Hysiai (Argolis)

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View from the east of Hysiai.

Hysiai ( Greek Ὺσίαί ) was an Argive border town on the road from Argos to Tegea . The ruins of the city lie south of Achladokambos near the Panagia Church on the western slope of the Paravounaki Mountains.

history

In 669/668 BC The first battle of Hysiai took place here . In this battle, Pheidon , the tyrant of Argos, defeated the attacking Spartans . The fallen Argives were buried in a mass grave (Polyandrion) at Kenchreai . It was previously assumed that the pyramid of Hellinikon was this mass grave. However, it appears to have been located more near the pass about 3.5 km northeast of Hysiai. In the winter of 417/416 BC In the second battle of Hysiai the frontier fortress was conquered and destroyed by the Spartan Agis II and all free argivers were executed.

Eastern acropolis wall of Hysiai.

description

The Acropolis of Hysiai rises directly to the south behind the Panagia Church on a hill about 450 m high. It has a length of about 100 m and a width of 40 m and covers an area of ​​about 3000 m². The hill slopes steeply to the west. The preserved walls are built in polygonal and trapezoidal masonry. The first fortification was probably made in the 6th century BC. Built in BC. After the destruction by the Spartans, the fortress was probably rebuilt. The walls still preserved today probably date from this time. Several semicircular towers were still visible in the 19th century. The foundation walls of a tower are still visible today directly behind the church. To the west of the church is a modern threshing floor .

From Hysiai one could see the plateau of Achladokampos. The pass road leading across the Parthenion Mountains to Tegea could also be monitored and attackers could be spotted long before they reached Hysiai.

Web links

Commons : Hysiai  - collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • Susanne Grunauer from Hoerschelmann: Hysiai (Arkadia). In: Siegfried Lauffer (Ed.): Greece. Lexicon of Historic Places. CH Beck, Munich 1989.
  • Richard Allan Tomlinson: Argos and the Argolid. Routledge, London 2014, ISBN 978-1-138-01993-5 , pp. 37-38.

swell

  1. ↑ Strabon , Geographika 8,6,17; 9.2.12.
  2. ^ Pausanias , Travels in Greece 2,24,7.
  3. ^ Thucydides , History of the Peloponnesian War 5,83.
  4. ^ Diodorus , Greek World History 12.81.
  5. ^ Pausanias , Travels in Greece 8,6,4; 8.54.7.

Coordinates: 37 ° 30 ′ 45 "  N , 22 ° 34 ′ 59.4"  E