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Heraea (Heraia: Eth. Heraieus, Heraeus, in an ancient inscription ErWaoios: the territory
Heraiatis), the most important Arcadian town on the Lower Alpheius, was situated
near the frontiers of Elis, and on the high road from Arcadia to Olympia. It is
said to have been founded by Heraeeus, a son of Lycaon, and to have been called
originally Sologorgus (Paus. viii. 26. § 1; Steph. B. s. v. Heraia). At an early
period the Heraeans concluded a treaty with the Eleians for mutual protection
and support for one hundred years; the original of which treaty, engraven on a
bronze tablet in the old Peloponnesian dialect, was brought from Olympia by Gell,
and is now in the Payne Knight collection in the British Museum. This treaty is
placed about the 50th Olympiad, or B.C. 580, since it belongs to a time when the
Eleians exercised an undisputed supremacy over the dependent districts of Pisatis
and Triphylia; and the Heraeans consequently were anxious to avail themselves
of their support. Heraea was, at that time, the chief village among eight others
which lay scattered upon the banks of the Alpheius and its tributaries the Ladon
and Erymanthus; but the inhabitants of these separate villages were transferred
to Heraea, and a city there was founded by the Spartan king Cleombrotus or Cleonymus.
(Strab. viii. p. 337.) In consequence of their close connection with Sparta, the
Heraeans incurred the hostility of the other Arcadians, who laid waste their territory
in B.C. 370. (Xen. Hell. vi. 5. 22) At a later time Heraea was a member of the
Achaean League; and, as Elis was one of the chief places of the Aetolian League,
it is frequently mentioned in the contests between these two powers. (Polyb. ii.
54, iv. 77, seq.) It was afterwards in the hands of Philip, but it was restored
to the Achaeans. (Liv. xxviii. 8, xxxii. 5, xxxiii. 34; Polyb. xviii. 25, 30.)
Heraea is mentioned by Strabo (viii. p. 388) as one of the deserted cities of
Arcadia; but when it was visited by Pausanias, it was still a place of some importance.
The latter writer describes its temples, baths, plantations of myrtles and other
trees along the banks of the Alpheius: among its temples he mentions two sacred
to Dionysus, one to Pan, and another to Hera, of the latter of which only some
ruins were left. (Paus. viii. 26. § § 1, 2.)
The site of Heraea is fixed by its distance from the mouth of the Ladon, which,
according to Pausanias, was 15 stadia. The same writer says that the greater part
of the city lay upon a gently sloping hill, and the remainder upon the banks of
the Alpheius. The remains of Heraea are visible on a hill west of the village
of Aianni (St. John), bounded on either side by a ravine, and sloping down towards
the river. These ruins extend along the summit of the hill and the slope towards
the river; but they are inconsiderable, and have for the most part been cleared
away in consequence of the fertility of the land. A sweetish red wine is grown
upon the spot, which Leake says has more flavour and body than almost any other
he met with in the Morea. This wine was also celebrated in antiquity, and was
said to make women fruitful. (Theophr. H. Pl. ix. 20; Athen. i. p. 31; Plin. xiv.
18. s.22; Aelian, V. H. xiii. 6.)
Heraea was favourably situated in several respects. Its territory was fertile,
and it was situated, as we have already said, on the high road from Olympia into
the interior of Arcadia. From the north of Arcadia a road led into the valley
of the Alpheius, near Heraea; and two roads led into the Hereatis, one from Megalopolis,
and the other from Messene and Phigalia, which joined the former close to the
town. There was a bridge over the Alpheius close to Heraea, which Philip restored
in B.C. 219. (Polyb. iv. 77, 78.) The Heraeatis was separated from Pisatis by
the river Erymanthus, and from the territory of Megalopolis by the river Buphagus.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Heraea (Heraia: Eth. Heraieus, Heraeus, in an ancient inscription
ErWaoios: the territory Heraiatis), the most important Arcadian town on the Lower
Alpheius, was situated near the frontiers of Elis, and on the high road from Arcadia
to Olympia. It is said to have been founded by Heraeeus, a son of Lycaon, and
to have been called originally Sologorgus. (Paus. viii. 26. § 1; Steph. B. s.
v. Heraia) At an early period the Heraeans concluded a treaty with the Eleians
for mutual protection and support for one hundred years; the original of which
treaty, engraven on a bronze tablet in the old Peloponnesian dialect, was brought
from Olympia by Gell, and is now in the Payne Knight collection in the British
Museum. This treaty is placed about the 50th Olympiad, or B.C. 580, since it belongs
to a time when the Eleians exercised an undisputed supremacy over the dependent
districts of Pisatis and Triphylia; and the Heraeans consequently were anxious
to avail themselves of their support. Heraea was, at that time, the chief village
among eight others which lay scattered upon the banks of the Alpheius and its
tributaries the Ladon and Erymanthus; but the inhabitants of these separate villages
were transferred to Heraea, and a city there was founded by the Spartan king Cleombrotus
or Cleonymus. (Strab. viii. p. 337.) In consequence of their close connection
with Sparta, the Heraeans incurred the hostility of the other Arcadians, who laid
waste their territory in B.C. 370. (Xen. Hell. vi. 5. 22) At a later time Heraea
was a member of the Achaean League; and, as Elis was one of the chief places of
the Aetolian League, it is frequently mentioned in the contests between these
two powers. (Polyb. ii. 54, iv. 77, seq.) It was afterwards in the hands of Philip,
but it was restored to the Achaeans. (Liv. xxviii. 8, xxxii. 5, xxxiii. 34; Polyb.
xviii. 25, 30.) Heraea is mentioned by Strabo (viii. p. 388) as one of the deserted
cities of Arcadia; but when it was visited by Pausanias, it was still a place
of some importance. The latter writer describes its temples, baths, plantations
of myrtles and other trees along the banks of the Alpheius: among its temples
he mentions two sacred to Dionysus, one to Pan, and another to Hera, of the latter
of which only some ruins were left. (Paus. viii. 26. § § 1, 2.)
The site of Heraea is fixed by its distance from the mouth of the
Ladon, which, according to Pausanias, was 15 stadia. The same writer says that
the greater part of the city lay upon a gently sloping hill, and the remainder
upon the banks of the Alpheius. The remains of Heraea are visible on a hill west
of the village of Aianni (St. John), bounded on either side by a ravine, and sloping
down towards the river. These ruins extend along the summit of the hill and the
slope towards the river; but they are inconsiderable, and have for the most part
been cleared away in consequence of the fertility of the land. A sweetish red
wine is grown upon the spot, which Leake says has more flavour and body than almost
any other he met with in the Morea. This wine was also celebrated in antiquity,
and was said to make women fruitful. (Theophr. H. Pl. ix. 20; Athen. i. p. 31;
Plin. xiv. 18. s.22; Aelian, V. H. xiii. 6.)
Heraea was favourably situated in several respects. Its territory
was fertile, and it was situated, as we have already said, on the high road from
Olympia into the interior of Arcadia. From the north of Arcadia a road led into
the valley of the Alpheius, near Heraea; and two roads led into the Hereatis,
one from Megalopolis, and the other from Messene and Phigalia, which joined the
former close to the town. There was a bridge over the Alpheius close to Heraea,
which Philip restored in B.C. 219. (Polyb. iv. 77, 78.) The Heraeatis was separated
from Pisatis by the river Erymanthus, and from the territory of Megalopolis by
the river Buphagus. (Gell, Itiner. of the Morea, p. 113; Leake, Morea, vol. ii.
p. 91; Boblaye, Recherches, &c. p. 159; Curtius, Peloponnesos, vol. i. p. 363,
seq.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
There is a sign at the British Museum where one can read about a deal between the Heraeans and the Helians. The deal, which was made in 540 BC, was that for 100 years the two peoples would be allies at war and peace. If one of the two parts broke the deal, it would have to offer Zeus at Olympia one talent of silver. This deal helped Heraea grow and later on nine settlements united to the town. What is more, after this deal was signed, many Heraeans won victories at Olympic Games.
It caused men to go into ecstasies and women to have children (Theophrastus, Ath. 1,31).
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