Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "KYPARISSIA Ancient city ASSOPOS".
The laconian town of Cyparissia is located, although not with certainty, to the south of the modern Assopos village, formerly called Kontevianika (Ekdotiki Athinon, Pausaniou Periegissis, vol. 3, p. 418, note 2).
Regarding the actual location of this city (Kyparissia) there has been confusion with the location of Assopos. The most possible location should be considered west of cape Xili (Xili, for the ancient, is the shape of the cradle) on today's location of Bozas. There are two interpretations. One states that it comes from the colonists who came from Kiparissia of Messinia and the other from the Temple of Goddess Athena, which was situated in the grove of Kiparissia. Its establishment is dated during the Homer Years. Because of its exceptional position it had great prosperity. It was maintained until the Roman Years, then the reason is unknown it was abandoned. Perhaps because of the leak of habitants to the prosperous back then city of Assopos.
Kuparissia, Kuparisseeis, Kuparissiai, Kuparissai, Kuparissos, Eth.
Kuparissieus. (Stephanus alone has the form Kuparisseus). A town on the western
coast of Messenia, situated a little south of the river Cyparissus, upon the bay
to which it gave the name of the Cyparissian gulf. (Plin. Mela, ll. cc.) This
gulf was 72 miles in circuit according to Pliny, and was bounded by the promontory
of Ichthys on the north, and by that of Cyparissium on the south. Cyparissia was
the only town of importance upon the western coast of Messenia between Pylus and
Triphylia. It is mentioned in the Homeric catalogue (Il. l. c.), and appears to
have been inhabited from the earliest to the latest times. It was beautifully
situated upon the sides of one of the offshoots of the range of mountains, which
run along this part of the Messenian coast. Upon the narrow summit of the rocks
now occupied by a castle built in the middle ages, stood the ancient acropolis.
There is no harbour upon the Messenian coast north of Pylos; but Leake remarks
that the roadstead at Cyparissia seems to be the best on this part of the coast;
and in ancient times the town probably possessed an artificial harbour, since
traces of a mole may still be seen upon the sea-shore. This was probably constructed
on the restoration of Messene by Epaminondas; for it was necessary to provide
the capital of the new state with a port, and no spot was so suitable for this
object as Cyparissia. Hence we find Messene and the harbour Cyparissia mentioned
together by Scylax (p. 16). Pausanias found in the town a temple of Apollo, and
one of Athena Cyparissia. The town continued to coin money down to the time of
Severus. In the middle ages it was called Arkadia, a name which was transferred
from the interior of the peninsula to this place upon the coast. It continued
to bear this name till its destruction by Ibrahim in 1825, and when rebuilt it
resumed its ancient name Cyparissia, by which it is now called. Some remains of
ancient walls may be traced around the modern castle; and below the castle on
the slope of the hill, near the church of St. George, are some fragments of columns.
On the south side of the town, close to the sea-shore, a fine stream rushes out
of the rock and flows into the sea; and a little above is a basin with a spring
of water, near which are some stones belonging to an ancient structure. This is
the ancient fountain sacred to Dionysus, which Pausanias perceived near the entrance
of the city, on the road from Pylus.
Stephanus calls Cyparissia a city of Triphylia, and Strabo (viii.
p. 349) also distinguishes between the Triphylian and Messenian Cyparissia, but
on what authority we do not know.
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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