Sunday, September 16, 2012

Ancient Ithomi (Messini)


ANCIENT MESSENIA (Actual Mavromati).

When you first enter the small village of Mavromati in the middle of the mountain of Messinia, you can hardly imagine that twenty-four centuries ago, in the 369 BC, this was the place chosen by the general Epaminondas (Theban army) to found one of the biggest and most important cities of the Peloponnesus after their victory against the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra in Boeotia. This foundation answered to the aim to emplace an important center independent from the Spartan hegemony established in the  Peloponnesus. 
The city was surrounded by a huge wall of around 8 km long, of which we can still see its remains today. If you were a Messenian citizen, you would have your house inside the walled space and probably you could go every day to the farming land included in the fortified area and pass your daily life inside the walls. As a Greek city, it had its area for some public buildings which are the monuments that we can see now in the Ancient Messenia archaeological site.



So firstly, you could go to the highest point of the site to have some fresh water from the Arsinoe fountain and refresh yourself before going to the Agora (market place) to discuss about economic and politics issues while you buy some usual products such as olives, oil, wine, honey or bread. You can walk thought the Stoa, the long covered corridor of the Agora and feel free to stop to talk to your neighbours  and be updated with the news of the city.



After that, you could continue walking towards the south, and go to the Asclepion Sanctuary, the god of the medicine, which is surrounded by columns and where you could offer your votes or participate in a votive ritual always outside the temple, as just the priests of the god could go into it. On one side of it, there are other small temples dedicated to other goddess as for instance to Artemis Orthia.


 
Some evenings you would like to assist to one of the numerous religious festivals that take place in the theatre next to the Agora and further down the Arsinoe fountain. In this theatre are shown plays about Greek myths that explain the legends of the cities and tell the story of the Gods and heroes of Ancient Greek. Most of the stories you could know them by heart, but each author gives its own personal vision which is the interesting point.
Some days, you will have to collaborate with the political issues of your town and you will be demanded to participate in the ekklesion bouleuterion, just next to the Asclepion Sanctuary and it is similar to a theater in order to hear everybody’s opinion and ideas.
Down the hill, in the very last part it is located the Stadium and the Gymnasium where you could go to exercise and to participate in the sports organized due to the religious festivals.
 

If you want to live this experience by your own, you can go to this spectacular emplacement, really well preserved and curated thanks to the people of the village and archaeologist from all over the world. Don’t miss the opportunity to feel the ancient Greek atmosphere and enjoy such wonderful views from the top of the mount Ithomi.


By Irene Peña Herranz, Spain.

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