Messene
Ancient Messene
Αρχαία Μεσσήνη | |
|---|---|
 View of the ancient Asclepeion. | |
  Ancient Messene | |
| Coordinates: 37°10.5′N 21°55.2′E / 37.1750°N 21.9200°ECoordinates: 37°10.5′N 21°55.2′E / 37.1750°N 21.9200°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Peloponnese |
| Regional unit | Messenia |
| Municipality | Messini |
| Municipal unit | Ithomi |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 800 m (2,600 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 119 m (390 ft) |
| Community | |
| • Population | 196 (2011) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 240 02 |
Messene (Greek: Μεσσήνη Messini), officially Ancient Messene, is a local community (topiki koinotita) of the municipal unit (dimotiki enotita) Ithomi, of the municipality (dimos) of Messini within the regional unit (perifereiaki enotita) of Messenia in the region (perifereia) of Peloponnese, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided.[2] Before 2011 it held the same position in the administrative hierarchy, according to Law 2539 of 1997, the Kapodistrias Plan, except that Ithomi was an independent municipality and Ancient Messene was a local division (topiko diamerisma) within it.[3]
Most of the area of Ancient Messene contains the ruins of the large classical city-state of Messene refounded by Epaminondas in 369 BC, after the battle of Leuctra and the first Theban invasion of the Peloponnese.[4] Epaminondas invited the return to their native land of all the families that had gone into exile from Messenia during its long struggle with and servitude under the military state of Sparta, now finished as a conquering state. This new Messene, today's Ancient Messene, was constructed over the ruins of Ithome, an ancient city originally of Achaean Greeks, destroyed previously by the Spartans and abandoned for some time.
Currently,[when?] the substantial ruins are a major historical attraction. Much of it has been archaeologically excavated and partly restored or preserved for study and public viewing, as well as for various events. The site was never totally abandoned. The small village of Mavromati occupies what was the upper city around the fountain called klepsydra. Administrative structure and population figures refer primarily to it.[citation needed]
Geography[]
Archaia Messene is located 25 kilometres (16 miles) north of Kalamata and 60 kilometres (37 miles) east of Pylos.
History[]
The main ancient source on Messene is the Guide to Greece of Pausanias, who visited between 155 and 160 AD.[citation needed]
Excavation of the site began on April 10, 1829, with the French scientific commission of the Morea Expedition, under the direction of Guillaume-Abel Blouet, at the end of the Greek War of Independence.[5]
The current excavator, , who received permission to dig from the Council of Athens Archaeological Society in 1986, indicates that systematic excavation of the site was first undertaken by Themistoklis Sofoulis of the Athens Archaeological Society in 1895. Since then a number of noted archaeologists have made contributions, such as (in 1909 and 1925), Anastasios Orlandos (in 1957), not the least the current excavator Petros Themelis (in 1986).[6] A museum of their extensive finds has been constructed within the old city walls.[citation needed]
This site was awarded a European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award in 2011.[7][8]
Bronze Age Messana[]
During the Bronze Age the palace at Pylos controlled Messenia politically and economically. A Linear B tablet from there, PY Cn 3, mentions a region called Mezana in local Mycenaean Greek (Linear B: