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LYKOSSOURA (Ancient city) MEGALOPOLI
The ruins are 7 km W of Megalopolis. The only source for the city
is Pausanias' reference (8.37-38) to the Sanctuary of Despoina, a very ancient
Chthonic divinity identified with Persephone-Kore, whose date was confirmed by
excavations undertaken in 1889 and later. To the E and to the N foundations of
a Doric portico have been found, before which, from E to W are arranged three
altars consecrated to Demeter, Despoina, and the Great Mother. The temple was
15 m from the altar farthest to the W, and was perhaps constructed in the 4th
c. B.C. It is a Doric prostyle temple, with a hexadic facade of marble, on three
steps, oriented to the E. Recognizable are a pronaos and a cella, the major part
of which was occupied by a pedestal which supported a group of cult statues in
marble. These were the work of Damophon of Messene, active around the middle of
the 2d c. B.C. They represented Demeter, Despoina, Artemis, and Anytos. During
the excavation many fragments of sculpture recognizable as belonging to the group
were found, which permitted its reconstruction after a coin of Megalopolis. Despoina
and her mother Demeter were seated, while Artemis and Anytos were standing. The
remains of the group are in the National Museum at Athens. One exited from the
temple to the outside through a lateral door in the S wall. In the cella are the
remains of a mosaic, and before the temple there are two bases for bronze statues.
Several tiles with the inscription Depoinas have come from the excavation, and
date between 74 and 66 B.C. To the S of the pronaos several bases for offerings
have been found, while the N part of the temple has been under discussion, even
to the foundations. The temple dates, according to the latest interpretation,
to the 2d c. B.C. On the N side in a spot called megaron by Pausanias, the remains
of a large monumental altar have been found. The ancient city was located at the
head of the plain of Terzi, to the W of the sanctuary. There the city walls have
been identified, dating from the 5th-4th c. B.C., and the foundation of a temple
has been found under a Byzantine chapel.
G. Bermond Montanari, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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