Megalopoli ( el, Μεγαλόπολη) is a town in the southwestern part of the regional unit of Arcadia, southern

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 wi ...

. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis ( grc, Μεγαλόπολις, literally ''large/great city''). When it was founded in 371 BC, it was the first large urbanization in rustic Arcadia. Its theater had a capacity of 20,000 visitors, making it one of the largest ancient Greek theaters. Today Megalopoli has several schools, shops, churches, hotels and other services. The population of Megalopoli in 2011 was 5,779 residents. Megalopolis drachm

Geography

Megalopoli is situated in a wide valley, surrounded by mountains: the

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 ...

to the south, the

Mainalo Mainalo ( el, Μαίναλο, grc, Μαίναλος or Μαίναλον, Mainalos or Mainalon; la, Maenalus) is the tallest mountain in the Menalon highlands of the Peloponnese, and is located in Arcadia, Greece. In antiquity, the mountain w ...

to the north, the Tsemperou to the southeast and the

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 l ...

to the west. Its elevation is 430 m above sea level. The river

Alfeios The Alfeiós or Alpheios ( el, Αλφειός, grc, Ἀλφειός, Latin Alpheus) is the main stream of the Alpheios Valley drainage system, a dendritic type, originating on the north slopes of Mount Taygetus, located in the center of the Pelo ...

flows through this valley, coming from the east and flowing to the north, passing south and west of the town. Its tributary Elissonas passes north of the town. The large

lignite Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...

deposits around Megalopoli are being exploited by

open-pit mining Open-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a surface mining technique of extracting rock or minerals from the earth from an open-air pit, sometimes known as a borrow. This form of mini ...

. The

Megalopoli Power Plant The Megalopoli Power Plant is an 850 MW power plant in Arcadia in the central Peloponnese that produces electricity for southern Greece and the islands. It is located northwest of Megalopoli via the GR-76 (Krestena - Andritsaina - Megalopoli), ...

, 3 km northwest of the town centre, has produced electricity from this lignite since 1969. The A7 motorway connects Megalopoli with

Kalamata Kalamáta ( el, Καλαμάτα ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula, after Patras, in southern Greece and the largest city of the homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regi ...

and Tripoli, replacing the

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 ...

. The

connects Megalopoli with Pyrgos via

Karytaina Karytaina or Karitaina ( el, Καρύταινα or Καρίταινα) is a village and a community in Arcadia, Greece. Karytaina is situated on a hill on the right bank of the river Alpheios, near its confluence with the Lousios. The village da ...

and

Andritsaina Andritsaina ( el, Ανδρίτσαινα) is a village and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is a municipal unit. The munic ...

. The railway from

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part ...

to Kalamata passes 4 km south of the town. Megalopoli is 24 km southwest of Tripoli, 41 km north of Kalamata, 45 km northwest of

Sparti Sparta ( el, Σπάρτη ) is a city and municipality in Laconia, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta. The municipality was merged with six nearby municipalities in 2011, for a total population (as of 2011) of 35,259, of whom 17,408 li ...

and 68 km southeast of Pyrgos.

History

Megalopolis is known for its ancient ruins situated northwest of the town centre, on both banks of the river Elisson. The ruins include an ancient theatre that used to hold up to 20,000 people and was tall. Other landmarks include the Thersileon with 67 pillars and a temple ().

Herodotus Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria (Italy). He is known fo ...

reported the ancient belief that the Megalopolis area was a battleground of the

Titanomachy In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy (; grc, , , Titan battle) was a ten-year series of battles fought in Ancient Thessaly, consisting of most of the Titans (the older generation of gods, based on Mount Othrys) fighting against the Olympians ...

. The foundation for this apparently was the presence of

deposits, which are prone to catch fire in summer and can smoulder and scorch the earth for weeks (

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek relig ...

is supposed to have slain the

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...

with lightning bolts; see also below), coupled with the presence of

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

bones of prehistoric

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...

s and

rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct specie ...

es. Herodotus informs his readers that the bones of "Titans" were exhibited in various places in the surrounding area at least since the 5th century BC. The city was founded through a synodical of twenty to forty neighbouring communities between 371 and 368 BC by the Arcadian League in an attempt to form a political counterweight to

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 referr ...

. Megalopolis was a member of the

Arcadian League The Arcadian League ( grc, ) was a league of city-states in ancient Greece. It combined the various cities of Arcadia, in the Peloponnese, into a single state. The league was founded in 370 BC, taking advantage of the decreased power of Sparta, ...

after its foundation until the dissolution of the federation in 362 BC. In 331 BC, Megalopolis was invaded by the

ns and there was a battle with the Macedonians that came to Megalopolis' help. In 317 BC at the start of the Second War of the Diadochi, Polyperchon, the new Regent of the Macedonian Empire, besieged Megalopolis which had sided with his enemy

Cassander Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death. A son of Antipater and a conte ...

.Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica'' XVIII 68,2-72,1. The siege failed. In the 270s BC, Aristodamos the Good managed to take control over the city as a tyrant backed by Macedon. In 235 BC, the second tyrant of the city, Lydiades, gave up control over the polis and the city became a member of the

Achaean League The Achaean League ( Greek: , ''Koinon ton Akhaion'' "League of Achaeans") was a Hellenistic-era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea in the northwestern P ...

. In 222 BC, the Spartan king

Cleomenes III Cleomenes III ( grc, Κλεομένης) was one of the two kings of Sparta from 235 to 222 BC. He was a member of the Agiad dynasty and succeeded his father, Leonidas II. He is known for his attempts to reform the Spartan state. From 229 to ...

burnt down the city but it was rebuilt in the years after the destruction. As a member of the Achaean League, Megalopolis had a profound influence on the federal politics and it was the hometown of several notable Achaean figures such as Philopoemen, Lykortas and

Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...

. The city remained populated under the Romans but by the 6th century it was almost completely abandoned. During the Byzantine era, and later also the Ottoman, the town on the same place was called Sináno (Σινάνο). It was renamed Megalopoli after the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

. Megalopoli retained a rural character until the early 1960s, when with the help of Megalopoli-born Prof.

Leonidas Zervas Leonidas Zervas ( el, Λεωνίδας Ζέρβας, ; 21 May 1902 – 10 July 1980) was a Greek organic chemist who made seminal contributions in peptide chemical synthesis. Together with his mentor Max Bergmann they laid the foundations for t ...

(then Minister of Industry) the Greek Public Power Corporation started mining

in the Megalopoli Mine and the construction of the

followed soon. The town was struck by the massive Arcadia

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

of 5 April 1965, in which 17 inhabitants were killed and 80% of residences were demolished or rendered uninhabitable.

Municipality

The municipality Megalopoli was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following three former municipalities, that became municipal units: * Falaisia *

Gortyna 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 o ...

*Megalopoli The municipality has an area of 722.629 km², the municipal unit 331.498 km².

Subdivisions

The municipal unit of Megalopoli is subdivided into the following communities (villages within the community in brackets): * Anthochori * Ano Karyes *

Chirades Chirades ( el, Χιράδες, locally known as ''Kyrades'') is a mountain village in southwestern Arcadia, Greece. It is located in the mountains on the border with Messenia, at about 800 m elevation. It is 2 km east of Souli, 4 km s ...

Choremis Choremis ( el, Χωρέμης) is a village and a community of the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. Since the 1970s it is situated on the left bank of the river Alfeios, which was rerouted for the lignite mines further east. It is 3 km ...

(Choremis, Apiditsa) * Chranoi * Gefyra * Isaris (Isaris, Petrovouni, Chrousa) *

Isoma Karyon Isoma Karyon ( el, Ίσωμα Καρυών) is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated in the eastern foothills of mount Lykaion, at 470 m elevation. It is 2 km northwest of Kato Karyes, 6 km south of Karytai ...

Karatoulas Karatoulas ( el, Καράτουλας) is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated on a hillside in the southwestern foothills of the Mainalo mountains, at about 750 m elevation. It is 2 km northwest of V ...

* Kastanochori * Kato Karyes * Lykaio *

Lykochia Lykochia ( el, Λυκόχια) is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated in the southwestern foothills of the Mainalo mountains. It is 2 km northeast of Pavlia, 3 km northwest of Karatoulas, 7 km southwest o ...

Lykosoura 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 ...

Makrysi Makrysi (Greek: Μακρύσι, before 1927: Σιάλεσι - ''Sialesi'') is a village and a community in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated on a hillside on the left bank of the river Elissonas, at 496 m elevation. ...

(Makrysi, Kato Makrysi) * Mallota * Marathoussa *Megalopoli (Megalopoli, Oresteio) *

Nea Ekklisoula Nea Ekklisoula ( el, Νέα Εκκλησούλα meaning "new church") is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated near the southwestern foothills of the Mainalo mountains, at about 450 m elevation. It is 2 km s ...

Neochori Lykosouras Neochori Lykosouras ( el, Νεοχώρι Λυκοσούρας) is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated on a hillside overlooking the Alfeios river valley, at about 490 m elevation. It is 3 km north of Para ...

* Paradeisia (Paradeisia, Fanaiti) * Perivolia (Perivolia, Vrysoules) *

Plaka Pláka ( el, Πλάκα) is the old historical neighborhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residenti ...

Rapsommati Rapsommati ( el, Ραψομμάτη, also Ραψομμάτης - ''Rapsommatis'') is a village within the municipality of Megalopoli in the western part of Arcadia, Greece. It is situated on a hill, 1 km southeast of Mallota, 2 km southwest of ...

* Souli (Souli, Derveni) *

Soulos Soulos (Greek: Σούλος) is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated on a hillside, 1 km north of Plaka, 2 km southeast of Katsimpalis, 2 km west of Nea Ekklisoula and 5 km northwest of Megalopoli. T ...

* Thoknia * Trilofo (Trilofo, Palaiomoiri) * Tripotamo *

Vangos Vangos ( el, Βάγγος) is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated in the southwestern foothills of the Mainalo mountains, at about 800 m elevation. It is 2 km southeast of Karatoulas, 4 km east of Trilofo ...

* Vastas

Province

The province of Megalopoli ( el, Επαρχία Μεγαλόπολης) was one of the

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of the Messenia Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Megalopoli, except the municipal unit

. It was abolished in 2006.

Population

Notable people

Cercidas Cercidas ( grc, Κερκιδᾶς ''Kerkidas''; fl. 3rd century BC) was a poet, Cynic philosopher, and legislator for his native city Megalopolis. A papyrus roll containing fragments from seven of his Cynic poems was discovered at Oxyrhynchus in 1 ...

(3rd century BC), Cynic philosopher and poet * Philopoemen (253–183 BC), general and statesman *

(c. 203–120 BC), historian *

(1902–1980), Greek chemist

References

External links

3rd Megalopolis Public School
(in Greek)
GTP – Municipality of Megalopoli
{{Authority control Municipalities of Peloponnese (region) Populated places in Arcadia, Peloponnese 371 BC Populated places established in the 4th century BC Arcadian city-states Theban hegemony Provinces of Greece 370s BC establishments