Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/325

 MEGALOPOLIS. only the columns remained in the time of Pausanias. MEGALOPOLIS. 309 AGORA OF :mi;galopolis. A. Sanctuary of Zeus. B. Statue of Apollo. C. Temple of the Mother of the Gods. D. Stoa of Philip. E. Temple of Hermes. F. Stoa of the Archives. G. Stoa of Myropolis. H. Statue of PoWbius. I. Stoa of Aristander. L,. Temple of Zeus Soter. M. Sacred Inclosure of the Great Goddesses. N. Gymnasium. On the northern side of the Agora lay the Stoa of Phihp, the son of Amyntas, which was named in honour of this king, on account of the services he had rendered to Megalopolis. Near it were the remains of the temple of Hermes Acacesins. Alongside of the Stoa of Piiilip, was another smaller Stoa, containing the Archives (^ra apx^M^, and • consisting of six compartments. Behind the Stoa of the Archives was a temple of Tyche (Fortune). The Stoa called IIyropolis, where the shops of the perfumers stood, was probably on the eastern side of the Agora. It was built from the spoils of the La- cedaemonians under Acrotatus, when they were de- feated by Aristodemus. Between it and the sanctuary of Zeus was the statue of Polybius. To the left of this statue was the Bouleuterium, or Senate House. In the south of the Agora may be placed the Stoa of Aristander, named after its founder. At the eastern end of this Stoa, wa3 a Peripteral Temple of Zeus Soter, containing a statue of the god seated between the goddesses Megalopolis and Artemis So- teira. At the other, or western end of the same Stoa, was the sacred inclosure of the Great God- desses Demeter and Core (Persephone), containing several temple.s. The Gymnasium stood on the western side of the Agora. To the north of the Agora, behind the Stoa of Philip, there were two small heights, on one of which stood the ruins of the temple of Athena Po- lias, and on the other those of Hera Teleia. The foundations of these temjiles are still visible. At the foot of the temple of Hera Teleia was the stream Bathyllus, flowing into the Helisson. Parallel to the Bathyllus is another stream; and the hill be- tween these two streams is, perhaps, the Scoleitas mentioned by Pausanias (viii. 31. § 7), who says that it lies within the walls, and that a stream de- scends from it to the Helisson. Some excavations were made on the site of Mega- lopolis by Ross in 1834, but nothing of importance was found. Pausanias also gives a minute account of the prin- cipal roads leading from Jlegalopolis. Of these he mentions eight, leading respectively to Messene, Car- nasium, Sparta, Methydrium, Maenalus, Phir'a-leia, Tegea and Heraea. 1. The road to Messene passed, at the distance of 7 stadia from the city, a temple of the goddesses called Maniae, a name of the Eunienides, because Orestes here became insane on account of the murder of his mother. A little further was a small heap of earth, called the ilonument of the Finger, because Orestes, in his madness, here bit oif one of his fingers; still further was a place called Ac(?, because Orestes was here healed of his disorder, containing another temple of the Eumenides; and lastly a sanctuary named Cureium, because Orestes here cut off his hair. These stations lay between the villages Sindno and St. Bei, in the district where there are four tu- muli. From the Maniae there was a distance of 15 stadia to the Alpheius, near the place where it re- ceives the Gatheatas, joined by the Carnion. This united stream is the Xerilo Potanio. From the Al- pheius the road led to Cromi, a distance of 40 sta- dia, and from Cromi to Nymph.s, a distance of 20 stadia. Nymphas was a place abounding in water and trees, from which there were 30 stadia to the Hermaeum, which marked the boundaries of ile- galopolis and Messenia. (Pans. viii. 34.) 2. The road to Carnasium, in Messenia, ran north of the former road, but parallel to it. It crossed the Alpheius, where it is joined to the united waters of the Malus (MaAoCs) and Scyrls (^icvpoi). The Malus is probably the river oi' A eohhm'i, which, a, little westward oi DecUbey, receives a small stream answer- ing to the Scyrus, After proceeding from thence 30 stadia on the right bank of the Malus, you crossed the river and ascended, by a steep path, to a village called Phaedrias ("taiSptas), which appears to have stood on the height above Neoklwri. Fifteen stadia further was the Herjiael'JI, named Despoena, an- other boundary between the territoi-ies of Jlegalupolis and Messenia. (Pans. viii. 35. §§ 1,2.) 3. The road to Sparta was for the most part the same as the modern road from Leondari to 31 istra. At the distance of 30 stadia the road crossed the Alpheius, where it is joined by the Theius (©eioOj), now called Kvtufarina. From thence the road followed the left bank of the Theius for 40 stadia to Phalesiae (4>aAai(7iai), which was 20 stadia distant from the Her.maeum towards Belemina. About 20 stadia beyond is the division of the waters flowing south- ward to the Eurotas, and northward to the Alpheius. (Paus. viii. 35, seq.) 4. The road to Methydrium was 170 stadia in length. It ran northwards from Megalopolis through that portion of central Arcadia which was sur- rounded by the rivers Gortynius, Alpheius, and He- lisson. Thirteen stadia from the city was a place called SciAS (2«ias), with a temple of Artemis Sci- atis, founded by the tyrant Aristodemus. Ten stadia further lay Ciiarisiae (Xapi<Tiai), and from thence, a" the distance of another 10 stadia, was Tuicoi.o.M (TpiKdXuivoi). These two cities were in ruins in the time of Pausanias. Tricoloni, which was founded by the sons of Lycaon, still possessed a temple of Po- seidon, standing upon a hill in a grove of trees. We may place Ti'icoloni near the inodern Karatula, on the edge of the plain of Megalopolis. At Jlcthydrium two side roads branched off fi-om the main road. The road to the left went by Zoetia (10 stadia), Pa- roreia (10 stadia), and Thyraeum (15 stadia), to Hypsus. ZoK.TiA (Zonia, Paus.; Zoirewu, Zoi- Teia, Steph. B. s. v.) and Paroreia {Uapwpeta) were founded hy Tricolonus. They were in ruins X 3