DOCSLIB.ORG

Low Intermediate Greece, History and Culture, 23 - 30 Sep 2018 (Sun - Sun)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Low Intermediate Greece, History and Culture, 23 - 30 Sep 2018 (Sun - Sun) Low Intermediate Greece, History and Culture, 23 - 30 Sep 2018 (Sun - Sun) Stunning walks, ancient ruins, beautiful turquoise sea, and breathtaking mountains…this holiday in Greece has it all! This two centre holiday explores some of the impressive Ancient and Byzantine sites of the Peloponnese region of Greece. This week will be a delight for walkers, photographers and those wanting to experience the glory of Ancient Greece. Our first stop is Pylos, one of the most beautiful small towns of Messinia, where we stay for 4 nights. Pylos is an unspoilt seaside town with a harbour and castle on the edge of the beautiful Navarino Bay. It has a picturesque central square lined with cafes and tavernas. Our hotel is in an exceptional location beneath the 13th century castle and right on the stunning bay. You can even swim from the hotel’s terrace. From our base at Pylos we will head to Sfaktiria, an uninhabited island with amazing rock formations and also explore the mythical Nestor’s Cave set above a lovely sandy cove. We will visit the substantial ruins at Ancient Messini – one of the country’s major historical attractions. We will also spend time at historic Methoni with its stunning castle ruins, bordered on three sides by the turquoise sea. A picture postcard location if ever there was one! For the second half of the week we will stay in a charming guesthouse in the mountain village of Mystras near to Sparta. Here we visit the UNESCO world heritage site of the Byzantine town where we will find the substantial ruins of this 13th Century town with many beautiful churches. We will also walk in the foothills of the Taygetos mountains with time to savour its scenery, churches and villages. Price includes: 7 nights bed and breakfast accommodation; entrance fees to 4 sites; transport to walks; airport transfer from/to Kalamata at certain times. Single rooms are available if you book early – £15 per night supplement. Not included: flight, lunch and dinner. Itinerary Please note that the itinerary is subject to change Sunday: Arrive at Kalamata Airport in the heart of the Peloponnese, where we will meet for a taxi transfer to the charming town of Pylos (1 hour). We will meet in the early evening for a holiday briefing followed by a stroll around 13th Century Pylos castle directly above our hotel. Our walk around the town will end with dinner at a harbour side taverna. Monday: Our first full day sees us exploring the spectacular Navarino Bay. We get a water taxi to the island of Sfaktira (20 mins) where we can discover the integral role the island and the bay played in the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Having picnicked on the island, we get a further boat across the lagoon to Paleokastro Castle and the beautiful Gialova Lagoon. Here Golden Beach stretches for a mile in a perfect arc. Bring your swimming gear for a dip after exploring the ruins of the castle. The beach is actually a narrow sand bar separating the seawaters of the bay from the waters of Gialova Lagoon, a Natura 2000 site of major importance. It is the only location in Europe where the African chameleon is found so maybe we'll be lucky! We walk the length of the beach and, after a cool drink in the village, we get taxis back to the hotel (15 mins) before meeting again in the evening for dinner in a local taverna. Tuesday: The theme of day three is Ancient Greece and we take a fascinating walk around Mt Ithome, the old walls of the city and then explore the extensive and impressive archaeological site of Ancient Messine, 300BC. The site is imposing, and has within it a theatre, market place, temples and a huge stadium. The site is still being excavated and new discoveries continue to be made. Although this site is equal in status to others in Greece it is less visited and so we can walk peacefully among the colossal columns and remains. WalkingWomen Tel: 0114 241 2774 Email: [email protected] Website: www.walkingwomen.com Address: WalkingWomen, Scotia Works, Leadmill Road, Sheffield S1 4SE Travel to the site takes about 40 mins. In the in evening we will meet again for a group dinner in a local taverna Wednesday For our walk on Tuesday we make a short journey by local bus (11km) to the wonderful seaside town of Methoni. Methoni Castle dates from the 13th Century and juts out dramatically into the sea. The immense castle walls have created a protected habitat where amazing flora has taken hold. It has become a beautiful wild self-seeded garden. As well as exploring the castle and having lunch by the harbour, we will walk amongst the pretty olive groves in the hills above the town. After returning to Pylos we will have a group dinner in local taverna. Thursday: Today you have a free morning to relax, swim or shop in the town. At midday we depart for our second base for the week, Mystras. The coach journey takes 2 1/2 hours and is through the spectacular scenery of the Langada mountain pass which joins the coast at Kalamata through the Taygetos mountains to the plain of Sparta. We will stop at breathtaking viewpoints en route and reach a height of 1400m before dropping down again to our destination, Mystras. Here we settle in to our rustic, charming guesthouse before having dinner on the square. Friday: After breakfast at our guesthouse we will walk up to the Byzantine site of Mystras (13th Century). This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it truly deserves the status. Scattered over the hillside, the site has frescoed churches, city streets, Despots Palace, museum and monastery. History bursts out of every stone as well as wildflowers which have taken root in the ruins. Group dinner in local taverna in Mystras. Saturday: Our last walking day sees us striding off into the foothills of the Taygetos Mountains along sections of the stunning E4 long distance path. We will have spectacular views down onto the plain of Sparta. The walk will be through wooded hillsides, with the towering wall of the Taygetos range rising behind us. For our last evening meal together we will enjoy the hospitality of our hosts at the guesthouse. Sunday: Today we will take our transfer back to Kalamata airport (1 ¼ hours) for our return flight. Accommodation: 4 nights Pylos The Karalis Beach Hotel http://karalisbeach.gr/ This hotel is in the most fantastic position, beneath the castle in Pylos and right on the stunning Navarino Bay. There is swimming from the hotel. The website does not do justice to the exceptional position. 3 nights Mystras, at the Mystras Inn http://www.mystrasinn.gr/ipiresiesen.html This is a charming family run inn and restaurant in the heart of the village and will be an interesting contrast to Pylos. Flights & Transfers – Flight to Kalamata is not included We believe that this gives maximum flexibility and the best chance of getting a good price as well as the option to extend your stay. Flights must fit with the transfer below otherwise you will be responsible for your own transfer. To find suitable flights try www.skyscanner.net Thomas Cook from London Gatwick CHECK DATE FLIGHT AIRPORT COUNTRY DEPART ARRIVE AIRPORT COUNTRY IN London 23/09/2087 MT1826 UK 07:10 09:10 14:35 Kalamata Greece Gatwick 30/09/2018 MT1827 Kalamata Greece 13:35 15:35 17:20 London UK Thomas Cook from Manchester CHECK DATE FLIGHT AIRPORT COUNTRY DEPART ARRIVE AIRPORT COUNTRY IN WalkingWomen Tel: 0114 241 2774 Email: [email protected] Website: www.walkingwomen.com Address: WalkingWomen, Scotia Works, Leadmill Road, Sheffield S1 4SE 23/09/2087 MT11776 Manchester UK 04:00 06:00 12:00 Kalamata Greece 30/09/2018 MT1177 Kalamata Greece 11:00 13:00 15:05 Manchester UK Meeting up arrangements at Kalamata Airport Your guide will meet you at the airport in Kalamata. Detailed meeting up arrangements will be sent out by email approximately 2 weeks before the start of the holiday. The transfer will depart once the listed flight has landed. Is your passport in date? Please check at this stage that your passport has plenty of time before it expires. It is not too late to renew it now. Foreign currency There are ATM machines in Pylos only and not at Kalamata airport. You will need Euro cash with you for the holiday. What to bring Walking boots - leather or waterproof fabric, broken in and comfy, with sufficient tread for good grip. Several pairs of walking socks. If your feet blister easily, try 2 thin pairs of coolmax to reduce how hot your feet get. Waterproof jacket. It can rain! Extra fleece or sweater to put on during a stop or if it’s windy. Trousers &/or shorts - loose enough not to restrict your movement (Jeans are not advisable). Zip off trousers may be useful as some of the paths may be overgrown and prickly! Daypack - to carry spare gear, waterproofs, packed lunch, water & other bits and pieces. Water flask or strong plastic water bottle - 1.5 litres. Platypus water system (or similar) is very effective. Sun screen, lip salve, sun hat Swimming costume & swimming towel. Lightweight towels available at walking shops. Large plastic bag to keep the contents of your rucksack dry if it rains. Walking poles – not essential, but very good if you have troublesome knees or difficulty with uneven ground. Flip flops or plastic sandals for the sea Cash in Euro, up to date Passport & flight booking reference, insurance details, this holiday sheet for contact details Non-essential, but they may be important to you! Camera, spare memory card & battery, charger; plug adaptor; flask for hot drinks, maybe binoculars, a mat to sit on during a drink stop.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ancient History Sourcebook: 11Th Brittanica: Sparta SPARTA an Ancient City in Greece, the Capital of Laconia and the Most Powerful State of the Peloponnese
    Ancient History Sourcebook: 11th Brittanica: Sparta SPARTA AN ancient city in Greece, the capital of Laconia and the most powerful state of the Peloponnese. The city lay at the northern end of the central Laconian plain, on the right bank of the river Eurotas, a little south of the point where it is joined by its largest tributary, the Oenus (mount Kelefina). The site is admirably fitted by nature to guard the only routes by which an army can penetrate Laconia from the land side, the Oenus and Eurotas valleys leading from Arcadia, its northern neighbour, and the Langada Pass over Mt Taygetus connecting Laconia and Messenia. At the same time its distance from the sea-Sparta is 27 m. from its seaport, Gythium, made it invulnerable to a maritime attack. I.-HISTORY Prehistoric Period.-Tradition relates that Sparta was founded by Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and Taygete, who called the city after the name of his wife, the daughter of Eurotas. But Amyclae and Therapne (Therapnae) seem to have been in early times of greater importance than Sparta, the former a Minyan foundation a few miles to the south of Sparta, the latter probably the Achaean capital of Laconia and the seat of Menelaus, Agamemnon's younger brother. Eighty years after the Trojan War, according to the traditional chronology, the Dorian migration took place. A band of Dorians united with a body of Aetolians to cross the Corinthian Gulf and invade the Peloponnese from the northwest. The Aetolians settled in Elis, the Dorians pushed up to the headwaters of the Alpheus, where they divided into two forces, one of which under Cresphontes invaded and later subdued Messenia, while the other, led by Aristodemus or, according to another version, by his twin sons Eurysthenes and Procles, made its way down the Eurotas were new settlements were formed and gained Sparta, which became the Dorian capital of Laconia.
    [Show full text]
  • Messenian Dialect and Dedications of the "Methanioi"
    MESSENIAN DIALECT AND DEDICATIONS OF THE "METHANIOI" (PLATE 98) TWO BRONZE SPEAR BUTTS, dedicated at different sanctuaries in the Pelopon- nesos but obviously parallel and seemingly related, have long puzzled epigraphistsand historians.1One (Fig. 1)2 was found at Olympia and bears the inscription: MEeANIOIAnO AAKEAAIMONION FIG. 1. Inscriptionon bronze spear butt dedicatedat Olympia. Olympia Museum 10 (after LSAG, pl. 33:4). The other (Fig. 2)3 was found in the precinctof Apollo Korythosnear Koronein Messenia and carries a fragmentarydedication, written retrogradeon all four faces: MEeAN[101]ANEeE[N Afl'] AeANAI[ONTA-] AAIA0[1]4 I Works frequently cited are abbreviatedas follows: Buck, GD = C. D. Buck, The Greek Dialects: Grammar,Selected Inscriptions, Glossary,Chicago 1955 LCM = LiverpoolClassical Monthly LSAG = L. H. Jeffery, The Local Scripts of Archaic Greece,Oxford 1961 Meiggs and Lewis = R. Meiggs and D. Lewis, A Selectionof GreekHistorical Inscriptionsto the End of the Fifth CenturyB.C., Oxford 1969 SGDI = H. Collitz and F. Bechtel, Sammlungdergriechischen Dialekt-Inschriften, 4 vols., Got- tingen 1884-1915 2 W. Greenwell, "Votive Armour and Arms," JHS 2, 1882 (pp. 65-82), pp. 71-72, pl. xi; H. Roehl, Inscriptionesgraecae antiquissimae,Berlin 1882, no. 46; W. Dittenbergerand K. Purgold, Olympia, V, Die Inschriten von Olympia, Berlin 1896, pp. 247-248; E. S. Roberts, An Introductionto Greek Epigraphy, I, The ArchaicInscriptions and the GreekAlphabet, Cambridge 1887, no. 286; SGDI, no. 3369; H. Roehl, Ima- gines inscriptionumgraecarum antiquissimarum, 3rd ed., Berlin 1907, p. 110, no. 5; E. Schwyzer, Dialecto- rum graecarum exempla epigraphicapotiora, Leipzig 1923, no. 106; E. Kunze and H. Schleif, Olympische ForschungenI, Berlin 1944, pp.
    [Show full text]
  • LINK Template
    LINKN°94 m aY 1 ST 2017 Editor : Laura Gimenez Designer : Mariam Sassi link #LINKEXPLORE Content Contact 5 EVS, K.A.NE. About us 6 Youth Center - program 14 Yana Volkova 16 NGO Stella Tea Križanec 18 Croatia. Hrvatska. Joana Ganilho Marques 22 Monuments and Sites Rosa Vernooij 25 Orange Craze Molly O’Doherty 27 UK News Sofiene Lahdheri 30 Photo Report Joana Ganilho Marques 32 We need poetry is in the streets K.A.NE. Staff members of KANE: Filaretos Vourkos Fotini Arapi Jelena Scepanovic K.A.N.E Nantiana Koutiva Social Youth Development Vyron Giannakopoulos Youth Center of Kalamata EVS: Plateia Othonos 10 Anna Szlendak Kalamata, 24100, Greece Aroa Liébana Rellán Arthur Gallagher [email protected] Joana Ganilho Marques Laura Gimenez Mariam Sassi +30 272 111 0740 Martyna Czypicka Mehdi Jaffar kentroneon.wordpress.com Molly O’Doherty ngokane.org/index.php Óscar Villarraso López Renée Hoogenboom f @kentroneon Rosa Vernooij Rüya Hazar Sara Amghar Sofiene Lahdheri Tea Križanec Yana Volkova ANNA Kalimera! I am Ania and I come from Poland. I will be working for KANE and running Photography and Ukulele workshops. I studied photography in the Institute of Journalism of the University of Warsaw and worked for press photo agencies when I lived in my country. I enjoy every form of photography, I use both digital and film camera, I also create my own pinhole cameras. Besides, I am totally addicted to travel. AROA Hi ! My name is Aroa, I’m from Madrid in Spain but I live in Màlaga, the south of Spain. In Spain I’m working in a secondary school for dance, I’m the teacher for hip-hop, funks, break dance and classic for teens.
    [Show full text]
  • 12(2) 02 Pearce.Indd
    PHYTOLOGIA BALCANICA 12 (2): 149–164, Sofia, 2006 149 John Stuart Mill’s botanical collections from Greece (a private passion) Nicholas R. Pearce The Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK, e-mail: [email protected] Received: March 07, 2006 ▷ Accepted: April 26, 2006 Abstract. An account is given of John Stuart Mill’s two journeys to Greece in 1855 and 1862. A list of the extensive botanical collections is included along with the itineraries of the journeys and an introduction to his interest in botany. Key words: botany, collections, Greece, itineraries, J.S. Mill Background Two years ago, while working in the time to start a family. John was the firstborn Herbarium at Kew, I discovered some of a large family. specimens collected by J.S. Mill. I was John’s childhood was an unhappy and not aware at that time that Mill was in- solitary time. His education was conduct- terested in botany. I decided to look ed at home, entirely by his father who, further into this aspect of an eminent concurrently, was writing his History of Victorian and found that not only was British India. At the age of twenty he be- Mill a keen and enthusiastic botanist came profoundly depressed and lost in- but had collected a herbarium of over terest in his work and life. This lonely 12 000 specimens. These collections con- boyhood and his depression is movingly sisted not only of plants from the UK but described in his autobiography (Mill 1875). specimens from across Europe to Turkey. The In 1827 John was invited for dinner at the specimens from Greece were particularly extensive house of John Taylor and it was there that he first and I decided to investigate these collections.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Lyric Messene
    1 Lyric Messene: Collaborative Ethnogenesis and Historical Narrative1 Luke Nathaniel Madson Classical Studies Introduction: In the ancient world, Messenia is the case study par excellence of competing historical- political narratives and notions of revival. The wholesale creation of the late classical polis of Messene illustrates the variety of ways in which new political realities look to the past to establish precedent and stability in the face of seismic change.2 Many Messenian traditions map well onto what Jan Bremmer has called “Myth as Argument,”3 namely, a particular construction of the past to justify present political views, (sometimes) with an argument for a certain direction in the future. This idea is exemplified in the fragmentary lyric tradition of Eumelus known as the Delian Prosodion, of which we have only two attributed lines. As my analysis of this poetic tradition will show, it is inadequate to dismiss such evidence as mere political propaganda orchestrated by the Thebans and Messenians as they founded a new polis. The Delian Prosodion, when contextualized and queried against other emerging Messenian poetic traditions, historical narratives, and archaeological evidence, reveals the compelling traditions which are put forward in the process of ethnogenesis. Such expressions serve to establish legitimacy, not just in a broader external panhellenic political community, but also internally in the micro-narrative of Messene and the identity of its citizens. The poetry attributed to Eumelus shows the development of lyric memory, which functions much like the physical manifestation of civic memory, as seen in the city of Messene; both facilitate the emergence of a certain historical consciousness as well as the embodiment of a present contemporary community.
    [Show full text]
  • Petalidi - Chrani - Agios Andreas - Koroni Kalamata & Rizomilos Ancient Messine
    Petalidi - Chrani - Agios Andreas - Koroni Kalamata & Rizomilos Ancient Messine Pylos Polimnio Petalidi the Messinian Kalamaki Riviera Vigla Chrani The east coast of the western peninsula of Messinia, from Petalidi to Koroni, has a great deal to offer visiting tourists. The fertile coastline has a number of fine, sandy beaches Agios Andreas Loga and each village en route very much has its own char- acter, from the impressive central square of Petalidi to the narrow, winding streets of Koroni. It is an area Neo Koroni that could be described as “old Greece” as, unlike in other parts of Messinia, there has not been large scale development. Instead, there is a good variety Vounaria of small scale accommodations to choose from and Harokopio even in the height of summer the beaches do not Agios Triada get too crowded. Accessing the area could not be easier- the first resort of Petalidi is less than a half Koroni hour drive from Kalamata airport. Zaga Petalidi Petalidi Heading south from Rizomilos the first asphalt road to the left takes you down to the beach at Petalidi Bay, which can also be approached through the campsite a little bit further south. This takes you on through Kalohori, before joining the main Pylos beach is a pretty stretch of sand looking over towards Kalamata. road. On the way you will pass fields of vines, mainly grown for To the south of the beach is Petalidi Beach Camping. Between currants here, and other fruit crops in abundance. The road up the campsite and the town of Petalidi is a deserted strip of sand, to Kastania is another worthwhile route up into the hills above reached by taking the turning just to the north of a petrol station Petalidi.
    [Show full text]
  • A Survey of Greek History
    A Survey of Greek History © 2003 Prof. David C. Mirhady Department of Humanities, Simon Fraser University http://www.sfu.ca/classics 750 Invention of the Hoplite Phalanx Spartan conquest of Messenia - Sparta subjects the inhabitants of the neighboring area of Messenia to slave status, calling them helots War of the Lelantine Plain - many of the fledgling poleis from throughout the Greek world take sides in a war between Chalkis and Eritrea over the Lelantine plain, which separates them 650 Second Messenian War - Sparta reacts to a Messenian resurgence by imposing a strict military regime on its own citizens 650-550 Rise of Tyranny at Sicyon, Corinth, and Miletus - individual aristocrats, with popular support, seize power from other aristocrats by unconventional means 633 Conspiracy of Cylon - an attempt to seize power by a would-be tyrant in Athens is brutally suppressed 622 Lawcode of Draco - Athens' first law code, which is known for the severity of its punishments 594 Reforms of Solon - an Athenian moderate brings in wide-ranging reforms in order to defuse strife between Athens' rich and poor 566-511 Tyranny of Peisistratus and his sons - Peisistratus seizes power three times and promotes Athenian unity and commerce 508 Reforms of Cleisthenes - constitutional changes relieve regional tensions in Athens and form the basis of Athens' democracy 490 Battle of Marathon - without Spartan help, Athenian hoplites repulse a Persian invasion 480 Battle of Salamis - led by the genius of the Athenian Themistocles, the Greek fleet defeats its much
    [Show full text]
  • Pausanias' Messenian Itinerary and the Journeys of the Past
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Institutional Repository of the Freie Universität Berlin Greta Hawes Pausanias’ Messenian Itinerary and the Journeys of the Past Summary Messene was unusual among ancient poleis. It was one of the few major settlements on the Greek mainland to be founded in the Hellenistic period. Moreover, on account of this, its claim to a culturally authoritative past rooted in the mythic period could not rest on suppositions about the continuity of knowledge handed down through the continuation of civic, cultic, and communal institutions. This chapter examines how Pausanias’ account of Messenia (book four of his Periegesis) approaches this dilemma by making knowledge both an artefact preserved unchanged in texts, and a conceptual possession encountered and attained through travel. It goes on to argue that the interplay between these two forms of knowledge is specifically relevant to this text, since the Periegesis also serves as a fixed, written object, which nonetheless offers opportunities for autonomous exploration and experience to the hodological reader-traveler. Keywords: Pausanias; Messenia; travel writing; Homer; genealogy; Greek myth; transmis- sion of knowledge Messene war eine ungewöhnliche Polis. Gegründet in hellenistischer Zeit, war sie eine der wenigen großen Siedlungen auf dem griechischen Festland. Messenes Ansprüche auf eine kulturelle Vergangenheit, die Maßstäbe setzte und in mythischen Zeiten wurzelte, konn- ten daher nicht auf bloßen Vermutungen über die Kontinuität des Wissens, das durch bür- gerliche, kultische und kommunale Institutionen weitergegeben wurde, beruhen. Dieses Kapitel untersucht wie sich Pausanias in seiner Darstellung von Messene diesem Dilemma nähert (im vierten Buch seiner Periegesis), indem er Wissen sowohl zu einem Artefakt er- klärt, das unverändert in Texten erhalten ist, als auch zu einem konzeptuellen Besitz, der durch Reisen erworben werden kann.
    [Show full text]
  • Follow Me to the Ancient Theatre of Messene
    Follow me to the ancient theatre of Messene Ancient Messene, a city that endured through time f you want to see an ancient Greek city Ialmost in its entirety, you can visit ancient Messene, the capital of ancient Messenia. The enormous archaeological park, located next to the village Mavromati, to the northwest of Kalamata, is not very different from what Messene probably looked like in the antiquity. Among olive trees, vineyards and fields, there are the formerly powerful walls of the city and within them, the well- preserved sanctuaries and public buildings, the houses of its residents, as well as the luxurious graves of its prominent citizens. The history of the city starts in 369 B.C. when the Theban general Epaminondas liberated the Messenians from the Spartan rule. In order to decisively limit the enemy to his territory, he founded Messene as the new powerful capital of the country. Apart from the liberated Messenians, exiled citi- zens also came to live in the city, after an invitation by Epaminondas. Messene, which took its name from the first mythical queen of the country, was built at the foot of the Mount Ithome, a sacred and symbolic area, ideal in every Fig. 1: View of the archaeological site of Messene. way. At the top of the mount there was the sanctuary of Zeus Ithomata, who was land plots of the citizens were all equal and given to Megalopolis and Sparta that had worshipped in Messenia since the 9th – 8th equivalent. been claiming them. century B.C. On the citadel of Ithome, the The capital developed much more than After the conquest of Greece by the Ro- Messenians fought the last battle for their the other cities of Messenia, which all con- mans (146 B.C.), Roman settlers as well as liberation from the Spartans (464 B.C.).
    [Show full text]
  • The Historical Context of the City Wall of Messene: Preconditions, Written Sources, Success Balance, and Societal Impacts*
    The historical context of the city wall of Messene: preconditions, written sources, success balance, and societal impacts* SILKE MÜTH In this article I analyse the historical circumstances sur‑ senia from the Spartan yoke, under which it had suffered rounding the construction of the city wall of Messene in for centuries. Conquered by Sparta in the course of two the Peloponnese, the information which can be gathered very long wars, one probably towards the end of the 8th, from ancient written sources about this fortification in and another around the middle of the 7th century BC, the general and its success later on in Antiquity, as well as its population had either gone into exile or had been forced impact upon the people living within it. Finally I consider into helotism by the Spartans.1 After the crucial and disas‑ in what way the monument itself may be taken as a source trous blow inflicted by the Theban general Epaminondas for the history of those times. on the Spartans at Leuktra in 371 BC, he demoted them even more and secured their permanent loss of power by liberating the Messenians and their land from Spartan 1. Preconditions for the foundation of dominion, calling back the Messenian exiles and founding Messene and written sources about a new capital for them at the foot of Mt Ithome (Fig. 1). the construction of the city wall This new city was also namedἸθώμη , after the moun‑ The foundation of the city of Messene as the capital of tain, until around 280 BC, when its name was changed to Messenia is directly connected to the liberation of Mes‑ Μεσσήνη.2 Because of its strategic position, Mt Ithome * This article is largely based on a talk I gave in Frankfurt on the occasion of the fourth meeting of the international network “Fokus Fortifikation: ancient fortifications in the Eastern Mediterranean” (see www.fokusfortifikation.de) and is very much inspired by the discussions that take place throughout this network.
    [Show full text]
  • THE THIRD MESSENIAN WAR a Thesis Presented
    " THE THIRD MESSENIAN WAR A Thesis Presented to the Division of Social Science Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Robert J. Romine, Jr. -------- August 1971 7l· ...... 'I ~., .~ca·A·oF. b /7,yt·{~' (~~- <"--~ ~.Approved for the Major Department .~ IZ for the Graduate Council 316072 ~' " TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF PLA.TES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• i v CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION • . · . · . · . 1 I I. THE SOURCES . 7 III. BACKGROUND TO THE WAR · . 27 IV. CAUSES OF THE WAR · · · · • · · ·· · · · • · · 41 V. NATURE AND CONDUCT OF THE WAR ·· · ·· ··· · 64 VI. RESULTS OF THE WAR · · · · · • · ·· · · · • · · 115 BIBLIOGRAPHY • . · ··· ··· ·· ···· · · 132 APPENDIX, DATES OF THE WAR • · • · · • • • • • • · • • 137 iii ...... LIST OF PLATES PLATE PAGE I. LACONIA • • . 151 II. MESSEN"IA • • • . 152 III. ROUTES OF THE PELOPONNESUS • • • • • • • • • 153 iv "" CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION There are certain basic problems which will probably affect the world as long as there are people on it, namely how to appreciate and live in peace with one's fellows. The Third Messenian War amply illustrates another failure to do so. The Third Messenian War involved problems of race. The Messenians were largely of Achaean stock, and their Spartan masters were Dorians. It concerned poverty and socio~eco­ nomic discrimination. Witness the situation of the helots and perioeci in Sparta and the depressed artisan democrats of the coast in Athens who overthrew Cimon. The war took place in a bi-po1arized world rushing toward conflict, with a cold war beginning in 461. Sparta was sensitive to Athen­ ian imperialism, and each viewed the other as a purveyor of toxic ideology.
    [Show full text]
  • Palatial Center
    CHAPTER 3 PYLOS THE EXPANSION OF A MYCENAEAN PALATIAL CENTER IÈtÊtÈtÊrÈrÈtÈ JOHN BENNET HE PALACE oF NESToR stands roday arop the BACKGROUND: THE Englianos ridge, a powerful symbol to local PALACE OF NESTOR residents and tourists alike of Greece's rich prehistoric past. The processes by which it became a The destruction of the palace in circa 1200 BC pre- modern cultural symbol are not the topic of this chapter served not only a rich and complex archaeological site (see, e.9., Davis 1998; Lolos 1994). Rather, my goal is to but also a large archive of documents inscribed in the examine how the site came to dominate its environment Linear B script that recorded an early form of the Greek immediately before its destruction, about 1200 BC, as language (Chadwick 1987). A combination of these the paramount center in the southwestern Peloponnese, archaeological and documentary data sets has allowed a symbol of political, economic, and ritual power in us to reconstruct in extraordinary detail the operation the Navarino Bay region of southwestern Messenia. of this palatial center (Shelmerdine and Palaima 1984) To this end, I employ new data generated by the Pylos in the years immediately before its destruction, at tÏe Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP) to chart the end of the phase known as Late Helladic IIIB, and the growth of the site of Bronze Age Pylos from about extent of the polity over which the site exerted sorñe 2000 BC until its destruction. I then place this new, form ofpolitical control (Bennet 1995). more refined picture of the expansion of Pylos in the The excavations by Carl Blegen of the University wider context of settlement in its broader region, again of Cincinnati (Blegen and Rawson l9ó6; Blegen et using data generated by PRAP that clari!' the relative al.
    [Show full text]