Thursday, 18 June 2020

SPARTA THE CITY OF HEROES

Text and research by Nikos Aivalis, translation by Eva Trombetas

Sparta, Greece, Peloponnese, capital of Laconia, at the east of Taygetos, on the south of the ancient city of Sparta and near the river Eurotas. What to say first for one of the most historic cities in the world, where its name is known around the world. The three main reasons why Sparta has a mythical status all over the world: 1) the Battle of Thermopylae where King Leonidas with 300 select Spartans and 700 Thespians sacrificed themselves for the freedom of Greece against the mighty Persian Empire, 2) the legendary Spartan phalanx which it was perhaps the most powerful military corps of the time and 3) the state and the laws of Lycurgus. In this article we will delve into Sparta, we will travel there to get to know Sparta from antiquity to the present days.

Ancient Sparta

As our journey starts, we are heading to Sparta, starting from ancient Sparta, to reach the modern and contemporary Sparta. The area has a huge history from antiquity, the middle ages to modern times. Dorians and Heracleidaes, following the laws of Lycurgus, built a long-lasting state that was to remain in history. The Spartans were wrongly accused of being bloodthirsty. Archaeologists, scholars and researchers investigating Spartan society disagree and speak of a Sparta of fairness and equality, where from the king to the last citizen, they were all under the law and the law worked for the common good of Sparta. In addition, the position of women was very important in Sparta, as they enjoyed enormous freedoms compared to the women of other Greek cities.

Ancient Sparta and Modern Sparta

It is also important to mention the well-known Kaiadas, the abyss at the foothills of Taygetos near the modern village of Trypi, where according to the legend the Spartans threw the crippled infants there, something that is completely wrongly believed even today. The first official survey was conducted in 1983, where no one skeleton of an infant was found by anthropological study. According to Stravonas, only criminals and prisoners of war were thrown into Kaiadas, while many famous Spartans were not born able-bodied, such as King Agisilaos, who was lame, and the poet Tyrtaeus, who was blind.

Kaiadas

The Spartans were laconic but not deprived, it is wrongly believed that they did not leave behind monuments like other cities, which is not the case and we will see below. The reason why Sparta today does not have as many monuments as other cities, and that what is left is stones and marbles broken and thrown away, is due to the catastrophic flare that passed through the area in the name of Michel Fourmon. A French priest, envoy of the French king Louis XV and with the permission of the Turks, Furmon came to Turkish-occupied Greece and Sparta in 1730. He literally left no stone unturned in ancient Sparta and the surrounding area as far as Amykles, where he demolished the temple of Apollo. He excavated, demolished, vandalized and destroyed all the ancient monuments of the city, only what he could send to France by ships was saved, such as 300 inscriptions of invaluable value.

ancient finds within the city

Sparta also experienced more lootings, such as in 395 by the Goths under Alarichos, but also by the Slavs in 587, where many Spartans were forced to leave and go to Monemvasia, Mani and Sicily. Over the years, other antiquity looters have plundered the site, and as a result many laconian findings of value can be found in museums in other countries and in private collections.

Ancient Sparta

According to spartans narration, the first king of the country was Lelegas, who had two children, Mylis and Polykaonas. Mylis succeeded Lelegas and Mylis was succeeded by Eurotas, from which the river, formerly called Iris, took its name. Eurotas had a daughter, Sparta, who married Lacedaemon, who was son of Zeus and Taygeti. Lacedaemon built a city, which he named after his wife, Sparta. The son of Lacedaemon and Sparta was Amyklas. According to the excavator Theodoros Spyropoulos, archaeologist and curator of antiquities of Sparta, the first city of Sparta, the Homeric Lacedaemon where Menelaus and Beautiful Helen had their palace, were in the location of Pellana, where a large number of monuments have been found, such as tombs and the most importantly is the royal tomb of 1500 BC with its dome having a diameter of more than 10 meters.

Ancient Pellana

Sparta’s history is huge. From the Trojan war, the Persian wars where it took part in the battle of Thermopylae with King Leonidas, in the naval battles of Artemisio and Salamina where it took part with Admiral Evryviadis, the battle of Plataea with General Pausanias and many other historic battles, which made the Spartan warriors so famous that only by hearing their name did the hearts of their enemies tremble. The reason was the powerful Spartan phalanx, which, made up of highly trained soldiers, seemed invincible. But Sparta not only produced famous warriors and kings such as Leonidas, Agisilaos, Brasidas, Clearchus, Lysander and others, but also other important people such as Hilon Lacedaemon (600 BC - 520 BC), Spartan politician, legislator , philosopher and poet, who was one of the seven sages of ancient Greece. Also Tyrtaeus, a Spartan poet who lived in the 7th century BC, famous for his patriotic paeans and of course Lycurgus, legislator of Sparta, who lived around 800 BC.

ancient theater of Sparta

In the middle ages, the city of Sparta had been severely degraded, but neighboring Mystras was one of the most powerful forces in Byzantium. In modern times, in 1821 the region will revolt against the Turks with the help of the Maniates (a south Laconian tribe) and till 1828 they will achieve to occupy the castles of the region and fight against Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt. In 1834 Otto of Greece decided to build the modern city of Sparta. The designs of the modern city were made by the Bavarian Friedrich Stauffert based on the principles of the neoclassical urban planning of Europe, something that even today can be seen in the city of Sparta, as it is famous for its excellent symmetrical building blocks.

view from the Acropolis of Sparta

So, as we are entering Sparta we start from the ancient Sparta, which is located behind the Municipal Stadium of Sparta, at the end of the main avenue of Konstantinos Paleologos. When entering the space, the emotion from the history of the place, as well as its energy, certainly do not leave anyone indifferent. Within nature, wildflowers and olives, the fragments of the ancient grandeur of the Spartans. On the way to the Acropolis of Sparta, there is the sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos, the patron saint of the ancient city, as well as a number of other findings filling the place.

circular building, Ancient Sparta

The ancient theater perched on the slope of the Acropolis, whose opening reaches 140 meters. Near the theater there are the ruins of the great Basilica of the Savior Christ, where according to tradition, the construction of the temple was done by Saint Nikonas, patron saint of modern Sparta. Remains of a 4th century AD wall, a Roman Stoa, a more circular building in the southeastern part of the archeological site, a Byzantine temple of the 10th century AD, the Agora, an Archaic Stoa and much more have been found.

temple of Athena Chalkioikos

However, these monuments are not the only to be found there, since even within the modern city there are scattered attractions, such as Roman mansions and buildings, but also the exceptional Byzantine bath complex on Triakosion street. Baths in ancient Greece were very important for cleanliness, but also for healing, something that the Greeks passed on to the Romans and from there to the Byzantine period. The complex had areas of cold, lukewarm and hot water, locker rooms and much more, as well as perfect decoration.

Byzantine bath complex

Other attraction of Sparta is the Leonidaeo, otherwise a cenotaph of Leonidas, a temple of the 5th century BC in Kenotafio square, between Herakleidon and Thermopylon streets. Respectively, 5 km from the city, at the top of the hill of Prophet Elias in ancient Therapni, there is the Menelaio, where there was a temple. Another very important attraction is the sanctuary of Orthia Artemis, 100 meters east of the bridge of Eurotas, where the settlement of the Limnes (= lakes) was located. Orthia Artemis was worshiped there, who was the protector of children and adolescents. The sanctuary was an important place for the state education of children in herds.

temple of Orthia Artemis

In front of the Municipal Stadium of Sparta, there is a statue of the legendary King Leonidas, right in front of the main avenue of Konstantinos Paleologos, a work by Vassos Falireas from Kardamyli Mani, in 1969. In front of the statue it is written: “Moλών Λαβέ” (molon lave = come and take them), while underneath it, it is written: "ω! τρακόσιοι! σηκωθείτε και ξαναλθέτε σ' εμάς τα παιδιά σας, θελ' ιδείτε πόσο μοιάζουνε μ' εσάς" (= oh! three hundred Spartans! get up and come back to us, your children, you want to see how much they look like you", by Dionysios Solomos.

statue of King Leonidas

On the avenue there is also the church of Saint Nikonos, the reconstruction of which began in 1940 approximately. The memory of Nikonos is celebrated on November 26 with big celebrations taking place in the city. Opposite the church there is a beautiful park with a fountain. Paleologos Avenue is known for the palm trees located along the road, which offer an island image.

church of Saint Nikonas

At Christmas the palm trees are getting decorated, creating a pleasant atmosphere in the city. Also in Paleologou there are neoclassical and stone houses, one of which houses hosts the Koumantario Gallery, which was inaugurated in 1982, as a branch of the National Gallery in a beautiful mansion of 1909. Also on the street there is a monument engraved with all the names of the Spartan winners of Olympic Games from antiquity to the present days, as well as the names of the winners of the Spartathlon.

Paleologos Avenue

Paleologou street is one of the busiest streets in Sparta, since there you will find the residents either taking a walk or going for work all day long, plenty of shops, bakeries, cafes, hotels and whatever else you may want. At night, the shops are full of life, offering coffee, drinks and food, while many residents go for a night walk.

Christmas in Sparta

Above Paleologou is the center of Sparta, the main square of the City Hall. The City Hall was inaugurated in 1909 in a beautiful neoclassical building. The square is stone paved, full of life with children playing, while there are beautiful shops such as cafes, bars and restaurants.

City Hall of Sparta

On the square there is a statue of a Spartan warrior, which bears a plaque with the march of Tyrtaeus saying: "τι τιμή στο παλικάρι όταν πρώτο στη φωτιά σκοτωθεί για την πατρίδα με τη σπάθα στη δεξιά" (= what an honor to the young man when he is killed first in the fire for the homeland with the sword on the right). Another main road of Sparta is Lykourgou street. There we find the Courthouse and the imposing metropolitan church of Evangelistria, which was built in 1893. Opposite the Courthouse there is a square and the statue of the Spartan legislator, Lykourgos. On the same street there is the Public Central Library of Sparta, which was founded in 1972, with a number of bibliographies.

statue of Lykourgos, Courthouse
statue of Spartan warrior, City Hall

In the city of Sparta there are many churches, such as the church of Agios Nikolaos on the provincial road Sparti - Mystras, Agia Varvara on the road EO Sparti - Gytheio, the church of Agia Aikaterini near Paleologos street, the church of Agios Panteleimon in the end of Triakosion street, the church of Agios Spyridonas also on Triakosion street etc. Also close to the city, there is the Sainopouleio amphitheater, located in a green park, near the settlement of Magoula, overlooking Taygetos and Mystras. Various cultural events take place there, especially during the summer months. Inside the park there are playgrounds, plenty of space for children to play, benches, as well as “the street of poets”, where there are busts of many great Lacones and other Greek poets. Specifically, there are the busts of: Nikiforos Vrettakos, Giannis Ritsos, Odysseas Elytis, George Seferis, Tyrtaios, Kostis Palamas, Alkman and Dionysios Solomos.

the street of poets

Another very nice place for peace and leisure is Goude Park, on the road EO Sparti - Mystras. In a short distance from the center of Sparta, a green area is offered for picnics, walking, cycling and gymnastics as there is fitness equipment, and it offers relaxation, while it is suitable for children since it has a playground in excellent condition.

Spartan olive

On the road between Lykourgou and Agiou Nikonos there is the Archaeological Museum of Sparta. It was built around 1874 and is said to be the first Greek museum to be built in a provincial town. The museum has a number of invaluable findings, from the Mycenaean years (1600 BC) till the Roman period. Outside the museum there is a very beautiful park, suitable for someone to rest. A very important place one must visit is the Olive and Greek Oil Museum, on Othonos Amalias street. The exhibits relate to oil and olive, olive cultivation and oil collection, the evolution of olive mills from prehistoric to Byzantine times, as well as traditional oil production techniques.

Sparta

In the beautiful and peaceful Sparta there are also very important sports events being held. The first one is Spartathlon. In memory of the calendar Pheidippides sent by the Athenian General Miltiades to Sparta, so that the Athenians could ask for help to face the Persian threat in Marathon in 490 BC. Every year, the international 246.8 km long marathon race takes place, starting from Athens and ending in Sparta. It is an international event, where people from all over the world come to compete in this very difficult marathon. A second event is Spartakiada, an annual cycling race starting from Athens and ending in Sparta.

ancient finds around the city

In 2019, the international sports competition Spartan Race was a great success, in which men, women and children take part. The competition consists of a series of obstacle races with different distances and difficulty levels, where they usually range from 3 km to marathon distances. The event started in the USA in 2010 and has spread to over 30 countries, such as Canada, Australia, etc, until it came to Sparta, attracting people from all over the world. Finally, the Olympic Flame passed by for the first time from the city of Sparta for the Olympics in Tokio, in 2020. The city's honorary ambassador, Roy Danali Apostolopoulou, as well as Scottish actor Gerard Butler, who in 2006, embodied King Leonidas in the movie "300", took part in the torch race ceremony that honored the city.

Spartan Race 2019, Sparta

After wandering around Sparta, its attractions, its shops, getting to know its world, our journey does not end there. Within short distance there are dozens of destinations where everyone can visit, with wonderful natural beauty and history. Taygetos (see our article Tribute to Taygetos), Eurotas (see our article Eurotas the ancient river), Mystras (see our article Mystras the Byzantine castle state), Parori, Anavryti (see our article Anavryti the balcony of Taygetos), Trypi, Kastoreio, Faridos area (see our tribute to the villages of Anogeia, Palaiopanagia, Kalyvia Sohas), as well as many other places around Sparta, will satisfy even the most demanding visitor. This is Sparta, the city of heroes, we recommend you to visit it too.


Wednesday, 10 June 2020

GORGE OF LOUSIOS RIVER

Text and research by Nikos Aivalis, translation by Eva Trombetas

A mythical river since ancient times springs from the area of Theisoa, crosses a beautiful gorge, to reach the river Alpheios, just a bit outside the stone-built Karytaina.


The gorge of Lousios, is one of the most important sights of Arcadia, as it is a historical place, but also with such rich natural beauty that ranks it among the most imposing gorges in Greece. It is also a religious destination, due to the monasteries, hermitages and churches being around the gorge. His name, Lousios, according to the mythology and references of the traveller Pausanias, it owes it to the fact that the newborn Zeus was bathed there (lousimo = bath), secretly by Saturn, by the nymphs Neda, Agno and Theisoa. Specifically, he was bathed in the springs of the river called "Sources of the Immortals", something that testifies to the antiquity of the place. The Lousios gorge has been declared an archeological site since 1997.

gorge of Lousios

The first part of the gorge is the straits of Karkalou, the point where the two streams of the river unite. The river passes from the west of Dimitsana and ends up at Alpheios, 2.5 km northwest of Karytaina, having traversed 26 km and crossed one of the most beautiful gorges in the country. The gorge has wild and pristine beauty, as well as unique and rich vegetation. The vegetation usually found is plane trees, cypress trees, holly oaks, oleanders, olive trees, maples, willows, poplars, wickers, as well as firs in the places where the gorge meets the ends of the forests of Mainalos, while iris flowers, orchids and other wildflowers give color to the landscape. The gorge’s fauna is also important, with a rich birdlife, which includes snake eagles, common buzzards, common kestrels, etc. Among mammals we may find hares, ferrets, weasels, foxes, hedgehogs, bats, otters and other small creatures. In the reptile fauna and amphibians of the area, hierophis gemonensis, vipers, water snakes, salamanders, frogs, turtles and others can be found.

Lousios

In the gorge there are the monastery of the Timiou Prodromou, the monastery of the Philosophos, the monastery of Aimyalon, as well as the monastery of Kalamiou, monasteries that we have came across with in our article Karytaina and the Mount Athos of Arcadia. Apart from its huge ecological, archeological and religious significance, the gorge is also of great tourist interest. Archaeological sites such as the ancient Gortyna, the Museum of Hydrokinesis in Dimitsana, the monasteries, the beautiful bridges such as the old bridge of Atsicholos in Karytaina, the unique Arcadian villages near the gorge, make the area one of the best destinations in Greece. Apart from the countless attractions, Lousios also offers unique activities, such as hiking from old paths and routes that connect beautiful places such as Dimitsana, Elliniko, Ancient Gortyna, Karytaina, monastery of the Philosophos, monastery of the Timiou Prodromou, kefalari of Agios Ioannis etc. In Lousios, rafting and canoe kayaking are also available.

bridge of Atsicholos

Sunday, 7 June 2020

THE VILLAGES OF MOUNTAIN LYKAION

Text and research by Giota Christoforou, translation by Eva Trombetas

If you find yourself at dawn in the small village of Kotylio, it's like being above the clouds. As the white veil of fog falls and the sun reveals its golden rays, the landscape is being unfolded and the green village appears.

Mount Lykaion

Crossing the road, which passes through Kotylio, the visitor is led to the top of mountain Lykaion. The village used to be called Dragoumanou and specifically until 1927. The inhabitants of the village are famous for their entrepreneurial spirit. These proud Arcadians helped in the development of the liberation of the Greeks as from their own village the first information was given about the fighters of the battle, which took place in the narrow streets of Agiothanasis of Karytaina, on March 27, 1821.

Kotylio

In recent years, an important religious monument has been added to the village. The Monastery of Gennadiou, glebe of the Holy Monastery of Sina, which has been built on an estate of 500 square meters at the entrance of the village and consists of the temple, a hall for cultural events and hosting rooms. It is dedicated to the memory of the Patriarch of Constantinople Gennadios (458-471), who fought against the heresy of monophysitism and for this reason is honored by the Orthodox Church as a Saint. In the cultural spaces, the rich cultural heritage of the oldest Christian monastery of the Sina Monastery in Egypt is displayed, which also has a great collection of manuscripts in its library.

Monastery of Gennadiou

The high mountain slopes opposite of Karytaina, the ones that quench their thirst from the coolness of Alfeios river, the ones that the sun first sees turning its rays from the Epicurean Apollo of Andritsaina, the ones that from ancient times created a company with the surrounding high mountains, invite anyone who visits them to see the magnificent view. Not wanting anything to darken and hide this wonderful painting of nature.

Karytaina

Up there all around, the tall Panagia near the village of Kourouni, as well as the high hill of the Frankish castle of Agios Giorgis of Skorta are keeping company, generously offering the beautiful nature of the place. In this area, because it was a passage for other cities, findings have been found from ruins that testify that here there were special passages for going to the other areas, but also for the protection of the inhabitants from invaders. It’s about the castle of St. George, which was founded during the Frankish occupation. It is hypothesized by some historians that in ancient times there was the Acropolis of the ancient city of Lykosura.

castle of Agios Giorgis of Skorta

Built on the slopes of Mount Lykaion, Kotylio together with Stroggylo and Pallatou are three beautiful and green villages. And nearby after Kotylio, the waterfall of Vrontos pours out raging. The access to get there is from Kotylio and Karytaina. You will see a beautiful spectacle, the harmony of nature, the large plane trees, the water that falls from a great height and the beautiful green-blue lake that is formed. The waterfall is located near the legendary stone bridge of Koukos, near the village of Maratha or Vlachorafti.

waterfall of Vrontos

Following the road from Karytaina that leads to Megalopolis, the locations and villages we are passing by are characterized by nature, sometimes drowned by bushes and sometimes clearings with green meadows, while the village houses are characterized as stone-built and sometimes beautiful. To the right and left along the provincial road there are small villages such as Kalyvakia, Soulou, Katsimbali, Karvounari with the unique chapel of Karvounareiki Panagia.

snowy road of Megalopolis

High plane trees and spring waters surround the small church that celebrates on August 23 while a crowd of people comes to worship the Virgin Mary. From the very old years, there was being held a big festival here. And at this point it would be a great honor for me to report a miracle that Our Lady performed on the eve of the great feast, to the family of my late father, who was then a small child, around 13 to 14 years old, in the years of occupation, in 1943. Born in the neighboring Karytaina from a family of millers, every year they were longing for this celebration. From the eve, the housewives were cooking the food they would take with them for the table, while the men were arranging for the wine. But there was great poverty and the pot could hardly be put on fire since they did not even have water in the village, unless the women carried it on their backs from afar. His own family would not be going to the festival the next day because they had nothing to eat, being even poorer than the poor. However, the Virgin Mary, who does not leave anyone, sent out of nowhere a rooster that had escaped from the truck that was transporting birds, struggling in the then bumpy main street heading to Andritsaina.

Karvounareiki Panagia

Situated on Mount Lykaion, built in archeological lands of Parassia, the villages of Mavria, Kyparissia, Marathousa, Thoknia, Apiditsa, Anthochori, Choremis, Neochori, Chrousa, are found in the trail of lignite. In the village of Tripotamo in Arcadia, where the tributaries of the river Alpheios meet, there is the beautiful church of Agia Paraskevi. Theodoros Kolokotronis hid there during the battle of Drambala. In recent years, efforts to promote the the land of Parassia by suitable representatives of the subject, but also the collective effort of associations and the participation of ordinary people with slow steps is heading towards a good road.

Agia Paraskevi, Tripotamo

The picturesque village of Isaris is being unfolded on the eastern slope of Ai Lias, overlooking the plain of Megalopolis and Messinia. With its stone houses and flower-decorated courtyards, like most villages in Arcadia, it won the title of traditional settlement. It also held the title of capital of the Municipality of Lykosoura from 1834 to 1912. However, even though the title was changed to a local community, nothing prevented its inhabitants until 1970 from being served by the valuable innumerable services that operated in their place. Now, among its attractions, is the railway station that once served the Athens-Kalamata line. In recent years, there has been an Ecclesiastical Museum operating as well as a Folklore Museum.

Isaris railway station

The churches and chapels of the village are built in beautiful locations. In the main square is the Byzantine-style church of Agios Nikolaos, being celebrated on December 6, unlike Agios Nikolaos in Kotronia which is being celebrated on May 9, a day of remembrance in Agios Nikolaos in Vouneni. Every year on the 15th of August, a divine liturgy is held in the chapel of Panagia and a festival follows. Around the village are built the beautiful chapels of Agios Nektarios, Agios Vassilios, Agios Georgios, Agios Dimitrios, Agia Paraskevi, Agioi Apostoloi, Agia Kyriaki, Agia Varvara and Profitis Ilias.

Isaris

Isaris is clearly linked with the unique in the world of religious and geological phenomenon chapel of Agia Theodora, which is located in the following village from Isari. The village of Vasta Megalopolis is proud of the chapel which is included as one of the most important religious monuments of the prefecture of Arcadia and the whole Peloponnese.

church of Agia Theodora, Vasta Megalopolis

And her hair became 17 plane trees and their roots were built into the soil and their branches flew high into the sky and became one with her body where was the temple, while her blood became water in the river that flows around it. The spectacle and the miracle that unfolds in this beautiful corner of Arcadia, is characterized as inexplicable from a scientific point of view. Saint Theodora of the Peloponnese, according to religious studies, was born in Arcadia, but the place of her martyrdom is believed to be either the monastery where she was a monk or the miraculous chapel. She lived between the 9th and 10th century and no one knows why she was being a monk in a men's monastery. She was distinguished for her virtues, patience, obedience and piety until a terrible plague devoured the Peloponnese. Her superiors sent her (being disguised as a monk) to Christian homes to help them, but there she was accused by a girl of molesting her. The decision for her punishment was beheading and the place chosen by the judges was the village of Vasta. When her true identity was revealed after her beheading, that she was a woman and not a man, the executioners asked God for forgiveness. Her memory is commemorated every year on September 11 with festive events. The road to the chapel is surrounded by tall oaks, making the location seem magical while the river whispers to the visitor its own magic. A little further down the watermill as well as the organized cottage center fills the area with delicious traditional scents, which challenge you to taste them.