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Arcadia ( el, Αρκαδία, ''Arkadía'' ) is one of the
regional units of Greece The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level Administrative divisions of Greece, administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 Modern reg ...
. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological figure Arcas. In
Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...
, it was the home of the god Pan. In European Renaissance arts, Arcadia was celebrated as an unspoiled, harmonious wilderness.


Geography

Arcadia is a rural, mountainous regional unit comprising about 18% of the land area of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is the peninsula's largest regional unit. According to the 2011 census, it has about 86,000 inhabitants; its capital, Tripoli, has about 30,000 residents in the city proper, and about 47,500 total in the greater metropolitan area. Arcadia consists partly of farmland, and to a larger extent grassland and degenerated shrubland. It also has three mountain ranges, with forestation mainly at altitudes above 1000 meters: Mainalo, a winter ski resort, situated in the central north;
Parnon Parnon or Parnonas ( el, Πάρνων/Πάρνωνας) or Malevos (Μαλεβός) is a mountain range, or massif, on the east of the Laconian plain and the Evrotas valley. It is visible from Athens above the top of the Argive mountains. The we ...
in the central south; and
Mount Lykaion Mount Lykaion ( grc, Λύκαιον ὄρος, ''Lýkaion Óros''; la, Mons Lycaeus) is a mountain in Arcadia, Greece. Lykaion has two peaks: ''Stefani'' to the north and St. Ilias (, ''Agios Īlías'') to the south where the altar of Zeus is lo ...
, famous for the ancient history and myths associated with it, in the southwest. Its climate features hot summers and mild winters in the east, the south, and those parts of the central area that are less than 1000 meters above sea level. Fall and winter are mostly rainy, except in the mountains to the west and north,
Taygetus The Taygetus, Taugetus, Taygetos or Taÿgetus ( el, Ταΰγετος, Taygetos) is a mountain range on the Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece. The highest mountain of the range is Mount Taygetus, also known as "Profitis Ilias", or "Prophet ...
and Mainalo, which are snowy in winter.


Geology and Hydrogeology

Arcadia is almost totally mountainous and part of the "carbonate platform" (calcareous or
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
deposits) of the Peloponnese. The whole peninsula was formed by intense
tectonic Tectonics (; ) are the processes that control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. These include the processes of mountain building, the growth and behavior of the strong, old cores of continents ...
s ( faults, overthrusts and regional
metamorphism Metamorphism is the transformation of existing rock (the protolith) to rock with a different mineral composition or texture. Metamorphism takes place at temperatures in excess of , and often also at elevated pressure or in the presence of ch ...
). In Arcadia's central part around the Tripoli region developed a special form of topography, a geologically fascinating phenomenon: There are several plains and "intra mountainous basins", even "closed basins": The 30 km long "Tripoli-Plateau", "
Argon Pedion Argon Pedion ( gr, Ἀργὸν Πεδίον, 3=untilled plain) is the geological name of a "closed karst basin" in the Arcadian highlands in the Peloponnese peninsula of southern Greece. The first known appearance of this name was in a publicatio ...
", Basin of Levidi, Basin of Vlacherna Arcadia/Hotoussa/ Kandila. The peculiarity of the plains and basins is a result of intensive karstification: Water seeps into the underground, rather than eroding and draining the topography by surface waterways. All drainage runs through
ponor A ponor is a natural opening where surface water enters into underground passages; they may be found in karst landscapes where the geology and the geomorphology is typically dominated by porous limestone rock. Ponors can drain stream or lake wate ...
s (in Greek: καταβόθρες) and subterranean waterways. The additional problem for rural activities in the basins: When winter rains are heavy, the ground is flooded or temporary lakes arise, even today, as drainage through katavothres is often too slow to start cultivation in due time.


History


Ancient history


Medieval history

After the collapse of the Roman power in the west, Arcadia remained as part of the Greek-speaking
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
. Arcadia remained a beautiful, secluded area, and its inhabitants became proverbial as herdsmen leading simple pastoral unsophisticated yet happy lives, to the point that ''Arcadia'' may refer to some imaginary idyllic paradise, immortalized by
Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...
's
Eclogues The ''Eclogues'' (; ), also called the ''Bucolics'', is the first of the three major works of the Latin poet Virgil. Background Taking as his generic model the Greek bucolic poetry of Theocritus, Virgil created a Roman version partly by offer ...
, and later by
Jacopo Sannazaro Jacopo Sannazaro (; 28 July 1458 – 6 August 1530) was an Italian poet, humanist and epigrammist from Naples. He wrote easily in Latin, in Italian and in Neapolitan, but is best remembered for his humanist classic '' Arcadia'', a masterwor ...
in his pastoral masterpiece, ''Arcadia'' (1504); see also
Arcadia (utopia) Arcadia ( gr, Αρκαδία) refers to a vision of pastoralism and harmony with nature. The term is derived from the Greek province of the same name which dates to antiquity; the province's mountainous topography and sparse population of pas ...
. After the Fourth Crusade, the area became a part of the
Principality of Achaea The Principality of Achaea () or Principality of Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire, which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom ...
, but was progressively recovered by the
Byzantine Greeks The Byzantine Greeks were the Greek-speaking Eastern Romans of Orthodox Christianity throughout Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. They were the main inhabitants of the lands of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire), of Constantinople ...
of the
Despotate of the Morea The Despotate of the Morea ( el, Δεσποτᾶτον τοῦ Μορέως) or Despotate of Mystras ( el, Δεσποτᾶτον τοῦ Μυστρᾶ) was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid-14th and mid-15th centu ...
from the 1260s on, a process that was completed in 1320. The region fell into the hands of the Ottoman Turks in 1460. With the exception of a
period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
of Venetian rule in 1687–1715, the region remained under Turkish control until 1821. The Latin phrase ''
Et in Arcadia ego ''Et in Arcadia ego'' (also known as ''Les bergers d'Arcadie'' or ''The Arcadian Shepherds'') is a 1637–38 painting by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665), the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style. It depicts a pastoral scene with id ...
'', which is usually interpreted to mean "Even in Arcadia there am I", is an example of '' memento mori'', a cautionary reminder of the transitory nature of life and the inevitability of death. The phrase is most often associated with a 1647 painting by Nicolas Poussin, also known as "The Arcadian Shepherds". In the painting the phrase appears as an inscription on a tomb discovered by youthful figures in classical garb.


Modern history

Arcadia was one of the centres of the Greek War of Independence which saw victories in their battles including one in Tripoli. After a victorious revolutionary war, Arcadia was finally incorporated into the newly created Greek state. Arcadia saw economic growth and small emigration. In the 20th century, Arcadia experienced extensive population loss through emigration, mostly to the
Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...
. Many Arcadian villages lost half their inhabitants, and fears arose that they would turn into ghost towns. Arcadia now has a smaller population than
Corinthia Corinthia ( el, Κορινθία ''Korinthía'') is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese. It is situated around the city of Corinth, in the north-eastern part ...
. Demographers expected that its population would halve between 1951 and the early 21st century. The population has fallen to 87,000 in 2011. An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the
Richter magnitude scale The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
shook Megalopoli and the surrounding area in 1965. Large numbers of buildings were destroyed, leaving people homeless. Within a couple of years, the buildings were rebuilt anti-seismically. This earthquake revealed an underground source of lignite in the area, and in 1967 construction began on the Megalopoli Power Plant, which began operating in 1970. The mining area south of the plant is the largest mining area in the peninsula and continues to the present day with one settlement moved. In July and August 2007
forest fires A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...
caused damage in Arcadia, notably in the mountains. In 2008, a theory proposed by classicist Christos Mergoupis suggested that the mummified remains of Alexander the Great (not his actual tomb), may in fact be located in Gortynia-Arkadia, in the Peloponnese of Greece. Since 2008, this research is ongoing and currently being conducted in Greece. The research was first mentioned on CNN International in May 2008.


Language

When, during the Greek Dark Ages (c. 1200 BC–800 BC), Doric Greek was introduced to the Peloponnese, the older Arcadocypriot Greek language apparently survived in Arcadia. Arcadocypriot never became a literary dialect, but it is known from inscriptions. Tsan is a letter of the
Greek alphabet The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and was the earliest known alphabetic script to have distinct letters for vowels as w ...
occurring only in Arcadia, shaped like Cyrillic И; it represents an affricate that developed from labiovelars in context where they became ''t'' in other dialects. The Tsakonian language, still spoken on the coast of modern Arcadia (but in the Classical period considered the southern Argolid coast immediately adjoining Arcadia), is a descendant of Doric Greek, and as such is an exceptional example of a surviving regional dialect of archaic Greek. The principal cities of
Tsakonia Tsakonia ( ell, Τσακωνιά) or the Tsakonian region () refers to the small area in the eastern Peloponnese where the Tsakonian language is spoken, in the area surrounding 13 towns, villages and hamlets located around Pera Melana in Arcadia. I ...
are the Arcadian coastal towns of Leonidio and
Tyros Tyre (; ar, صور, translit=Ṣūr; phn, 𐤑𐤓, translit=Ṣūr, Greek ''Tyros'', Τύρος) is a city in Lebanon, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, though in medieval times for some centuries by just a tiny pop ...
.


Administration

The regional unit Arcadia is subdivided into 5 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox): * Gortynia (3) *
Megalopoli Megalopoli ( el, Μεγαλόπολη) is a town in the southwestern part of the regional unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis ( grc, Μεγαλόπολις, literally ''large/great city''). When ...
(5) *
North Kynouria North Kynouria or Vóreia Kynouría ( el, Βόρεια Κυνουρία) is a municipality in Arcadia, Greece. It is located in the eastern part of the regional unit, between the northwestern shores of the Argolic Gulf and northern Laconia. Its l ...
(''Voreia Kynouria'', 2) *
South Kynouria South Kynouria ( el, Νότια Κυνουρία – ''Notia Kynouria'') is a municipality in the Arcadia regional unit, Peloponnese, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town of Leonidio. The municipality has an area of 592.439 km2. It co ...
(''Notia Kynouria'', 4) * Tripoli (1)


Prefecture

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Arcadia was created out of the former prefecture Arcadia ( el, Νομός Αρκαδίας). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.


Provinces

Arcadia was divided into four provinces: *Province of Gortynia
Dimitsana Dimitsana ( el, Δημητσάνα) is a mountain village and a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Gortynia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The ...
*Province of KynouriaLeonidio *Province of
Mantineia Mantineia (also Mantinea ; el, Μαντίνεια; also Koine Greek ''Antigoneia'') was a city in ancient Arcadia, Greece, which was the site of two significant battles in Classical Greek history. In modern times it is a former municipality in ...
Tripolis *Province of
Megalopoli Megalopoli ( el, Μεγαλόπολη) is a town in the southwestern part of the regional unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis ( grc, Μεγαλόπολις, literally ''large/great city''). When ...
Megalopolis A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enoug ...
''Note:'' Provinces no longer hold any legal status in
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
.


Ancient and modern towns and cities

The main towns in modern Arcadia are Tripoli,
Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
,
Vytina Vytina ( el, Βυτίνα, ''Vytína'') is a mountain village and a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. It is considered a traditional settlement. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Gortynia ...
,
Dimitsana Dimitsana ( el, Δημητσάνα) is a mountain village and a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Gortynia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The ...
, Lagkadia,
Tyros Tyre (; ar, صور, translit=Ṣūr; phn, 𐤑𐤓, translit=Ṣūr, Greek ''Tyros'', Τύρος) is a city in Lebanon, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, though in medieval times for some centuries by just a tiny pop ...
, Leonidio, Levidi,
Megalopoli Megalopoli ( el, Μεγαλόπολη) is a town in the southwestern part of the regional unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis ( grc, Μεγαλόπολις, literally ''large/great city''). When ...
and
Stemnitsa Stemnitsa ( el, Στεμνίτσα) is a mountain village in the municipal unit of Trikolonoi, Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. It was the seat of the former municipality Trikolonoi. Stemnitsa is a traditional settlement and is considered one of t ...
. Ancient cities include Acacesium,
Asea ''Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget'' (English translation: General Swedish Electrical Limited Company; Swedish abbreviation: ASEA) was a Swedish industrial company. History ASEA was founded in 1883 by Ludvig Fredholm in Västerås a ...
, Astros, Athinaio,
Daseae Daseae or Daseai ( grc, Δασέαι), also known as Dasea (Δασέα), was a town of ancient Arcadia in the district Parrhasia. It was situated on the road from Megalopolis to Phigalea, 7 stadia from Macareae, and 29 stadia from Megalopolis. It ...
,
Falaisia Falaisia ( el, Φαλαισία, before 1918: Μπούρα - ''Boura'') is a village and a former municipality in southwestern Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Megalopoli, of whic ...
(Phalesia),
Gortys Gortyna ( grc, Γόρτυνα; also known as Gortyn (Γορτύν)) was a town of ancient Crete which appears in the Homeric poems under the form of Γορτύν; but afterwards became usually Gortyna (Γόρτυνα). According to Stephanus of ...
, Hypsus (
Stemnitsa Stemnitsa ( el, Στεμνίτσα) is a mountain village in the municipal unit of Trikolonoi, Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. It was the seat of the former municipality Trikolonoi. Stemnitsa is a traditional settlement and is considered one of t ...
), Heraia, Lusi, Lykaio,
Lycosura Lycosura ( grc, Λυκόσουρα, Lykosoura) was a city in the ancient Parrhasia region of south Arcadia said by Pausanias to be the oldest city in the world, although there is no evidence for its existence before the fourth century BCE. Its ...
,
Mantineia Mantineia (also Mantinea ; el, Μαντίνεια; also Koine Greek ''Antigoneia'') was a city in ancient Arcadia, Greece, which was the site of two significant battles in Classical Greek history. In modern times it is a former municipality in ...
,
Megalopolis A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enoug ...
, Orchomenus (Orchomenos),
Tegea Tegea (; el, Τεγέα) was a settlement in ancient Arcadia, and it is also a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the Tripoli municipality, of which it is a municipal un ...
,
Thoknia Thoknia ( el, Θωκνία) is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated near the confluence of the rivers Alfeios and Elissonas, at about 360 m elevation. It was named after the ancient Arcadian city Thocnia, ...
,
Trapezus Trabzon (; Ancient Greek: Tραπεζοῦς (''Trapezous''), Ophitic Pontic Greek: Τραπεζούντα (''Trapezounta''); Georgian: ტრაპიზონი (''Trapizoni'')), historically known as Trebizond in English, is a city on the B ...
, Trikolonoi, Tropaia, Tripoli,
Tyros Tyre (; ar, صور, translit=Ṣūr; phn, 𐤑𐤓, translit=Ṣūr, Greek ''Tyros'', Τύρος) is a city in Lebanon, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, though in medieval times for some centuries by just a tiny pop ...
, other cities includes Basilis,
Caphyae Caphyae or Kaphyai ( grc, Καφύαι) was a city of ancient Arcadia situated in a small plain, northwest of the lake of Orchomenus. It was protected against inundations from this lake by a mound or dyke, raised by the inhabitants of Caphyae. The ...
, Charisia,
Ellison Ellison is a surname and given name. It may derive from "Son of Elias" in Norwegian. Ellison can also be spelled Ellisson, Elison, Elisson, Ellyson, Ellysson, Elyson, and Elysson. People with the surname * Andy Ellison, British musician * ...
, Enispe, Kaous, Karyes,
Methydrio Methydrio ( el, Μεθύδριο, before 1927: Νεμνίτσα - ''Nemnitsa'') is a village in the municipal unit of Vytina, Arcadia, Greece. In 2011, it had a population of 11. It sits at 1,060 m above sea level, at the foot of the Mainalo moun ...
, Melangeia,
Oryx ''Oryx'' is a genus consisting of four large antelope species called oryxes. Their pelage is pale with contrasting dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the scimitar oryx, which ...
, Paroria,
Pelagos Pelagos ( el, Πέλαγος) is a village in the municipality of Tripoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated in the plain of Tripoli, at 670 m above sea level. As of 2011, it had a population of 151. It is 2 km northwest of Zevgolateio and 4 km no ...
, Rhipe, Stratia,
Teuthis Teuthis ( grc, Τεῦθις or Τευθίς) was a city of ancient Arcadia. It is mentioned in Pausanias, who visited and described its temples, and who narrated the elaborate story of King Teuthis' dispute with Agamemnon and goddess Athena in A ...
and several more. Cities which once belonged in Arcadia include Alea (now in Argolis), Amilos (now in Achaia), and
Phigalia Phigalia or Phigaleia or Phigalea ( grc, Φιγαλεία or ΦιγαλέαSo in Polybius, '' The Histories, iv. 3. or Φιγάλεια or ΦιγαλίαSo in Pausanias), also known as Phialia (Φιαλία or Φιάλεια), was an ancient Greek ...
(now in Elis).


Economy

A thermoelectric power station which produces electricity for most of southern Greece, operates to the south of
Megalopolis A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enoug ...
, along with a coal mine. In agriculture, potato farms (dominant in central and northcentral Arcadia), mixed farming, olive groves, and pasture dominate the plains of Arcadia, especially in the area around Megalopolis and between Tripoli and Levidi.


Transportation

The
Moreas Motorway The Moreas Motorway ( el, Αυτοκινητόδρομος Μωρέας, designated: A7) is a motorway in Peloponnese, Greece. The A7 begins just west of the Isthmus of Corinth, branching off from Greek National Road 8A (which is now integrate ...
(A7, E65) highway connects Tripoli with Corinth and Athens. It is being extended further southwest to Megalopoli and Kalamata. *Major roads or highways: **
Greek National Road 7 Greek National Road 7 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 7, abbreviated as EO7) is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the Peloponnese region in southern Greece. It connects the cities of Corinth and Kalamata, via Nemea Nemea (; grc ...
**
Greek National Road 33 Greek National Road 33 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 33, abbreviated as EO33) is a single carriageway road in southern Greece. It connects Patras with the Greek National Road 74 ( Pyrgos - Tripoli) near Levidi, passing through the western and sout ...
, N **
Greek National Road 39 Greek National Road 39 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 39, EO39) is a national highway of Greece. It connects Tripoli with Gytheio via Sparti. It is connected with the Greek National Road 7 (Corinth - Kalamata) in Tripoli, with the Moreas Motorway (Co ...
, Cen, S ** Greek National Road 66, N **
Greek National Road 74 National Road 74 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 74, abbreviated as EO74) is a single carriageway road in southern Greece. It connects Pyrgos with Tripoli, via Olympia and Vytina. Its length is . It runs through the western and central part of the ...
, NW, N **
Greek National Road 76 National Road 76 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 76, abbreviated as EO76) is a single carriageway road in southern Greece. It connects the Greek National Road 9 near Krestena with Megalopoli, via Andritsaina and Karytaina. It runs through the western a ...
, W, SW *Secondary roads: **Leontari- Dyrrachio Road ** Astros-Tyros-Leonidi-Monemvasia Road ** Karytaina-Dimitsana Road **Megalopoli- Lykaio Road ** Sparta-Leonidi Road ** Tripoli-Dimitsana Road ** Tripoli-Astros-Tyros-Leonidi Road **Tripoli-
Nestani Nestani ( el, Νεστάνη, before 1927: Τσιπιανά ''Tsipiana'') is a village and a community in the municipal unit Mantineia, Arcadia, Greece. Geography It is situated at the foot of the mountain Artemisio, at about 700 m elevation ...
Road ** Tripoli-Vytina Road ** Veligosti- Vastas Road ** Vourvoura-Leonidi Road Arcadia has two tunnels. The Artemisio Tunnel opened first, followed by the tunnel east of Megalopolis; both serve traffic flowing between
Messenia Messenia or Messinia ( ; el, Μεσσηνία ) is a regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, in Greece. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a ...
and
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
.


News


Arcadia Portal , The news site of Arcadia

tyrostsakonia.gr

leonidion.gr


Television

*
Arkadiki Radiofonia Tileorasi Arkadiki Radiofonia Tileorasi (abbreviated ART, Arcadia Radio Television) is a Greek local radio and television station serving Arcadia. Its headquarters are in Tripoli, the major city and capital. It broadcasts in Peloponnese, southern Central ...
– ART


Sports teams

* Asteras Tripolis is the Greek soccer club from the city of Tripoli. *
Arkadikos B.C. Arkadikos B.C., or S.E.F.A. Arkadikos B.C. (Greek: Αρκαδικός ΚΑΕ), is a Greek professional basketball club that is based in Tripoli, Greece. History Arkadikos' basketball section was founded in 1976, under the name S.E.F.A. Arkadikos. ...
is the
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
team based in Tripoli, founded in 1976.


Notable Arcadians


Mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

* Lycaon, a mythical King of Arcadia *
Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, wikt:Ἑρμῆς, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travelle ...
, God of the gymnasium, public speaking, thievery, heralds and travellers. * Pan, God of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, and companion of the nymphs *
Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology ...
, a Greek mythic woman said to have been the daughter of the King of Arcadia


Ancient Arcadians

* Polybius (app. 200–118 BC), Greek historian of the
Hellenistic Period In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...
(
Megalopolis A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enoug ...
) *
Philopoemen Philopoemen ( el, Φιλοποίμην ''Philopoímēn''; 253 BC, Megalopolis – 183 BC, Messene) was a skilled Greek general and statesman, who was Achaean strategos on eight occasions. From the time he was appointed as strategos in 209 BC, ...
(253–183 BC), Greek
general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
and statesman, Achaean strategos, known as "the last of the Greeks"


Ancient Olympic victors

*
Androsthenes of Maenalus Androsthenes ( grc, Ἀνδροσθένης, link=no) was the name of a number of men in classical antiquity: *Androsthenes of Thasos, an admiral of Alexander the Great *Androsthenes of Cyzicus, a general of Antiochus III the Great *Androsthenes of ...
, won in 420 and 416 BC * Euthymenes of Maenalus (wrestler), won in 400 and 392 BC


Greek War of Independence fighters

*
Theodoros Kolokotronis Theodoros Kolokotronis ( el, Θεόδωρος Κολοκοτρώνης; 3 April 1770 – 4 February 1843) was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire. Kolokotronis's g ...
(1770–1843), Field Marshal in the Greek War of Independence (1821–1832), he was raised and lived in Arcadia ( Libovisi). *
Nikitas Stamatelopoulos Nikitaras ( el, Νικηταράς) was the nom de guerre of Nikitas Stamatelopoulos ( el, Νικήτας Σταματελόπουλος) (c. 17841849), a Greek revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence. Due to his fighting prowess, he was ...
''Nikitaras o Tourkofagos'' (Nikitaras the Turk-Eater) (1784–1849), Greek revolutionary, nephew of Theodoros Kolokotronis ( Tourkoleka) * Dimitris Plapoutas (1786–1864), general in the Greek War of Independence ( Paloumba) *
Gennaios Kolokotronis Ioannis Kolokotronis ( el, Ιωάννης Κολοκοτρώνης; 1805–1868), or Gennaios Kolokotronis ( el, Γενναίος Κολοκοτρώνης) as he was nicknamed, was a Greek warrior of the Greek War of Independence, General and Prim ...
(1803–1868), Greek revolutionary,
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
and Prime Minister of Greece (May 1862 – October 1862), son of Theodoros Kolokotronis (
Stemnitsa Stemnitsa ( el, Στεμνίτσα) is a mountain village in the municipal unit of Trikolonoi, Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. It was the seat of the former municipality Trikolonoi. Stemnitsa is a traditional settlement and is considered one of t ...
) *
Kanellos Deligiannis Kanellos Deligiannis ( el, Κανέλλος Δεληγιάννης; 1780–1862) was a Greek magnate from the Morea and the son of Ioannis Deligiannis. He was one of the main organizers of the Greek War of Independence and a politician in the i ...
(1780–1862), Greek revolutionary leader, politician and President of the Hellenic Parliament (1844–1845) ( Lagkadia)


Politicians

*
Alexandros Papanastasiou Alexandros Papanastasiou ( el, Αλέξανδρος Παπαναστασίου; 8 July 1876 – 17 November 1936) was a Greek lawyer, sociologist and politician who served twice as the Prime Minister of Greece in the interwar period, being a pione ...
(1876–1936), Prime Minister of Greece (March 1924 – July 1924 and May 1932 – June 1932) and sociologist ( Levidi) *
Epameinondas Deligiorgis Epameinondas Deligiorgis ( el, Επαμεινώνδας Δεληγεώργης, ; 10 January 1829 – 14 May 1879) was a Greek lawyer, newspaper reporter and politician who served as the 20th Prime Minister of Greece. He was born in Tripoli, ...
(1829–1879), Prime Minister of Greece, lawyer ( Tripoli) * Grigoris Labrakis (1912–1963), politician, doctor ( Kerasitsa) * Theodoros Deligiannis (1820–1905), Prime Minister of Greece ( Lagkadia) *
Dimitrios Gontikas Dimitrios Gontikas or Gondikas ( el, Δημήτριος Γόντικας, 1888–1967) was a Greece, Greek politician and Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament. Biography Gontikas was born in the village of Magouliana in Arcadia (regional unit), Ar ...
(1888–1967), politician and President of the Hellenic Parliament (
Magouliana Magouliana ( el, Μαγούλιανα) is a mountain village and a community in the municipal unit of Vytina, Arcadia, Greece. In 2011, it had a population of 117 for the village and 119 for the community, which includes the small village Pan. It ...
) *
Kostas Laliotis Kostas or Costas ( el, Κώστας) is a Greek given name and surname. As a given name it is the hypocorism for Konstantinos ( Constantine). Given name * Costas Andreou, Greek musician * Kostas Antetokounmpo (born 1997), a Greek basketball player ...
(1951–), Minister for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works (1993–2001) (
Doliana Doliana ( el, Δολιανά) is a community of the municipality North Kynouria, in eastern Arcadia, Greece. It consists of the villages Kato Doliana, Ano Doliana, Dragouni, Kouvlis, Prosilia and Rouneika.Dimitris Avramopoulos (1953–),
Minister for Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
(2012–), Minister of National Defence (2011–2012), Mayor of Athens (1995–2002) (
Elliniko Elliniko ( el, Ελληνικό, meaning "Greek") is a coastal suburb of Athens, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Elliniko-Argyroupoli, of which it is a municipal unit. Elliniko is known for the Hell ...
)


Poets

*
Nikos Gatsos Nikos Gatsos ( el, Νίκος Γκάτσος; 8 December 1911 – 12 May 1992) was a Greek poet, translator and lyricist. Biography Nikos Gatsos was born in 1911 in Asea in Arcadia, a district of the Peloponnese, where he finished primary sch ...
(1911–1992), (
Asea ''Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget'' (English translation: General Swedish Electrical Limited Company; Swedish abbreviation: ASEA) was a Swedish industrial company. History ASEA was founded in 1883 by Ludvig Fredholm in Västerås a ...
) * Kostas Karyotakis (1896–1928), (Tripoli)


Scientists, scholars, educators, academicians

* Georgios Mistriotis (1840–1916), philologist, Professor of the
University of Athens The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...
(Tripoli) * Konstantinos Romaios (1874–1966), archaeologist, President of the Academy of Athens ( Vourvoura)


Artists

* Mimis Fotopoulos (1913–1986), actor ( Zatouna) * Costas Gavras (1933–), director ( Loutra Iraias) *
Maria Menounos Maria Menounos (, gr, Μαρία Μενούνος ; born June 8, 1978) is an American journalist, television presenter and actress. She has hosted '' Extra'' and ''E! News''; she was a TV correspondent for ''Today'', ''Access Hollywood'', and co ...
(1978–), actress, television presenter, journalist ( Akovo) * Dimitris Mitropoulos, conductor and composer ( Melissopetra) *
Vasilis Papakonstantinou Vasilis Papakonstantinou (Βασίλης Παπακωνσταντίνου) (born 21 June 1950) is a Greek singer known mostly for his work in Greek rock. Most of his songs have gained considerable popularity, mainly in Greece and Cyprus. Early ...
(1950–), singer and director ( Vasta) *
Kostas Tournas Kostas Tournas ( el, Κώστας Τουρνάς) (born 23 September 1949,) is one of the pioneers of modern Greek rock. He is a singer and composer of many hits in the '70s including ''Ti Na Mas Kanei I Nychta'' (''What Can The Night Do For Us' ...
(1949–), singer and composer (Tripoli) * Kostas Triantafyllopoulos (1956–), actor ( Athinaio) * Babis Tsertos (1956–), musician, singer ( Tropaia) * Stavros Tsiolis (1937–), director (Tripoli) * Electros Vekris, artist / sculptor


Athletes

* Dimitris Kourbelis (1993–), international
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
( Korakovouni) * Yiannis Kouros (1956–), ultramarathon runner (Tripoli) * Michail Mouroutsos (1980–), Olympic taekwondo gold medalist (Lagkadia)


Other notable personalities

* Lakis Santas (1922–2011), Greek Resistance fighter who climbed on the Acropolis (with Manolis Glezos), on May 30, 1941, and tore down the swastika, which had been there since April 27, 1941, when the
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
forces had entered
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
(
Vytina Vytina ( el, Βυτίνα, ''Vytína'') is a mountain village and a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. It is considered a traditional settlement. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Gortynia ...
) * Erasmus of Arcadia, Greek Orthodox bishop


In popular culture

* The word Arcadia has become a poetic idyllism meaning "utopia". *
Sir Philip Sidney ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...
(1554–1586) wrote
The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia ''The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia'', also known simply as the ''Arcadia'', is a long prose pastoral romance by Sir Philip Sidney written towards the end of the 16th century. Having finished one version of his text, Sidney later significantly ...
, a combination of pastoral romance and poetry, for his sister, Mary Sidney. It was hugely popular for over a century. * In the science fiction show Doctor Who, Arcadia is the second city on The Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey * '' Arcadia'' is the name of a prize-winning play by Tom Stoppard (1993). * The
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
name Arcadius (Arkadios) was derived from "Arcadia" (see the Emperor
Arcadius Arcadius ( grc-gre, Ἀρκάδιος ; 377 – 1 May 408) was Roman emperor from 383 to 408. He was the eldest son of the ''Augustus'' Theodosius I () and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and the brother of Honorius (). Arcadius ruled the ...
, the grammarian Arcadius of Antioch, the patriarch
Arkadios II Archbishop Arkadios II ( el, Ἀρκάδιος Β'; died 643) was the head of the Church of Cyprus during the 630s. He was a supporter of the Monoenergism formula also propounded by Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople, and Emperor Heraclius. Ark ...
). From Greek it passed in
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
, Ukrainian, and other
Slavic languages The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic, spoken during the ...
, where it is a common male name as Arkady or Arcady. * The area of the prefecture were featured in several ERT programs including documentaries on the Megalopoli Mine and Ladon Lake. *
Marianas Trench The Mariana Trench is an oceanic trench located in the western Pacific Ocean, about east of the Mariana Islands; it is the deepest oceanic trench on Earth. It is crescent-shaped and measures about in length and in width. The maximum known ...
refers to Arcadia, in their 2009–2010 song "Acadia", referring to it as a "unspoiled, harmonious wilderness". * The rescue boat from '' Resident Evil 4 - Afterlife'' that appears near the end of the movie is named "Arcadia" and broadcasts a recorded help message that the survivors in Los Angeles will receive. Reaching the Arcadia will become their main objective in order to avoid being attacked by more zombies. * The 2014 TV series ''
Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...
'' takes place in a real town,
Arcadia, Missouri Arcadia is a city in Iron County, Missouri, United States. The population was 618 at the 2020 census. History Arcadia was laid out and platted in 1849. It was named after the Greek region of Arcadia. A post office called Arcadia has been in op ...
. The choice of setting likely is a reference to the Latin phrase ''
Et in Arcadia ego ''Et in Arcadia ego'' (also known as ''Les bergers d'Arcadie'' or ''The Arcadian Shepherds'') is a 1637–38 painting by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665), the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style. It depicts a pastoral scene with id ...
'', since the premise of the show deals with questions of life, death, and people being resurrected from the dead. * The Greek musician
Demis Roussos Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos ( ; el, Αρτέμιος "Ντέμης" Βεντούρης-Ρούσσος, ; 15 June 1946 – 25 January 2015) was a Greek singer, songwriter and musician. As a band member he is best remembered for his work in ...
released a song in 1978 titled "
Lovely Lady of Arcadia Lovely may refer to: Film and television * ''Lovely'' (1979 film), an Indian Malayalam film * ''Lovely'' (2001 film), an Indian Tamil film * ''Lovely'' (2012 film), an Indian Telugu film * "Lovely" (''Desperate Housewives''), an episode of ...
". * The game
BioShock ''BioShock'' is a 2007 first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed by 2K Boston (later Irrational Games) and 2K Australia, and published by 2K Games. The first game in the BioShock (series), ''BioShock'' series, it was released f ...
features a level and setting named Arcadia, which is a reference to the geography and landscape similarities. * The game '' Life Is Strange'' takes place in the fictional Oregon town of Arcadia Bay. *On 9 August 2017 BBC 4 broadcast ''In search of Arcadia'' a television documentary featured a section of the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
. *Tales of Arcadia is an animated trilogy series created by Guillermo del Toro * Arkadia is one of the regions of Greece that can be conquered/defended by either
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
or
Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
in the 2018 video game
Assassin's Creed Odyssey ''Assassin's Creed Odyssey'' is a 2018 action role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It is the eleventh major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series and the successor to 2017's ''Assassin's Creed ...
. The region is considered a principal Greek
breadbasket The breadbasket of a country or of a region is an area which, because of the richness of the soil and/or advantageous climate, produces large quantities of wheat or other grain. Rice bowl is a similar term used to refer to Southeast Asia; and C ...
during the ongoing Peloponnesian War. *Arcadia is the name of the space battleship of ''
Captain Harlock is a fictional character and protagonist of the '' Space Pirate Captain Harlock'' manga series created by Leiji Matsumoto. Harlock is the archetypical Romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as ...
''


See also

*
Polje A polje, also karst polje or karst field, is a large flat plain found in karstic geological regions of the world, with areas usually . The name derives from the Slavic languages and literally means 'field', whereas in English ''polje'' specific ...


References


Literature

* Jacobshagen, Volker (ed), Geologie von Griechenland, Beiträge zur regionalen Geologie der Erde, Stuttgart, 1986. in German/English * Pausanias, Description of Greece, English Translation by W.H.S. Jones + H.A. Ormerod, London, 1918. * Morfis, A. (Athens), Zojer, H. (Graz). Karst Hydrogeology of the Central and Eastern Peloponnesus (Greece). Steirische Beiträge zur Hydrogeologie 37/38. 301 Seiten, Graz 1986. * COST 621, Final Report, Groundwater Management of coastal karst aquifers, Brussels 2005. * Ford, D. C. and Williams, P., Karst Hydrogeology and Geomorphology, Chichester, 2007, 4th, rev. ed. * Mariolakos, Ilias. Geomythological Sites and Prehistoric geotechnical and hydraulic Works in Arkadia, 12th International Congress of the Geological Society of Greece, Field Trip Guide, Patras May 2010 in Greek


External links



Pausanias, Book 8, English translation, on Argon Pedion

Mariolakos, Geomythological Sites in Arcadia (incl. Argon Pedion) in Greek
Conference.arcadians.gr
Pan-Arcadian Congress

University of Patras, Arkadia-Project

Arcadia, Greece
Tripolis.grTyros.gr
{{Authority control Arcadia, Peloponnese, Prefectures of Greece 1833 establishments in Greece Regional units of Peloponnese (region)