Listed 4 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "STYMFALOS Ancient city CORINTHIA".
A town of NE Arkadia in antiquity, but presently in the nome of Corinthia.
It was here that Herakles dispatched the fabulous birds. Mentioned by Homer (Il.
2.609) as an Arkadian town, it was said (Paus. 8.22.2) to have been founded by
Temenos (Argive influence?). The town was of little importance in antiquity. Philip
V decisively defeated the army of Euripidas (who had fled) there in 219-218 (Polyb.
4.67-69). It was one of the emperor Hadrian's benefactions to lead spring water
from Stymphalos to Corinth.
The ancient acropolis lay on a promontory extending out toward the
lake. On the highest point there are preserved the remains of a tower in the circuit
wall from which can be observed the walls as they extend out on the landward side:
the course of the wall, with its rounded towers, can be well followed in the plain,
but disappears on the E under the waters of the lake. Descending toward the lake,
one comes upon a small Temple of Polias with an altar in front and a nearly square
building abutting it. Continuing down, one enters the agora (?), partially cut
out of the rock of the acropolis. It contains a peculiar qoppa-shaped structure
of ashlar polygonal masonry (4th c.) in part cut out of bed rock, a spring, and
the remains of another structure (a stoa?) partially submerged in the lake. Also
submerged in the lake are a Hellenistic temple and a palaestra. Farther along
there are some rock-cut steps leading to the acropolis, a large dedication base,
an exedra, the rock-cut cavea of a theater with some lower seats scattered about,
and a rock-cut seat. The city of Pausanias' (8.22) time lay to the N near and
under the ruined Frankish Katholikon.
W. F. Wyatt, Jr., 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.
A town in the northeast of Arcadia, the territory of which was bounded on the north by Achaia, on the east by Sicyonia and Phliasia, on the south by the territory of Mantinea, and on the west by that of Orchomenus and Pheneus. The town itself was situated on a mountain of the same name, and on the north side of Lake Stymphalis (Zaraka), on which dwelt, according to tradition, the celebrated birds, called Stymphalides, destroyed by Heracles.
This text is cited Sep 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Stumphalos, Stumphelos, Stumphelon, Stymphalum, Stymphala, Eth. Stumphalios,
Stumphelios. The name of a town, district, mountain, and river in the NE. of Arcadia.
The territory of Stymphalus is a plain, about six miles in length, bounded by
Achaia on the N., Sicyonia and Phliasia on the E., the territory of Mantineia
on the S., and that of Orchomenus and Pheneus on the W. This plain is shut in
on all sides by mountains. On the N. rises the gigantic mass of Cyllene, from
which a projecting spur, called Mt. Stymphalus, descends into the plain. (Stumphalos
oros, Ptol. iii. 16. § 14; Hesych. s. v.; nivalis Stymphalus, Stat. Silv. iv.
6. 100.) The mountain at the southern end of the plain, opposite Cyllene, was
called Apelaurum (to Apelauron, Polyb. iv. 69) , and at its foot is the katavothra
or subterraneous outlet of the lake of Stymphalus (he Stumphalis limne, Strab.
viii. p. 371; he Stumphelie limne, Herod. vi. 76). This lake is formed partly
by the rain-water descending from Cyllene and Apelaurum, and partly by three streams
which flow into it from different parts of the plain. From the west descends a
small stream, which rises in Mount Geronteium in the neighbourhood of Kastania;
and from the east comes another stream, which rises near Dusa. But the most important
of the three streams is the one which rises on the northern side of the plain,
from a copious kefalovrysi. In summer it flows about two miles through the plain
into the katavothra of Apelaurum; but in winter it becomes almost immediately
a part of the waters of the lake, though its course may be traced through the
shallower water to the katavothra. This stream was called Stymphalus by the ancients;
it was regarded by them as the principal source of the lake, and was universally
believed to make its reappearance, after a subterranean course of 200 stadia,
as the river Erasinus in Argolis. (Herod. vi. 76; Paus. ii. 3. § 5, ii. 24. §
6, viii. 22. § 3; Strab. viii. p. 371) The Stymphalii worshipped the Erasinus
and Metope (Metope, Aelian, V. H. ii. 33), whence it has been concluded that Metope
is only another name of the river Stymphalus. Metope is also mentioned by Callimachus
(Hymn. in Jov. 26), with the epithet pebbly (polusteios), which, as Leake observes,
seems not very appropriate to a stream issuing in a body from the earth, and flowing
through a marsh. (Peloponnesiaca, p. 384.) The water, which formed the source
of the Stymphalus, was conducted to Corinth by the emperor Hadrian, by means of
an aqueduct, of which considerable remains may still be traced. The statement
of Pausanias, that in summer there is no lake, is not correct, though it is confined
at that time to a small circuit round the katavothra. As there is no outlet for
the waters of the lake except the katavothra, a stoppage of this subterraneous
channel by stones, sand, or any other substance occasions an inundation. In the
time of Pausanias there occurred such an inundation, which was ascribed to the
anger of Artemis. The water was said to have covered the plain to the extent of
400 stadia; but this number is evidently corrupt, and we ought probably to read
tessarakonta instead of tetrakosious. (Paus. viii. 22. § 8.) Strabo relates that
Iphicrates, when besieging Stymphalus without success, attempted to obstruct the
katavothra, but was diverted from his purpose by a sign from heaven (viii. p.
389). Strabo also states that originally there was no subterraneous outlet for
the waters of the lake, so that the city of the Stymphalii, which was in his time
50 stadia from the lake, was originally situated upon its margin. But this is
clearly an error, even if his statement refers to old Stymphalus, for the breadth
of the whole lake is less than 20 stadia.
The city derived its name from Stymphalus, a son of Elatus and grandson
of Areas; but the ancient city, in which Temenus, the son of Pelasgus, dwelt,
had entirely disappeared in the time of Pausanias, and all that he could learn
respecting it was, that Hera was formerly worshipped there in three different
sanctuaries, as virgin, wife, and widow The modern city lay upon the southern
edge of the lake, about a mile and a half from the katavothra, and upon a rocky
promontory connected with the mountains behind. Stymphalus is mentioned by Homer
(Il. ii. 608), and also by Pindar (Ol. vi. 169), who calls it the mother of Arcadia.
Its name does not often occur in history, and it owes its chief importance to
its being situated upon one of the most frequented routes leading to the westward
from Argolis and Corinth. It was taken by Apollonides, a general of Cassander
(Diod. xix. 63), and subsequently belonged to the Achaean League (Polyb. ii. 55,
iv. 68, &c.). In the time of Pausanias it was included in Argolis (viii. 22. §
1). The only building of the city, mentioned by Pausanias, was a temple of Artemis
Stymphalia, under the roof of which were figures of the birds Stymphalides; while
behind the temple stood statues of white marble, representing young women with
the legs and thighs of birds. These birds, so celebrated in mythology, the destruction
of which was one of the labours of Heracles, are said by Pausanias to be as large
as cranes. but resembling in form the ibis, only that they have stronger beaks,
and not crooked like those of the ibis (viii. 22. § 5). On some of the coins of
Stymphalus, they are represented exactly in accordance with the description of
Pausanias.
The territory of Stymphalus is now called the vale of Zaraka, from
a village of this name, about a mile from the eastern extremity of the lake. The
remains of the city upon the projecting cape already mentioned are more important
than the cursory notice of Pausanias would lead one to expect. They cover the
promontory, and extend as far as the fountain, which was included in the city.
On the steepest part, which appears from below like a separate hill, are the ruins
of the polygonal walls of a small quadrangular citadel. The circuit of the city
walls, with their round towers, may be traced. To the east, beneath the acropolis,
are the foundations of a temple in antis; but the most important ruins are those
on the southern side of the hill, where are numerous remains of buildings cut
out of the rock. About ten minutes N. of Stymphalus, are the ruins of the medieval
town of Kronia.
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
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