The Pythagoreion is the archaeological site of the ancient town of Samos in

Samos Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greece, Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a se ...

, Greece. It is located in the area of the modern town of

Pythagoreio Pythagoreio ( el, Πυθαγόρειο) is a town and municipal unit on the island of Samos, North Aegean, Greece. Before the 2011 local government reform, Pythagoreio was a municipality. Since 2019, it is a municipal unit of East Samos. In 2011, ...

, from which it has got its modern name. The archaeological site contains ancient Greek and Roman monuments and a famous ancient tunnel, the

Tunnel of Eupalinos The Tunnel of Eupalinos or Eupalinian aqueduct ( el, Ευπαλίνιον όρυγμα, translit=Efpalinion orygma) is a tunnel of length running through Mount Kastro in Samos, Greece, built in the 6th century BC to serve as an aqueduct. The tunn ...

or Eupalinian aqueduct. Along with the

Heraion of Samos The Heraion of Samos was a large sanctuary to the goddess Hera, on the island of Samos, Greece, 6 km southwest of the ancient city of Samos (modern Pythagoreion). It was located in the low, marshy basin of the Imbrasos river, near where it ...

, the Pythagoreion was registered as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 1992 because of its testimony to the cultural, military, and economic importance of Samos during Archaic and early Classical Greece.

History and Description

The earliest archeological finds at the site date to the 4th millennium BC, during the

Neolithic Period The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

. However, the settlement began around the 16th century BC, when the Minoans colonized Samos. After the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...

, the naval and economic importance of Samos grew until its zenith in the 6th century BC. Although it was conquered by the Persians shortly therefore, the town remained an influential trading center until the 3rd century AD. The ancient town is surrounded by fortifications which date back to the Classical Period during the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Excavations into the town itself have uncovered the street plan of the ancient city, including a sewage system and both public and religious buildings. In addition, the remains of Roman buildings can be found on the site, including an agora, public baths, and stadium, and town houses. A recently-built museum is located in the modern city centre. It displays over 3000 objects that present the cultural evolution of the ancient city of Samos and its rural surroundings from the 4th millennium BC until the 7th century AD.

References

External links

Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Greece Ancient Greek buildings and structures Ancient ports in Greece Archaeological sites on the Aegean Islands Former populated places in Greece Roman sites in Greece Tourist attractions in the North Aegean World Heritage Sites in Greece {{fort-stub