2500 YEARS THERMOPYLAE SALAMIS

Text by Nikos Aivalis, research by Elpida Zografidou, translation by Eva Trombetas

Perhaps the two most important battles fought in world history. Thermopylae, the battle that became synonymous with self-denial and sacrifice. Salamis, the naval battle that determined the outcome of the Greek-Persian war. Tons of books can be written about these two battles, the symbolism and the heroes who acted. We will settle for a tribute, where we will take a look at the basic elements of these historical battles that were written in golden letters in the pages of history, two battles that determined the fate of Greece and Europe, two battles where the few resisted the many.

Almost entire Greece was ready to resist. Athens, Aegina, Thespies, Amvrakia, Eretria, Megara, as well as islanders were present. Of course, Peloponnese could not be missing at this historic moment of Greece, where not only almost entire of it took part, but also had the leadership, as the Spartans had strategic control on the land and the sea. At this point we want to emphasize that the Spartans demanded to have control of the land, but not the sea, as Athens and Aegina had the largest majority of ships, but the rest of the Greeks wanted to be leaders on both fronts the great Spartans. Spartans, Messinians, warriors from Elis and parts of Argolis, Corinthians and almost all the Arcadian cities with first of them all Tegeans, were present.

statue of king Leonidas in Sparta

Thermopylae, August of 480 BC. From the East, marched perhaps the largest army that humanity has ever seen, aiming to conquer Greece. According to Herodotus, the Persians had about 2 million soldiers and auxiliary personnel. Simonides Keios, who lived at that time, states that the Persian army was close to 4 million. However, this giant campaign didn’t took place by chance, as the Ionian revolution and the battle of Marathon had preceded it, so the Persians knew that the conquest of Greece required all their forces. Thermopylae’s name originates from the mythical Hercules, who fell into the waters of the springs to get rid of the pain created by the poisoned tunic of Nessos. It was a very narrow passage that connected Lokrida to Thessaly, through mountain Oiti and the gulf of Maliakos. On one side of the passage was the mountain and on the other side the sea, so only two carriages of that time could barely pass. The place was not chosen at random by the king of the Spartans Leonidas, so that the great battle of Thermopylae could take place there. He knew that the huge volume of the Persian army could not be stopped in the open field, but in a narrow passage that would be possible as the Spartan phalanx would face the enemy on equal terms. The great Athenian general Themistocles also contributed to the choice of the field, who at the same time together with the Spartan Grand Admiral Evryviadis, covered King Leonidas back at the sea and specifically in Artemisio, which we will talk about later.

the king of Persia, Xerxes
bas-relief in Persepolis

Leonidas defended Thermopylae with 300 Spartans and other Greeks who numbered about 5000 soldiers. The king of the Spartans knew that all odds were against him, so he made sure to take with him only those Spartans who had children in order to preserve their generation. Opposite him was the king of Persia, Xerxes, with all his might. Persians, Medes, Kissians, Assyrians, Bactrians, Sakes, Indians, Parthians, Sogdians, Gandarians, Caspians, Saranges, Pacts, Arabs, Ethiopians, Libyans, Paphlagonians, Syrians, Phrygians, Armenians, Lydes, Myses, Kares, Phoenicians, Egyptians and a multitude of other Eastern nations stood opposite the legendary Spartan king, spearheaded, the Persian Order of the Immortals, which caused fear and terror in the East, as it consisted of 10,000 warriors, the best of Persia, where when one of them got killed, immediately someone else replaced him, so it was as if no one ever died. In Thermopylae, however, they had to face the best war machine of the Greeks, the phalanx of the Spartans, and there the numbers and wealth of the Persians were of little importance, as for 3 whole days the Persians experienced an inconceivable devastation from the spears of the Lacedaemonians. It was then that Xerxes asked the Greeks to surrender their weapons and Leonidas said the historical phrase: "Molon Lave" (= come and get them).

Immortals, the elite Persian battalion

Contrary to all predictions, the Greeks prevailed over the numerous Persians, until one of the most famous traitors in history made his appearance. Efialtis Evrydimou, originally from the local Malida, an area near Thermopylae, betrayed to Xerxes a small passage over the mountains, which led to the south of the Greeks. At that dark time, Xerxes sent the battalion of the Immortals, led by Efialtis, in order to be able to encircle the exhausted Greeks. It is characteristic that this traitor was blamed by the Delphic Amphiktyonia for a large sum of money, so Efialtis took refuge in Thessaly, where Athenadis, a man from Iraklia, Phthiotis, found him and killed him. The Spartans especially honored Athenadis for this act.

battle of Thermopylae

So, at dawn on the third day, the Phocian allies realized that they had been surrounded by the Persians, but the Persians did not deal with them, their target was the Spartans. A messenger alerted Leonidas about what had happened. Then this great king ordered the Greeks to leave, in order to defend Greece in another place, while he would sit with the 300 Spartan warriors to be sacrificed in order to delay the Persians. But that was not the only reason the Spartans remained. The law of Sparta stipulated that the Lacedaemonians should never surrender or retreat from the battlefield. All Greeks obeyed except the brave Thespians. 700 Thespians led by Demophilus disobeyed Leonidas' orders and stayed to fight on his side, falling on the battlefield, side by side with the 300 Spartans. What moving moments in those extremely critical events, how great courage and self-denial hid in their hearts those legendary defenders of Thermopylae.

Leonidas at Thermopylae by Jacques Louis David (1814)

The Immortals descended the hills, while the entire Persian army lined up on the front. The final battle begun. The cowardly and traitorous Thebans whom Leonidas had forcibly detained, as he knew that they had already surrendered to the Persians, left the Greek camp and worshiped Xerxes. Spartans and Thespians were advancing, slaughtering whoever was in their way, but behind a storm of arrows, it was reaping these heroes. Then at some point Leonidas fell fighting heroically. Enemies fell in rage to seize his body, but the heroes fought like gods, battles from mythical years. The Greeks succeeded and won, but their spears started to break, they drew out their swords, but they also started to break, until they ended up fighting with their hands, as the Spartans were excellent athletes of the pancratium. But the huge volume of enemies in front and back was impossible to defeat. Everyone fell, Spartans and Thespians up to the last one.

the 300 Spartans and the 700 Thespians fall up to the last one

Xerxes, after succeeding and winning, because of the fact that a handful soldiers could not literally be defeated by the largest army that had ever existed, he beheaded the dead body of Leonidas. The remains of Leonidas were transported to Sparta, where athletic games were organized in his honor. Although the Persians won, their hearts were terrified, as for three days, they experienced the ultimate nightmare in Thermopylae. It is the only defeat in a battle, in world history, that symbolically and morally turned into a victory for the losers. And this way ended the legendary battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans under King Leonidas and 700 Thespians under Demophilus, gave everything and reached deification.

memorial of Thermopylae, king Leonidas stands in the center
on the left is river Eurotas as man and on the right mountain
Taygetos as man

Along with the battle of Thermopylae, however, another huge battle was fought, namely a naval battle, which paved the way for the great naval battle of Salamis. A little further north from Thermopylae, in the sea strait of Artemisio, Themistocles and Evryviades kept other Thermopylae safe, so that the Persian fleet would not encircle the defending Greeks in the strait of Thermopylae. The large Persian fleet tried to cross the straits, but General Themistocles managed to defeat them. A messenger brought the terrible news that king Leonidas fell, then sorrow and terror fell on the Greek fleet, which retreated to Salamis. A great invisible heroine of the naval battle of Artemisio was a woman. Idna from Skioni, who was a formidable swimmer. Idna and her father, Skyllias, dived before the battle of Artemisio, in the coast of Pelion, where the enemy ships had anchored and cut their anchors, causing many ships to break on the rocks. In gratitude for the heroism of Idna and her father, the Greeks dedicated statues to Delphi, which were unfortunately looted by the Roman emperor Neron, as he took them with him to Rome in the first century AD.

Idna and Skyllias as commandos cut the anchors of 
Persian ships

Then an internal infighting began, as Themistocles and the Athenians wanted to defend the straits of Salamis, while the Peloponnesians wanted to defend the straits of the Isthmus of Corinth. The only one who had not taken a side on this was the great admiral of the Spartans, Evryviades, who listened to both sides. It is wrongly attributed to him that he went to strike Themistocles in the dispute over where the Greek fleet should line up. The historian Plutarch (Parallel Lives, Themistocles) tells us that Themistocles had a quarrel with the Corinthian admiral Ademantos, who went to hit him, with Themistocles saying the historical phrase: "πάταξον μέν, άκουσον δέ" (hit but (first) listen to me). Which is logical, as the two archbishops, Themistocles and Evryviadis, had excellent relations, maintained great respect for each other and besides, already Evryviadis, was leaning in favor of Themistocles. According to Herodotus (Historiai), after this event and after Evryviadis took the place of Themistocles, Ademantos left the camp before the naval battle began, but the Corinthians abandoned him and remained on the side of the rest of the Greeks. So, after the intense council of the Greeks, Evryviadis listened to the opinion of the admirals, he also listened to Themistocles who submitted a series of arguments to stay in the straits of Salamis and then Evryviadis said the historical phrase: "menomen" (we are staying).

the Spartan grand admiral Evryviadis

So Themistocles gave a great fight to evacuate Athens, as the Persians marched towards it. He transported with the other Greeks all the Athenians to the island of Salamis. Only a few Athenians remained who refused to leave their city and fortified themselves on the Acropolis to defend it. When the Persians arrived in Athens, the images were dramatic, as from the shores of Salamis the Greeks saw the majestic city engulfed in flames and the night becoming day by the fury of the Persians. Mourning and tears rolled down on the faces of men and women. But Themistocles had not said his last word and reserved for Xerxes a death trap that the arrogant king of the East could not see it coming. It is remarkable that the brave Athenian the night before the start of the naval battle, got dressed in black and with a small boat sailed among the enemy fleet and wrote on the rocks addressing to the Greek slaves of the Persians, not to fight their Greek brothers. As a result, many Greek ships from Ionia and other occupied areas, which were by force with the Persian fleet, during the battle surrendered and began to fight on the side of the rest of the Greeks.

statue of the Athenian general Themistocles in
Piraeus

September 22, 480 BC about a month after Thermopylae, the Saronic gulf was full of ships. On one side were the Greeks and on the other the Persians. The Persian fleet was much larger in number and with much larger ships, something that Themistocles knew and for this reason he chose Salamis as a location because he knew that the ferocious Persian ships could not maneuver in such a narrow place, in contrast with the small Greek ships, the so-called triremes. The enemy ships were commanded by Artemisia, a Greek woman from Caria, Ariavignis, Achaemenes and Megavazos, three Persian admirals, who had at their command not only Persian ships, but also Egyptian, as well as the famous Phoenician ships. Xerxes, confident of his victory, chose, together with other eminent Persians, to see the naval battle from the tops of mount Egaleo, near present-day Perama, thus setting up a majestic throne, as from there he overlooked the entire sea area of Salamis.

Xerxes from his throne on mount Egaleo watches the naval
battle of Salamis

According to Herodotus, the Greek fleet consisted of 378 triremes, which came from Athens, Sparta, Chalkida, Sikyona, Amvrakia, Lefkada, Kythnos, Sifnos, Corinth, Megara, Epidaurus, Troizina, Ermioni, Kea, Serifos, Aegina, Eretria, Naxos, Styra, Milos and the distant Croton. The Persians numbered 1207 ships. To the left of the deployment were the Athenians, while to the right the Spartans with the Aeginians and the Megarians, so that both ends would be strong and it would not be possible to encircle the Greeks. Preparations before the battle began at dusk, the Persians sent the Egyptians to close the canal between Salamis and Megara, while they landed an army in Psyttalia, in order to kill all the Greeks who ended up there. A trick of the Corinthians lured the Persians to attack. The Corinthians raised their sails to attack the Egyptians, something that seemed to be as a retreat in the Persians eyes, resulting in an order to attack the Greeks. Then the Spartan admiral Evryviadis gave the signal for an attack, resulting to an Athenian ship disbanding a nearby Persian ship, and this was the beginning of the great victory of the Greeks.

naval battle of Salamis

The Greek ships fully flexible rammed the Persian and Phoenician ships with great comfort, while then the Greek warriors boarded the enemy ships, finishing the survivors. It is noticeable that most of the enemies did not know how to swim, resulting to those who fell into the sea getting drowned, like a great admiral of the Phoenicians, who when his ship was shot by the Greeks, slipped, fell into the sea and drowned. Another important feature is that the flexible ships of the Greeks carried armored hoplites, while the enemy ships carried warriors with light weapons, who had no luck against the experienced Greek hoplites. During the battle, Themistocles literally destroyed the fleet of the famous Phoenicians, while the rest of the Greeks had already destroyed the first lines of Persian ships. The Persian admirals were all already dead, only Artemisia was left, who was pursued by a Greek ship. In her attempt to escape, she rammed a Persian ship, causing it to sink. Xerxes, who was watching the battle from mount Egaleo, asked to find out who had sunk the ship and they answered to him that Artemisia had sunk it, then Xerxes said: "οι μεν άνδρες γεγόνασι μοι γυναίκες, αι δε γυναίκες άνδρες" (my men became women and women men). Unable to accept their doom, the Phoenicians rushed to accuse the Ionians of cowardice, but Xerxes ordered the beheading of all the Phoenician admirals, as he said the Ionians were the noblest and bravest men in the Persian fleet.

general Themistocles and a Greek trireme

After the terrible destruction of the Persian fleet in the straits of Salamis, the Persian ships tried to retreat to Faliro, where the Aeginians though had set an ambush, so now the Persians were trapped all over the sea. Aristides the Athenean with hoplites, went to Psyttalia where he exterminated the Persians who had landed there. This heavy defeat terrified Xerxes, who feared that the Greeks would destroy the Hellespontos bridge, trapping the entire Persian army there. So he left behind the Persian general Mardonius with an army to continue the war, while he himself returned to the East. The rest history is known, the Greeks under the Spartan general Pausanias, defeated Mardonius at the battle of Plataea, where Mardonius himself was killed, as they defeated the Persians at the battle of Mykalis in Ionia, resulting in the end of the Hellenic-Persian war with the victory of the Greeks.

battle of Plataea

The Aeginians received the excellence of bravery for their contribution to the naval battle of Salamis, while the Spartans honored Evryviades and Themistocles, as the Athenian hero stayed for a while in Sparta because the Athenian political opponents expelled him out of jealousy, as the entire Greece was grateful to this great general.

tomb of Salamis, in the area of Kinosura

2500 years have passed since those glorious days, when all Greeks were united under a common goal, the freedom of their homeland. They managed to stop a powerful, rich and gigantic empire that extended from India to Egypt, from the Caspian Sea and Mesopotamia to Asia Minor and from there to Thrace. A handful of warriors managed to defeat the largest army ever seen by mankind. How did this happen? It already happened when the Greeks decided to put aside their internal conflicts. After 2500 years this story teaches us how important it is to be united, not to be afraid of any enemy and how the impossible becomes possible when there is unity between us. It teaches us the self-denial and love for one’s homeland, as well as the bad end that the traitors have, for example Efialtis who was beheaded and the city of Thebes, which had allied with the Persians, was destroyed by the Greeks after the end of the Plataea battle.

2500 years since the battle of Thermopylae
and the naval battle of Salamis

All humanity admires these heroes, as they inspired with their heroism, inexperienced poets, painters, writers, people of letters and arts, people of all professions and categories, Greeks and foreigners. So we honor them with love and respect. We conclude with the epigram of Simonides Keios for the fighters of Thermopylae: «Ω ξειν, αγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ότι τήδε κείμεθα τοις κείνων ρήμασι πειθόμενοι» ("Oh you foreigner that pass by, announce to the Lacedaemonians that we are here obeying their laws") and Aeschylus paean for the Salamis fighters: «Ω παίδες Ελλήνων ίτε ελευθερούτε πατρίδα, ελευθερούτε δε παίδας, γυναίκας, θεών τε πατρώων έδη, θήκας τε προγόνων, νυν υπέρ πάντων αγών» ("Go ahead children of the Greeks, liberate your homeland, liberate your children, your wives, the sanctuaries of your ancestral Gods, the tombs of your ancestors, now the war is for everything").

FAUNA OF THE PELOPONNESE 2

Text by Nikos Aivalis, research by Elpida Zografidou, translation by Eva Trombetas

Peloponnese, a place unique and unrivaled in terms of history, legends, monuments. A place of incredible natural beauty, with huge biodiversity, that has nothing to envy from any other place in the world. On the contrary all other places have a lot to envy from the beautiful and historic Peloponnese. In our articles we get to know Peloponnese area, but also we come across many species of the peloponnesian fauna in many of our travels. Most of us certainly aren’t aware of them, as they are rare endemic species of Greece and Peloponnese. Let's meet some of the inhabitants of the Peloponnesian nature. You can also take a look at our first travelogue: Tribute to Fauna of the Peloponnese.

Wild boar, the king of the mountains of Peloponnese. Many years ago the mountains of the Peloponnese were inhabited by many large animals. Bears, wolves, deer, lynx and roe deer roamed the mountains. Unfortunately, over the years, all these animals have disappeared, but there is still one big animal to roam our beautiful mountains, the mighty wild boar (Sus scrofa), which is now the largest mammal in the Peloponnese. The wild boar is the ancestor of domesticated pigs, found in almost all of mainland Greece, as well as almost throughout the Peloponnese. We usually find it in dense oak, chestnut and beech forests, except when it goes to farms to find food. It can reach 1.80 in length and exceed 200 kg in weight, it lives about 15 years and has an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Its coat is thick and hard which when the wild boar takes a mud bath, becomes really impenetrable. Its color varies depending on the season and generation, but it is usually gray, black or brown. The wild boar is considered to be extremely dangerous because of its four tusks. With them it digs the earth for food, but also uses them as a weapon, from which many deaths of hunters and dogs have occurred. However, the wild boar is not aggressive by nature. In the sound and smell of humans around it moves away. But it can become terribly dangerous if hunted or if it protects its young. It is an omnivorous animal, which loves roots, fruits, chestnuts, mushrooms, potatoes, but also feeds on small reptiles, worms, snails, as well as carrion. Wild boars usually live in groups where the leader is the largest female, while the males usually live alone until the breeding season.

wild boar

Hare, of the species Lepus europaeus, a native species of Europe which is found almost all over Greece and of course in Peloponnese. We usually find it on wooded slopes, but also on plains. Its ancient name is "λαγωός" (lagoos). Although it is a relatively common animal in the Greek countryside, it has many things that classify it as a very special species. Initially, the hare is about 75 cm long and usually weighs over 4 kg, while it lives about 5 years. It feeds on grasses, fruits and berries, while a great feature is its speed, as it reaches 70 kilometers per hour, but never in a straight line, only in zigzags to deceive its predators. It has a jump that reaches about five meters, its hair changes depending on the season, between gray and brown, while it usually moves at night. As mentioned above the hare has some characteristics that make it unique. For example it can mate while it is already pregnant, due to the double uterus it has. It is a coprophagic animal and if it does not do so it can die of vitamin deficiency. It is also one of the few "peaceful" mammals, as it never marks or claims areas. It is not a competitive animal in terms of food and does not do special ceremonies to attract females, as males can mate with many females, but also females with many males. Unlike rabbits, the hare does not hide in holes, it prefers to hide among bushes and stones, where it can have good visibility.

hare

Glaux Athena, the commonly named owl (Athene noctua). This little owl is a mythical creature for Greece as it is the sacred bird of the goddess Athena, while it is a symbol of wisdom and the Greek spirit. It was a sacred symbol of the ancient Athenians with which they adorned coins and shields. Its body is 18 cm long, its wings are 14 cm long, while its tail is 8 cm long, weighs 170 grams and lives from 20 to 50 years. Its color is brown with white spots, so that it camouflages itself on tree trunks and soil. It has big and impressive eyes, which offer her sharp vision both day and night, while it also has excellent hearing. Its beak is short, small but also quite strong. Her legs are relatively small, but she has curved and pointed nails. She has a strong and strange voice, something that unfortunately targeted her in the old days when superstitions prevailed. It feeds on small mammals such as mice, rats, etc., snakes, lizards and bats. As nests they use cracks in rocks and walls, old abandoned houses and chambers of the ground. It lives mainly in forests, but also very close to residential areas.

glaux Athena

One of the smallest, cute and sweet inhabitants of the Peloponnese mountains is the beautiful eurasian blue-tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). This beautiful bird is a European species, we find it all over Greece and the beautiful Peloponnese, with the subspecies C. c. calamensis (Parrot, 1908) to be the endemic bluebird which is found only in Greece. The Latin name (Cyanistes), but also the Greek one (γαλαζοπαπαδίτσα = galazopapaditsa - galazo/galazio = blue), refer to the blue dark-blue color of its feathers. The blue tit is found mainly in oak forests, while we can find it also in swamps when looking for food, as well as in villages near mountainous areas with rich vegetation, but also in olive groves. The color of its back and tail is blue, its abdomen is yellow, while its head is white on the sides, above is blue and the bottom is black. Its beak is small, gray to light blue. It has a body length of about 11 cm, a wingspan of 19 cm, a tail length of about 5 cm, and a weight of about 10 to 12 grams. It feeds mainly on insects, while it likes fruits and seeds. They nest in trees but also in vines. A great feature of the blue tit is its high intelligence index, as it has been observed that in order to disinfect their nest, they transfer to it various aromatic plants such as rosemary and mint.

eurasian blue tit

Greek frog (Rana graeca). It is found almost all over Peloponnese. It is a medium-sized frog, usually 8 cm long, an amphibian that is active equally well day and night. We find it in mountainous and wooded areas with running, cold and clear waters. It usually sits on rocks on the banks of streams. It is found at an altitude of 200 to 2000 meters. The females of the species lay their eggs in various safe hiding places and the males protect the eggs until they become tadpoles. The color of the frog is usually in shades of brown and gray.

greek frog

Marginated turtle (Testudo marginata). It is one of the three species of land turtles in Greece, with the subspecies Testudo marginata weissingeri Trutnau, 1994 Taygetus, being endemic to our country. We find it almost all over the Peloponnese and also spreads up north to Olympus. It is almost 27 cm long, eats plants, fruits and insects, while it lays its eggs in holes it digs in the soil. Being free in nature can exceed 100 years of life. Its color is mainly shades of gray and brown, with some characteristic white-yellow spots on its shell. It has excellent sense of smell, quite good eyesight and good hearing which is based on the vibrations of the substrates. It is characterized by the special sense of patriotism that it has, as it chooses specific places of living which it does not leave even if there is a lack of food.

marginated turtle

Cephalonian slow worm (Anguis cephallonica Werner), a beautiful little reptile that many people due to its appearance confuse with a snake, while it is a completely harmless legless lizard. It is an endemic species of Greece and is found only in Peloponnese, Zakynthos and Cephalonia. In Peloponnese, however, we also meet a cousin of the Cephalonian slow worm, specifically we meet the Greek slow worm (Anguis graeca Bedriaga). This lizard has eyelids and ear canals, which differentiates it from snakes. It grows up to 40 cm in length, is active during the morning and the afternoon, while it likes to hide among dense vegetation, as well as under stones and wood. It eats small invertebrates but also small reptiles. Both slow worms mate in early spring.

above: cephalonian slow worm
bottom: greek slow worm

Butterfly (Plebeius eurypilus pelopidas van der Poorten), an endemic species of Greece that is found mainly in Taygetos. It lives mainly in gorges and in large cavities, at altitudes from 110 to 2000 meters. Unfortunately under threat due to collector interest and the intensification of grazing which destroys the environment where this unique butterfly lives. Its color is brown with light shades of yellow and gray, while it has orange spots. The underside of the wings is white with black spots that look like eyes.

butterfly Plebeius eurypilus pelopidas van der Poorten

In Taygetos we come across another endemic species of butterfly, that of Turanana taygetica (Rebel, 1902). This is an extremely rare species, has been recorded in critically endangered species, as well as the previously mentioned butterfly, and faces reckless collection and destruction of areas where it lives. You may find it at high altitudes over 1000 meters, in dry and rocky areas. Its color is dark blue with black details, while the bottom is light blue to white with black spots.

butterfly turanana taygetica

Let's go and check some fish species that live in the rivers of the Peloponnese. Starting with the freshwater blenny (Salaria fluviatilis). It is a Mediterranean species that prefers clear and fresh waters, with sandy or muddy bottoms, with several aquatic plants. It is found almost in most rivers of the Peloponnese and the rest of mainland Greece. It likes to hide in cracks in rocks and near stones. It can also live in brackish waters, where rivers meet the sea. It has an elongated body without scales, usually grows up to 10 cm in length, has a large head and large eyes. Its color is usually greenish to brown, while the abdomen is more towards yellow. It is a very curious fish that is constantly checking what is happening around it. It feeds on small invertebrates and insects, while it is characteristic that it can be easily bred and reproduced successfully in an aquarium, under right conditions. Unfortunately, freshwater bennies, like all river fish in Greek waters, are threatened by water pollution and poor river management.

freshwater blenny

Peloponnesian barbel (Barbus peloponnesius). A fish species that is found in almost all rivers of the Peloponnese, as it is an endemic species of Greece. It lives only in rivers and lakes with fresh clean water. It belongs to the carp species, it likes high flow streams with stony bottoms. It reaches 19 cm in length, while feeding on invertebrates.

peloponnesian barbel

Peloponnesian river fish carp (Squalius peloponnensis). One of the most common fish of our country’s rivers, is an endemic species found only in the Peloponnese and Western Greece. It likes fresh running water, it lives in rivers, large lakes but we can also meet it in brackish water, in places where rivers meet the sea. It reaches 30 cm in length, while its color is usually gray to silver.

peloponnesian river fish carp

WOMEN OF THE PELOPONNESE

Text by Nikos Aivalis, research by Elpida Zografidou, translation by Eva Trombetas

The history of Greece and the Peloponnese has recorded countless heroes. This is one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is the female heroines, who in one way or another glorified Greece. A tribute in honor of all women, as without them we could not exist, as women are an integral part of every man, every human. Mothers, sisters, partners, grandmothers, daughters, friends and more. The ancient Greeks had understood the importance of women, a fact that is reflected in the fact that in the mythical Olympus, lived six male gods (Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus) and six female goddesses (Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Estia), showing the harmony that must exist and how it is not possible for a man to exist without the female and vice versa. Peloponnese gave birth to many mythical female characters, such as Atalanti, the beautiful Helen, Eliki, Messini, Neda, Gorgo, Electra, Aethra and many others. In this feature we will try to take a look at some of the Peloponnesian women who made history.

wisdom embodied in its glorious feminine form of
goddess Athena who was honored by all Greeks

Castle of Oria. between the villages of Agios Petros and Agios Ioannis in Arcadia. On a strategic hill, there was a fort, which guarded the road that connected Argolis with Laconia and Kynouria with central Arcadia. This castle was built in 1256 AD by the Frankish conquerors, in order to supervise the disobedient Tsakonian people (an Arcadian tribe). After the successes of Andronikos Assan in 1320, who fought the Franks in the Peloponnese, the castle came into the hands of the Byzantine Despotate of Mystras. In 1407 the castle passed to the Venetians of Nafplio, while in 1423 it passed to the Byzantine family of Melissinoi, until 1467 when it was conquered by the Turks. The name "Orias" tells us about a heroine, who was very beautiful (ωραία / orea - orias = beautiful). This heroine was the princess of the castle, who with unparalleled courage defended herself vigorously for many years, against the Turks who besieged the castle. Having become the fear and terror of the Ottomans, the great noblewoman seemed invincible, to such an extent that the Ottomans had to find an insidious way to defeat her. So they dressed a soldier as a pregnant woman, who begged at the castle gate to be opened for her to escape the enemy´s army. The merciful princess opened the gate, but along with the fake woman, 1,000 Ottomans entered and conquered the castle. It is characteristic that the Turkish soldier who did this insidious trick, was looking to find the beautiful princess to make her his wife, but already this great heroine had fallen from the bastions so as not to fall into the hands of any enemy, so we will always know this castle as that of Oria, the beautiful and brave heroine that the Ottomans did not manage to defeat, except with deceit. The story of the heroine is saved through traditional songs of the Tsakonian people.

the famous castle of Oria

Summer 1826. The Turks send the elite of the Ottoman Empire to crash the revolution in the Peloponnese. Ibrahim disembarks in Methoni (Messenia), where he burns everything and slaughters all the inhabitants. In Maniaki, the hero Papaflessas tries to stop him, but gets killed along with his 300 comrades-in-arms. The national division is at its peak, as the legislature dismisses Petrobeis Mavromichalis from being a president and replaces him with Koundouriotis, resulting in two governments: one in Tripolis under Petrobei and one in Kranidi under Koundouriotis. On his way, Ibrahim conquers Monemvasia (Laconia) and arrives in Messolonghi (Aetolia - Acarnania) where he occupies the besieged city. Ibrahim then descends again to the Peloponnese with the sense of invincibility and aims to extinguish the last hope of the Greeks, the unconquerable Mani (a land between Laconia and Messenia), which was never conquered by the Ottomans, so the last free fort of the Greeks had to be conquered. Arriving, Ibrahim with his army in Verga of Almyros, demands that the Mani's people be surrendered, otherwise he will cross all of Mani with fire and sword. Then the heroic Giorgakis Mavromichalis, like another Leonidas, answers: "We are waiting for you with all the forces you have, we, the inhabitants of Mani, are writing to you and we are waiting for you". In the battle of Verga something happened that Ibrahim's arrogant mind could not have imagined. His army was not only defeated by the Mani people, but literally decimated. Ibrahim opened a second front, this time in Diros. As the men of Mani were fighting in another place, the Mani's women were defending Diros. Like lionesses fighting with scythes, stones and sticks, these women literally humiliated Ibrahim's empirical army. Mani had just become a death trap for his army. It is really unbelievable how the Mani's women managed to defeat the one that no one had managed to defeat until then, there in the wild land of Mani, the Arabs were harvested by the scythes of the women who angrily guarded other Thermopylae. Characteristic is the statue of the Mani's woman with the scythe, where according to some stories, during the battle, an Arab had grabbed a Mani's woman to kill her. But the heroine fought with animosity, then the Arab ran to save himself, but the Mani's woman's clothes got stuck in the enemy's belt, then the woman picked up her scythe, cut the garment and along with it the enemy.

the statue of Mani's woman holding a scythe

Stavriana Savvaina from Parori, Laconia. When the Turks killed her husband, she created a war corps consisting of women and joined the army of Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis. She fought in the Fall of Tripolis, in the battle of Valtetsi, in the battle of Trikorfa, in the battle of Diros and in many other battles. Konstantina Zacharia, a Spartan warrior who hunted down the Turks from Sparta to Mystras where they ended up getting trapped. She also took over Leontari in Arcadia, killed the Ottoman commander, took the Turkish crescent banners down and burned all the mosques.

the glorious heroines of the Peloponnese

Kyniska, daughter of Archidamus II and Eupolia, who was born around 430 BC a great Spartan woman, who was the first female Olympian in history. Kyniska won twice at the Olympic Games, in 396 BC and in 392 BC both times in the chariot race. She was incredibly appreciated by the Spartans, but also by other Greeks. It is characteristic that they made a bronze statue of her in Olympia, a work by Apellis, who was a painter from Kos.

Kyniska, the first female Olympian

Evryleonis, also a Spartan woman, the second after Kyniska, who managed to be crowned Olympian. Evryleonis won the Synoris race, a two-horse chariot race at the Olympic Games of 368 BC. In her honor, the Spartans raised a statue of Evryleonis, something that Pausanias mentions. In 84 BC two women from Elis won the Olympic Games. Timareta in the race Synoris, while Theodota in the race Polikon Tethripon (carriage with four horses). However, even in 153 AD a woman from Elis managed to be crowned Olympian, Kasia Mnasithea, who excelled in the Polikon Tethrippon event.

women Olympians

Diotima from Tegea in Arcadia, was a priestess of Apollo in Mantineia. She is mentioned in the Platonic Symposium as a wise woman, who taught the great philosopher Socrates. A connoisseur of Pythagorean numerology, according to Xenophon, who was a student of Socrates, Diotima was very capable of the most difficult geometrical theorems. Proclus, a Neoplatonic philosopher, considers Diotima to be a Pythagorean philosopher, a school derived from Pythagoras, which took a higher ground in mathematics, arithmetic, music, while they believed that the soul is not lost with death. Diotima was the priestess who purified the Athenians after the plague of 429 BC.

Socrates and one of his students talking to Diotima
work of Franz Kautsing

Lasthenia from Mantineia in Arcadia. She studied mathematics and philosophy at Plato's Academy, and after his death, she continued her studies at the school of Speusippus, who was nephew of Plato. Another philosopher was Axiothea from the city of Fleios, in the area of Nemea. She left the Peloponnese and went to Athens to study mathematics and natural philosophy, while after finishing her studies, she taught in Corinth. Nikareti the Corinthian, who was a philosopher, mathematician and geometer, studied in Megara, next to the philosopher Stilpon, around the 3rd century BC.

women philosophers

Of course, a tribute is not enough to record all the women whose names are written in gold letters in the history of Greece. En Astron, want to send a small message, that love and respect should be our two closest advisors, because only then can we hope for something better, only then can we be called people. We conclude with a phrase of the ancient comedian poet, Menander: "Ως χαρίεν εστ' άνθρωπος, όταν άνθρωπος η" ( = what a fine thing a human is, when truly human).

PELOPONNESE

Text by Nikos Aivalis, research by Elpida Zografidou, translation by Eva Trombetas

Peloponnese, the land of myths, the land of unstoppable history from ancient times until today, the land that is the heart of Greece, the land that gave birth to heroes and heroines, demigods and sages, the land where great kingdoms like Mycenae were born, the land that contributed the most to all the struggles of Hellenism. But it is not only a land with endless history, but also a land of endless beauty as picturesque villages, mountainous winter destinations, beaches and coastal paradises, forests, waterfalls, caves and much more, along with archeological sites, historical monuments, historical churches and castles, and much more. What is the Peloponnese after all?

Peloponnese

As our page says, Peloponnese is like a proud and bright star in the clear blue sky of Greece (hence the name of our page En Astron - ena astro = one star). We will try to see the Peloponnese from a historical, cultural, mythological and nature-loving point of view. Peloponnese is a huge piece of land, the southernmost of mainland Greece, which is connected to the rest of Greece only by the Isthmus of Corinth and the Rio Antirrio bridge in Patras. It is a peninsula and one of the nine geographical regions of Greece. The area of the Peloponnese is about 21,439 square kilometers, while its total population is about 1,086,935 inhabitants according to the 2011 census. In this piece of land, there are seven prefectures: central prefecture of Arcadia (capital Tripoli), northwest prefecture of Achaea (capital Patras), northeast prefecture of Corinthia (capital Corinth), west prefecture of Elis (capital Pyrgos), east prefecture of Argolis (capital Nafplio), southwest prefecture of Messenia (capital Kalamata) and finally, southeast prefecture of Laconia (capital Sparta).

map of Greece

Peloponnese is bordered west by the Ionian sea, east by the Aegean sea (Myrtos and Argolic gulf), north by the Corinthian gulf and the gulf of Patras, while to the south of it is the Mediterranean sea. The most important capes are of Maleas in Epidaurus of Limira, Laconia, of Akrita Pylias in Messenia, of Skyllaios in Aderes, Argolis, of Rio in Patras, Achaea, and of Tainaros in Mani, Laconia, which is the southernmost part of mainland Greece and of Balkan peninsula. The highest mountain of the Peloponnese is the famous Taygetos, with an altitude of 2,407 meters, which starts from Arcadia and divides in the middle Messenia and Laconia. Other big mountains are: mount Panacheikos, which is located southwest of Patras with an altitude of 1,926 meters, south of Panacheikos the mount Erymanthos, which has an altitude of 2,224 meters, mount Aphrodite between Achaea and Arcadia, with an altitude of 1,456 meters, the ancient mount Lykaion between Arcadia and Messenia, with an altitude of 1,419 meters, the Aroania mountains between Achaea and Corinthia with an altitude of 2,355 meters, Ziria in Corinthia, which is the second highest mountain in the Peloponnese, with an altitude of 2,376 meters, Mainalo in Arcadia with an altitude of 1,981 meters altitude, Oligyrtos between Argolis and Arcadia with an altitude of 1,935 meters and Parnonas between Arcadia and Laconia with an altitude of 1,936 meters.

Taygetos, the highest mountain in the Peloponesse

The main plains of the Peloponnese are the following: the plain of Elis, the plain of Messenia, the plain of Argolis and the plain of Elos in Laconia. The largest mountain plateaus are those of Mantineia, Alea and Tegea in Arcadia, as well as Feneos and Stymfalia in Corinthia. The Peloponnese can be happy because it has a lot of water in its inward parts, nevertheless it has a few big rivers. The largest river in the Peloponnese is the famous Alpheios river, which starts from the Megalopolis of Arcadia and ends in the gulf of Kyparissia, in Elis, covering a distance of 110 kilometers. The second largest river is the mythical Eurotas, which starts from Megalopolis and ends in the Laconic gulf, after covering a distance of 82 kilometers. The Glafkos river starts from mount Panacheikos, so that after a distance of 26 kilometers, it ends at the gulf of Patras. Pinios originates from mount Erymanthos, so that after covering a distance of 80 kilometers, it ends up in the Ionian sea, through Elis. There is also Neda, one of the few rivers in Greece with a female name. Neda starts from Lykaion in Arcadia, so that after a distance of 32 kilometers it ends up in the gulf of Kyparissia, between Elis and Messenia.

Alpheios, the largest river in the Peloponnese

Although the Peloponnese looks like an island by itself, it has its own islands, some of which are of unique beauty, such as Sapientza, an island southwest of Messenia, which is heartshaped, of unique natural beauty, while it has been declared Preserved Monument of Nature, as it is also protected by Natura 2000. To the east there is an island, which has nothing to envy from exotic places and their tropical beaches. An island that for many people, probably has the best beaches in Greece. We are talking about Elafonisos, which is located at the southeastern edge of Laconia. Elafonisos has two of the most famous beaches in Greece, those of Simos and Sarakinikos. In fact, they are considered to be the most beautiful twin beach in Europe. There is another island, which may belong to the Ionian Islands and administratively to Attica, but geographically it belongs to the Peloponnese. We are talking about the beautiful Kythira, which are located south of Elafonisos and Laconia.

Sapientza, the heartshaped island

The name "Peloponnese" comes from Pelopas, ancient king of Achaea. Another name of the Peloponnese, is the medieval name Morias, which has roots from the mulberry tree (mouria = mulberry), due to the extensive cultivation of this tree in the area. In the depths of antiquity, according to Homer, it was called Argos, while even further back in time, it was called Pelasgia, because of the Pelasgians, who were the ancestors of the Arcadians, something that Pausanias tells us, as Pelasgos, king of Arcadia and Argos, had as a son Lycaeon, who later had a son named Arcadas. The ancient Greek tribes that inhabited this place, were the ancient Pelasgians, the Mycenaeans, who were one of the largest forces in the Mediterranean, the Achaeans, the Dorians, the Ionians, as well as the Leleges, who according to Pausanias, were the ancestors of the Lacedaemonians and the Messinians, as Lelegas had as a son, Eurotas, who had a daughter named Sparta, who married Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and Taygetis. There are findings proving that the Peloponnese was inhabited at least from prehistoric times, while according to Pausanias in his work "Arcadia", the Peloponnese had the oldest city in the world, Lycosura in Arcadia, which as he mentions, was the oldest city of all cities that have ever existed on a continental or island region, the first city to see the sunlight, and constituted a model for the creation of other cities. Characteristic of the Arcadians antiquity is the fact that they were given the nickname "pre-Lunar", that is, that they are so ancient that there was not even the moon when they existed as natives of the Peloponnese.

Lycosura, the oldest city in the world

One of the largest civilizations developed in the Peloponnese was that of the Mycenaeans, who came from Mycenae, just outside Argos. Famous by Homer, for their campaign in Troy. They were a dominant force in the area, which had managed to gather all the Greek kingdoms under its protection. Famous merchants and navigators, we find Mycenaean findings from one end of the Mediterranean to the other. But the Peloponnese also later on showed enormous forces. The famous Sparta, home of the most famous warriors of the world, the Spartans. A city that gave birth to famous heroes and heroines, such as Leonidas, Evryviadis, Agisilaos, Vrasidas, Lysander, Gorgo, Kyniska, while from here came the beautiful Helen of Sparta, as well as the Dioscuri Castor and Polydefkis. It was a superpower of its time, taking part in almost all the Greek wars, in the campaign against Troy, in Thermopylae, in the naval battle of Salamina, in Plataees and countless other battles that made the Spartans cause fear and terror in their enemies. But Sparta was not just a war camp as many people mistakenly want to present it to us and they certainly did not throw their children in Kaiadas cave, for example the lame Agisilaos, while modern research by archaeologists has shown that such a thing did not happen. From Sparta came wise men as well as poets, a great example being Chilon the Lacedaemonian, one of the seven wise men of antiquity. Also the great Lycurgus, the most famous legislator, whose work was the later famous Sparta. Tyrtaeus, the great poet of the Spartans, as well as many other men and women, wrote golden pages in Greek history. It is characteristic that the Spartan women were the freest women of the ancient Greek world, while the Spartans were famous for their austerity and simplicity.

ancient Sparta

Another famous force was Argos. Argos is one of the most ancient cities in the world, which continues to exist to this day. Characteristic is the omnipotence of Argos in the Homeric years, so that all the Peloponnesians are called Argians, while even more characteristic is that the Macedonians come from Argos, with the most famous the dynasty of Argeades, with their most famous descendant, Alexander the Great himself. Also from here came the most famous demigod of all time, Hercules, son of Zeus and Alcmene who went to Thebes from Argos, granddaughter of the other famous hero, Perseus, who was also son of Zeus, with mother Danae, daughter of Akrisios, the king of Argos. Nearby, in Mycenae, whice were founded by Perseus, is where Agamemnon and Menelaus came from. However, in the following centuries, Argos remained one of the largest forces in Greece.

Mycenae, the gate of lions and the cyclopean walls

Ancient Corinth, a city so cosmopolitan and powerful, that it became one of the largest commercial centers of the ancient world, while it became also one of the richest cities in the Mediterranean. From the leading forces of the Greeks in the wars against the Persians and the birthplace of Periander the Corinthian, one of the seven wise men of antiquity. The mythical hero Vellerophon, son of the Corinthian king Glafkos and Evrynomi, daughter of the king of Megara, Nisos, also came from there. Characteristic is the importance of Corinth and the respect it inspired, so that all the councils of the Greeks who had a pan-Hellenic tone, took place there.

ancient Corinth

Eliki, an ancient and powerful city of Achaea, metropolis of many colonies in the Mediterranean. The city was located near Aigio and sank in a lagoon. It took its name from the mythical Eliki, daughter of Selinountas, who was the son of Ionas. It was the largest city of Achaea, while it took part in the Trojan War, on the side of Agamemnon. It was an important commercial and cultural center of antiquity, as it minted its own coins.
 

ancient Eliki

Tegea, one of the most powerful cities of the Arcadians. An ancient city, founded by Tegeas, son of Lycaeon and grandson of Pelasgos. It was the seat of the mythical kings of Arcadia, such as Agapinoras, who campaigned in Troy, and later colonized Paphos in Cyprus. Characteristic of the Tegeans was their bravery, which made even the Spartans honor them for it and although the two cities were initially at war, they later became loyal allies. The city had become very strong and very prosperous, as it minted its own currency. It also took part in all the struggles of the Greeks against the Persians. Tegea gave birth to famous heroes and heroines, such as king Agapinoras, the poet Anyti, the tragic poet Aristarchus, the philosopher Antisthenes, the hero Agaios who had taken part in the Argonaut campaign, the beautiful and famous runner Atalanta, the all-wise teacher of Socrates, Diotima, while according to mythology the god Pan, the tragomorphic god of nature, also came from here.

Tegea, temple of Aleas Athena

Pylos, the ancient city of Messenia, birthplace of the mythical Nestor. Pylos was one of the most powerful cities of the Mycenaean kingdom, with great economic and military power. Its power was so great that it did not even have walls to protect the city during Mycenaean rule.

Pylos, palace of Nestor

Of course in this historical overview how one of the most important places of the Peloponnese, Greece and the world, the ancient Olympia in Elis could be missing. A place dedicated to Zeus, home of the Olympic Games, which from the depths of antiquity, continue to exist to this day, being the most important sporting event in the world. According to the legend, the Olympic Games started from Hercules in honor of Zeus. There in Olympia was also an ivory statue of Zeus, a work of Pheidias, which was one of the seven wonders of the world. Infinite number of Greeks were glorified in this place, as it was the most important event, to such an extent that during the games all wars stopped.

ancient Olympia

But the history of the Peloponnese does not end in ancient times. Even during Roman rule, many cities continued to thrive. Even later, in the Byzantine years, the Peloponnese was glorified. Castles were built, today being monuments of unique beauty. The castle of Karytaina in Arcadia, the castle of Patras, the castle of Araklovo in Elis, the beautiful castle of Monemvasia in Laconia, the castle of Mouchli in Arcadia, the castle of Bezenikos also in Arcadia, the castle of coast Astros in Kynouria, the castle of Oleni in Elis and of course the castle city of Mystras in Laconia, the great city of Byzantium, from where Constantine Paleologos, the last emperor of Byzantium, left to defend Constantinople against the Ottomans.

Mystras

Of course churches and monasteries of that time have written their own history in the Peloponnese. The Agia Lavra in Kalavrita, the monastery of Askitis in Elis, the Panayia (Virgin Mary) Katakekrymmeni in Argolis, the monastery of Vrontama in Laconia, as well as the church of Episkopi in Tegea. The list is vast, and it is really worth looking for and visiting the monasteries and churches of the Peloponnese, as each of them has a unique story, while their beauty is unparalleled, and in addition to cities and villages, we find them perched in mountains, valleys, ravines and rivers.

the historic monastery of Agia Lavra in Kalavrita

However, in the following centuries, the Peloponnese wrote history. Greek Revolution of 1821, when the Peloponnesians gave the greatest and hardest fight to liberate Greece from the Turks. Countless battles, mythical heroes and heroines gave everything so that Greece is free today. From the invincible Maniates, to the famous heroes born by Peloponnese. Nikitaras, Vilaetis, Notaras, Chrysanthakopouloi, Giatrakos, Staikopoulos, but also women like Savvaina, Konstantina Zacharia, so many heroes and heroines that it is not enough for a feature to record them all and praise their achievements. Of course, Theodoros Kolokotronis, the incarnation of the Revolution, the legendary Peloponnesian general who contributed the most to the liberation of Greece, could not be missing. The whole Peloponnese had become an endless battlefield, with the Greeks fighting for the freedom of their homeland.

Theodoros Kolokotronis

Peloponnesian people contributed the most to the liberation of the rest of Greece. After the liberation of Greece from the Turks, the people of Mani (a land southwest in Laconia) found themselves fighting the Bavarians so that the fate of the newly formed Greece would not fall into their hands. In Crete, in 1866, 1,800 Maniates people went to help in the struggle for freedom, with 500 of them watering the Cretan land with their blood. In Ioannina, in 1913, also Maniates were there to fight for the liberation of Ioannina, with the famous 8th regiment. Maniates also joined the army of the great hero Pavlos Melas who fought to liberate Macedonia. However, in 1940, in the struggle against the Italians and the Germans, Mani gave everything for the freedom of the homeland, led by the famous Konstantinos Davakis, who like a lion with his battalion consisting of many Laconians, on Pindos hills, faced the elite of the Italian army, the 3rd Alpini Brigade Julia, managing to defeat them, something that played a decisive role in the outcome of the war in favor of the Greeks. The history of the Corinthians is great from the 6th infantry regiment of Corinthia, in the first battle fought with the Italians in 1940 in Albania, specifically in the area of Vouliarates, Argyrokastro, when literally a handful of Corinthian infantry managed to occupy the hill from the Italians who were in defence and open the way of counter-attack. But other Peloponnesians also gave their lives for the freedom of Greece. Soldiers from Argolis fought in all the struggles from the Greek-Turkish war in 1897, until the Turkish invasion in Cyprus in 1974, losing over 7,000 men in all these wars. The same goes for Arcadia with over 3,000 fallen and Achaea with over 2,500 fallen. The same goes for Elis with over 2,000 fallen and Corinthia with over 1,000 fallen. Laconia with over 3,000 fallen and Messenia with over 4,500 fallen (information on numbers of the fallen comes from the Army History Directorate). These battles include the Greek-Turkish War of 1897, the Macedonian Independence War from 1904 to 1908, the Balkan Wars from 1912 to 1913, World War I from 1914 to 1918, the Asia Minor campaign from 1919 to 1922, World War II from 1940 to 1941, the National Resistance from 1941 to 1945 and the Turkish invasion in Cyprus in 1974.

the cemetery of the Greek soldiers in Vouliarates of
Argyrokastro, where the Corinthian infantrymen won

After going through the depths of history, we have come to nowadays. Today, Peloponnese is one of the most beautiful places in Greece. From cosmopolitan cities such as Patras, which is the largest city in the Peloponnese, the beautiful Kalamata and Nafplio, the first capital of Greece after the Revolution of 1821, beautiful and picturesque seaside city, to Pyrgos and Corinth, two cities that have sea and beautiful places near them. Tripoli, which is located in the heart of the Peloponnese, but also Sparta, which may be small but has many attractions. Traditional and picturesque villages, such as Vytina, Stemnitsa, Dimitsana, Andritsaina, Kalavrita, Karytaina, Kardamyli, Vathia, Trikala Corinthias, Georgitsi, Kosmas Arcadias, Lagadia and countless other villages are waiting for us to explore them. Historic cities such as Argos, the stone-built Areopolis, the beautiful Monemvasia to beautiful coastal cities such as Koroni, Gytheio, Astros and Leonidio, Katakolo and many others. All cities have restaurants, clubs, bars, theaters, museums, shops, markets, squares and everything a city would like to have, while the villages have their traditional cafes, taverns and squares. Each prefecture has an endless list of beautiful cities and villages waiting for you.

Nafplio

The Peloponnese is both a winter and a summer destination. The mountainous Arcadia and mountainous Corinthia steal the show during the winter season. But this does not mean that there are not quite many things to see and do in the rest of the Peloponnese, as mountain villages and beautiful winter landscapes await visitors. In summer the Peloponnese is really unrivalled. 

Elafonisos

The entire Peloponnesian coastline has beaches of unique beauty that make them a tourist attraction. The beaches of Elafonisos mentioned above, Simos and Sarakiniko, Finikounta and Voidokilia in Messenia, Kalogria beach in Mani, Mavrovouni and Plytra in Laconia, Elea in Messenia, Stoupa also in Mani, Kourouta in Elis, Caiaphas beach also in Elis, Fokianos beach on the slopes of Parnonas, Pefkias beach in Corinthia, the beautiful Eleni baths also in Corinthia, as well as Skalosia beach, Arvanitia and Karathonas beaches in Argolis and many others that are impossible to record all in one article.

Voidokilia beach, Messenia

Of course, festivals, events and trade fairs could not be missing from the Peloponnese. Each area holds its own celebrations, whether it concerns a patron saint or a local product, such as the feast of chestnuts in Kastanitsa, Arcadia. However, trade fairs also have their own value, such as e.g. the great trade fair of Tegea. Of course, Patras is famous all over the world, which every year organizes the biggest and most spectacular carnivals in Greece, being an attraction for thousands of visitors. Of course the traditions are not missing from the Peloponnese, as the National celebrations are always celebrated with traditional costumes, traditional music and traditional dances. The traditional dances of the Peloponnese are the sirtos, tsamikos, kalamatianos and tsakonikos. It is worth noting that the famous war dance of the Pontians, pyrrhic, originates from Sparta, as it was danced by warriors as a kind of preparation for battle.

carnival of Patras

The natural beauties of the Peloponnese are innumerable. From caves of incredible beauty such as that of Diros in Mani, the cave of the Lakes in Achaea and the cave of Kapsia in Arcadia, to beautiful forests such as that of Skiritida in Arcadia, Strofylia in Achaea, Foloi in Elis, Ksylokastro in Corinthia, Vasiliki in Laconia, the famous cedar forest of Parnon in Arcadia and much more. Incredible gorges like that of Lousios in Arcadia, while the show is stolen by waterfalls, such as those of the beautiful Neda in Elis and Polylimni in Messenia. Beautiful natural landscapes, such as the Diavologefiro in Troizina, lake Taka in Arcadia, unique wetlands, such as that of Moustos in Kynouria, Stymfalia lake in Corinthia, lake Vouliagmeni also in Corinthia, the beautiful lake Doxa, the lake Tsivlou in Achaea and many more beautiful destinations. Of course the Peloponnese has many natural habitats, which are protected by European agencies, such as for example the lagoon of Kotychio in Elis.

Neda waterfalls, Elis

The flora of the Peloponnese is truly endless, hosting numerous endemic and non-endemic plants, herbs, aromatic plants, flowers and more, such as the hypericum perforatum, the wild pansy of Parnon, irises, the centaurea of Parnon, the centaurea of Laconia and Corinthia, the Peloponnesian cyclamen, the potentilla of Arcadia, bells,the tulip of Goulimis, the Messenian skila, reeds, water lilies and more. Almost all the slopes of the Peloponnese are fragrant with the smell of thyme, oregano and sage. We find mainly pines, plane trees, firs, cypresses, oaks, willows and poplars. But the fauna of the Peloponnese is also equal to the flora. Among mammals, the largest inhabitant of Peloponnese is the wild boar. Other animals we encounter are foxes, jackals, otters, badgers, ferrets, hedgehogs and rodents. The reptile fauna of the Peloponnese is also of great importance, with endemic species such as the european green lizard, the limbless skink, the greek rock lizard and the algyroides moreoticus lizard, while we find vipers, eastern montpellier snakes, balkan whip snakes, water snakes, marginated tortoises and river turtles. When it comes to amphibians we find toads and frogs, and concerning insects we find a variety of species, some of which are endemic, such as the butterfly Menelaus. The fish fauna is also remarkable, as in almost all the rivers of the Peloponnese we find endemic species of fish, such as the aphanius almiriensis, the Laconian pelasgus, the Pelasgus stymphalicus, the kaiadic menida and the golden menida, while other species found are eels and trouts. The avifauna of the Peloponnese is very important, as many parts of Peloponnese are a resting place and a refuge for many migratory bird species. However, the endemic species are many and important, as among them we find the golden eagle, the bonelli's eagle, the short-toed snake eagle, the western marsh harrier, the common buzzard, the peregrine falcon, as well as many species of owl, while there are waterfowl such as ducks, coots, gallinula chloropus ducks, herons and more. Other inhabitants of the forests that we find are rock partridges, crows and more.

golden eagle, the largest species
of eagle in Greece

Peloponnese has a heavy industry of goods production, with which it financially supports all of Greece, as it produces goods of excellent quality. The famous raisin productions that Patras used to make, the incredible wines of Nemea and Agiorgitika, the mavrodafni of Patras, the incredible quality chapeles, figs, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, oranges, the famous aubergine of Leonidio and of course the most famous olive oil and olives, Kalamon, which come from the land of Messenia and Laconia. The famous Vytina honey, which comes from the firs and is the only one in the world that without any treatment has a vanilla taste. High quality tobacco mainly from Messenia, while of course Arcadia has a prominent role in livestock farming with wonderful cheeses, meats, milks and more. While Peloponnese also has very strong fishery, mainly in Patras, where there are fish farms. Of course, there are other goods too, such as chestnuts, walnuts, fruits and more.

Kalamon olives

With such a large number of goods, of excellent quality, it was not possible for the Peloponnese not to have a delicious cuisine. Lalagia Manis, the wonderful traditional pancakes of Mani. Syglino, salty pork, perhaps in its most delicious version. Messinian milk pie, which reminds you of something village-like. Cayanas with pork, whoever goes to Messenia, must try. Open Mani's cheese pie, contains all the Mani's products in just one bite. Messinian diples, the most delicious sweet you have tasted. Riganada, the Peloponnesian version of dakos. The Tsakonian aubergines with feta and basil from Arcadia. Giosa of Argolis, ewe cooked for hours. Bogana of Argolis, lamb or pork in the oven. Lamb with orange, one of the most delicious dishes of Peloponnese. Of course, the flagship of the Peloponnesian cuisine, the traditional pork, the favorite dish of the whole Peloponnese, could not be missing.

Peloponnesian pork

Of course the sights of the Peloponnese are endless. The fortress of Palamidi and Bourtzi in Nafplio, the ancient theater of Epidavros in Argolis, the ancient Mycenae and Tiryntha, the temple of Epicurean Apollo which is the Parthenon of Peloponnese in Arcadia, the ancient Olympia and dozens of museums in the whole Peloponnese, as well as monasteries, castles and historic houses, such as that of Theodoros Kolokotronis in Limbovisi, Arcadia.

ancient theater of Epidavros

The Peloponnesian people are hard working, people of letters and arts, such as the Laconian poets Ioannis Ritsos and Nikiforos Vrettakos, Arcadian Dimitris Mitropoulos, internationally renowned conductor, the Corinthian poet and novelist Kostas Karyotakis, the Messinian poet Maria Polydouri, the Arcadian poet Tassos Livaditis, as well as many others. They also stand out in science and sports, have very strong communities in America, Canada and Australia, while they shine in all areas. In the Peloponnese you can find people who are pure, honest, brave, respectful, friendly and warm, as long as you know how to approach them. They are people who love their homeland, they are attached to it, even if they are on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, the Peloponnese has been wronged in many issues, it does not have the same size of public works in relation to other parts of Greece, it does not get the same advertisement in relation to other parts of Greece and it is quite neglected by governments, local authorities and competent institutions. But the Peloponnese continues to live and evolve, to raise its levels in all areas, it is getting slowly but steadily kind of upgraded, but without losing its unique character. Anyone who has not visited the Peloponnese can not understand the energy of the place and its vibrations. It can only express an unsupported view. But whoever has visited it, should be sure that he/she has fully understood it, as the Peloponnese is not just soil and mountains, it is the soul and heart of Greece itself, it is a living organism with soul, mind and body.

Peloponnese

This is the Peloponnese, but not all of it, as it is a place that whatever you write about it, is never enough. No matter how hard you try. Whatever you say, there will always be something else that will be left unsaid, because the Peloponnese, as we said, is the most beautiful star in the clear blue sky of Greece.