about the reason that the ancient Greeks chose this mountain to honor the god Zeus. It is not only the active action of the Association of Ano Karyes in the cultural upgrade of the place, but also the beautiful mountain village that is built on the eastern slope of Mount Lykaion.

Lykaia

The village of Ano Karyes is surrounded by trees with oaks, mulberries, walnut trees and is a monument of beauty in this beautiful flushing of nature. The inhabitants of the village along with the neighboring villages (straightening Isioma Karyes and Kato Karyes) were called Daseates, a name they took from the ancient city Dasea, founded by Lykaona's son, Daseatis. This name was given by decision of a royal decree of 1834, when the Turks began to retreat and descend into the plains. Village wrote its own history with the famous Battle of Karyes in 1825, when Ibrahim pasha of Egypt was defeated by the Greek fighters.

Ano Karyes

The Museum of folk art of the village includes remarkable objects of the daily occupation of the inhabitants, a collection of local costumes, embroideries and remarkable weaves. It is housed in a private building of the village. Also in honor of the chieftain Kyriakos Karagiannis, the Karagiannios library operates in the village square. A few feet below stands the bust of the hero. The villages of Ano Karyes and Lykosoura are built on the slopes of Mount Lykaion, facing each other, both of them pride themselves on the archaeological treasure they hide between the distance that separates them. Before Lykosoura, built on the slope of Lykaion mountain is the green village that holds the homonymous title of the mountain to which it belongs.

village of Lykaio

The village of Lykaio is decorated with the stone church, built in the square dedicated to the birth of the Virgin Mary. Very close to it goes the road to the sanctuary of Mount Lykaion. Lykosoura is referred to as a city of light, as is the Lykaion mountain and its founder was Lykaon the chief of people. It is said to have been the first city created in 10,000 BC, which makes it singular for its inhabitants, to enlighten their neighbours as to the manner in which a city is built and fortified. Archaeological discoveries indicate that the precinct of the city was fortified and that there was the sanctuary of the goddess Despina and the altar of the goddess Demeter. They say that the goddess Despina was the daughter of Poseidon and Demeter. The deity of Despina was especially worshiped in Arcadia. The sculptor Damophon had created the pedestal with the huge cluster of colossal statues of Despina and Demeter, while left and right were statues of Artemis and titan Anita in the 2nd century BC. Parts of these statues can be found in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens as well as in the Archaeological Museum of Lykosoura. The museum is located inside the archaeological site and includes exhibits from archaeological excavations of 1903. Archaeological discoveries include a small statuette of the nymph Anthracia, which was worshiped in Lykosoura. The worship of the nymph Anthracia probably reveals that the ancient inhabitants of the city knew about the existence of lignite in the area.

Lykosoura

The current village of Lykosoura is located on the road that leads from Lykaia to Petrovouni. It is a beautiful and picturesque village surrounded by green nature, with beautiful churches that organize festivals, which characterize our tradition. One of these is the chapel of Agia Marina, which is located at the exit of the village to megalopolis, built in 1961 and surrounded by large tall trees. Near Agia Marina is the old watermill that has been renovated. Passerby and Kastritis river, which descends from the village straightening Karyes, crossing a beautiful route. The same river passes the Boutouna's bridge. The one-arched stone bridge took its name from captain Boutouna. In the center of the village next to the small square is the church dedicated to the assumption.

Boutouna's bridge

The territories of Parrasia land, had as their center Lykosoura and included other ancient villages such as Trebizond, Vasilis, Thoknia, Theisoa, Figaleia, Alifeira, Vrenthi and Paleokastro. Among the villages of Kyparissia and Mavria, according to archaeological excavations, it is believed that the ancient Trebizond was located. This is where the Pontian civilization was founded, and according to research, some serious reason forced the inhabitants to leave the first Trebizond and pass to the Black Sea coast between the 7th and 8th centuries BC where they founded the second Trebizond.

ancient Trebizond, Arcadia

Near ancient Trebizond there was a point very close to the river Alpheios called Vathyrema and in which according to the ancient traveler Pausanias, every three years celebrations were organized in honor of the Gods. There was also the spring of Olympia, with its characteristic feature, the water running one year and the next year not a drop. At the location volcano were coming out fumes from the land which resulted in PPC to exploit the ground. The cities of ancient Parrasia were abandoned when the Megalopolis was founded. In recent years, the competent authorities of the Peloponnese region and the American team of David Gilman Romano, have been trying to implement a very important project concerning the creation of the Parrasian Cultural Park. The plan mentions the opening of paths with special markings and signs, rest seats and anything necessary for the implementation of a path. A very important project with positive results in the local community and the tourism promotion of our country. Ancient Parrasia is a remarkable archaeological discovery, which is required to be known to the general public and to reach its history to whole world.

area of ancient Parrasia

Therefore, this spring (2019) hiking took place on the first Arcadian trail, in collaboration with Parrasio Cultural Park and Mainalon Koinsep, in the areas of Isari - Petrovouni - ancient Lykosoura. A route of 7 km, while the goal is to open a circular route of 80 km, with the aim of viewing archaeological monuments, natural beauty and traditional settlements that will take place around the villages: Isari - Petrovouni - ancient Lykosoura - Isioma Karyes - ancient Trebizond - Karytaina - Mavria - Kato Kotyli - Ano Kotyli - archaeological site of Lykeon Mountain - Ano Karyes - Kastanochori - Lykaio - Vasta - Agia Theodora, with the ultimate purpose to reach Leontari, to unite with the trail of Taygetos and through Karytainas to join the Menalon trail.

Arcadian trail

In Isioma Karyes very close to the sources of Agios Ioannis in 2017, the foundation of the first Paleontological Museum and Park of Natural History of the Peloponnese began. In the implementation process for the operation of the museum, scientists of various specialties of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens collaborated and aim to present the natural wealth and geological evolution of the Peloponnese through a series of thematic modules. At the moment there is an Information Station and a Support Center for the activities of the EKPA team, with the help of the Union of Isioma Karyes of Megalopolis. The beautiful village of Isioma is exactly what its name says, namely straight (isioma = straight), flat and built on the eastern slope of Mount Lykaion. In the great earthquakes of 1966 it was badly damaged and as a result, residents built their homes just above its original location. As the visitor enters the village he meets the springs of Agios Ioannis built around plane trees, while high up, where the ancient temple of the god Apollo of Parrasio is located the chapel of Agios Ioannis Psilou. It's half-ruined and literally tucked into the oaks.

Paleontological Museum of Peloponnese