Listed 2 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "KERISSOS Acropolis VIOTIA".
NW of Thespiai, a fortified post in the Valley of the Muses N of Mt.
Helikon. About the middle of the 6th c. B.C. the Thespians withdrew to the site
at the time of the Thessalian invasion; the victory of the Boiotians liberated
Greece. After the battle of Leuktra (371 B.C.) the Thespians again took refuge
in Keressos, which Epaminondas succeeded in capturing. There is no further mention
of the site.
Keressos has been placed, variously, on the hill of Erimokastro immediately
above Thespiai (Ulrichs), in the village of Neochori 4 km W of Thespiai (Leake,
Boelte), on Mt. Marandali above Neochori (Fimmen) and even on the hill of Listi,
2 km N of Mavromati (Buck). It is most commonly identified with the limestone
hill of Palaeopyrgos (493 m) ca. 2 km NW of Palaeopanagia, at the entrance to
the Valley of the Muses. On top of this hill is a ruined mediaeval tower; the
W slope of the hill bears traces of mediaeval houses. However, this hill with
its gentle, never steep slopes is not a natural fortress; there are no traces
of ancient buildings, and the few potsherds that have been found are late Roman
or Byzantine (author's observations). Perhaps the fortress should be placed on
the mountain of Askra, which has a 4th c. fort on its summit; this steep, strongly
fortified hilltop could have served as an acropolis retreat to the citizens of
Askra as well as to the inhabitants of the Valley of the Muses and Thespiai. The
abandonment of the site would account for Pausanias' and Plutarch's silence on
the subject of Keressos, according to Papahadjis.
P. Roesch, 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.
Ceressus (Keressos), a strong fortress in Boeotia, in the neighbourhood
of, and belonging to Thespiae. The inhabitants of Ceressus retreated to this fortress
after the battle of Leuctra. It was probably situated at Paleopananhia. (Paus.
ix. 14. § 2; Leake, Northern Greece, vol. ii. pp. 490, 450.)
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