THE ANCIENT CITY OF TROIZINA
The Ancient Troizina
Ancient Troizina was a city that flourished during long periods of time, while at other times it played a minor role, obscured by larger city centers. The only certain is that it had an economically robust social class, which have had wealth and participated in several national sporting events.
The needs of this class were met by the creation of a local bronze vessels production factory, which was popular for at least two centuries.
The Ancient City had Walls, a Citadel, an Agora (Market) and many Temples west of the today's village. It was built on the north slope of Mount Aderes.
From the Ancient City there are little that are saved, since others were destroyed and others were used for later constructions.
From the things that are saved, there are exceptional findings which are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Poros and at the National Archaeological Museum.
The limits of the Ancient City were a stream to the east (the stream of Agios Athanasios) and a stream to the west (Gefyraio stream or Chrysorroas). The Acropolis of the Ancient City was located on a hill to the south at an altitude of 313 meters. According to Pausanias the city was surrounded by a Wall built with bricks.
At the Agora there was the Temple of Artemis made from aeginian limestone. Inside the Temple was a monument of Pitheas with three thrones that Pitheas and two other judges was sitting.
South of the Temple was the Temple of the Muses, where today there are some Roman remainings of a building.
Also at the Agora there was the Temple of Zeus, founded by Aetius, with altars and arcades.
Also close to the Agora there was the Theatre of Troizina and next to it the Temple of Likias Artemis, the Temple of Thearios Apollo. In between these two temples was the Sacred Stone and at the end of Agora the Stoa of Troizina.
As we said before, at the top of the hill was the Acropolis, and the Temple of Sthenias Athina.
At the east and west of the Ancient City there were the Cemetaries in a rural area with soft ground at the edge of the rivers.
During the excavations of the archaeologist Maria Giannopoulou at the eastern cemetery of ancient Troizina, it has been retrieved a tomb of an infant, along with clay bottle and three other vessels that were deposited as an offering. It dates back to the 7th century BC.
Other findings from the same excavation is a sitting doll, two winged Cupids, one of which is represented by a children form wrapped in a garment and the other as a naked teen, as well as two female dancers figurines with lively movement, two massive iron rings, some pots and two more teats that came to light in another child's burial, which dated to the Hellenistic period. It was a burial in a jar, which had even been repaired with lead joints, as is often done in ancient times.
Two more children burials, one from the late 8th century BC and the other from the 7th century BC, were found with small pots.
The funerary activity begins from the ProtoGeometriki era, as evidenced by a written text on an amphora of the 10th century BC, and reaches the Hellenistic era, as says Ms. Giannopoulou.
Recent excavations unearthed a total of fifteen burials of all kinds and a marble funerary precinct of the 4th century BC
Particularly striking were the findings of three of the tombs containing bronze objects such as mirrors, bells with iron impactor, a beetle, a Gold ring, iron strigils, iron arrowheads, as well as a lead compass and many vases at the shape of a boy's head.
"The copper pots and pans from the Classical and early Hellenistic graves of Trizina are small and related to serving and drinking wine" says Ms. Giannopoulou.
"As for the bronze bells and the bronze vessels, they can be considered as chthonic objects and related to the Dionysian cult" she adds.
The presence of many bronze objects of excellent quality is considered that it may indicate the presence of local metalwork workshops.
In conclusion, as the archaeologist says, at the Ancient Troizina were a conservative rural society without much commercial activity.
The Asklipieio of Troizina
Northwest of the ancient city are the Ruins of Asklipieio built in the late 4th and early 3rd century BC. It was a rectangular building with an interior courtyard and rooms on three sides, where traces of beds, tables and fireplaces were found. It must therefore be the rooms of the sick.
On the other side there was a large hall with an internal colonnade. From this building you could pass through a corridor to another building with a hall and a courtyard that must have been the Infirmary.
The mild climate and the clean water of the springs, were importand to the operation of the sanatorium. In the south wall of the enclosure there are remains of a fountain. Also someone can look at the remainings of the foundations of several buildings (rooms, hostels, treatment rooms).
The existence of scripts confirms the Asklipieio's operation, but it seems that the Asklipieio in Epidavrus overshadowed the one in Troizina. This happened mainly because of the volcano ereption that happened in Methana town in the middle of the 3rd century b.C. The buildings were then serious damaged and remained in ruins until the Roman times, when they was repaired.
After the advent of Christianity, building materials from the Asklipieio used to construct Christian Churches, such as the Church of the Holy Mary in Episkopi.
The shrine of Hippolytus
A very analytic publication have been made from the archaeologist Helen Oikonomidou about the shrine of Hippolytus.
The shrine is directly linked to the myth of Phaedra's love towards Hippolytus. The fact that this widespread myth is associated with the history of the sanctuary is definitely an attraction for visitors.
The shrine of Hippolytus is a remarkable archaeological site, which remains unknown to the general public and is located inside an idyllic natural environment, stretching north and northwest of the modern town of Troizina.
The excavations started first with the French Archaeological School during 1890 and 1899 with Legrand, and later in 1932 by the German Archaeological Institute with Welter, who completed the excavation.
The shrine of Hippolytus was outside the walls of the city, west of Gefyraio ravine, approximately 800 m. from the ancient market.
In mythology, Hippolytus was the son of Theseus and the Amazon Antiope or Hippolyta. According to the legend, after the death of Antiope, Theseus married Phaedra and sent the toddler Hippolytus in Troizina, to be brought up and become the king of Troizina. Years Later in Troizina, when Phaedra saw the Hippolytus fell in love with him. She tried to win his love by sending him letters but failed (see. Stephanephoroi Euripides' Hippolytus, written in 428 BC) and so she decided to commit suicide.
But to revengr Hippolytus for not wanting her, before her suicide she wrote a letter to Theseus saying lies about Hippolytus. Theseus believed the letter and asked of the god Poseidon to kill his son. According to legend the goddess Artemis saddened by his death brought him up to life.
According to the local tradition, the shrine of Hippolytus was built by Diomidis, who worshiped god Apollo, because he believed the god saved him from bad weather during his return from the war of Troia.
Pausanias who visited the temple in the 2nd century AD, says that the stadium where Hippolytus exercised was north of Episkopi and higher was the Temple of Venus , from where Phaedra (Pausanias II.32.3) secretly watching him exercising. Nearby was the grave of Phaedra and Hippolytus tomb.
Pausanias (Pausanias II.32.4) even describes the house of Hippolytus, with its spring of Hercules, which probably served the Asklipieio, that had declined in the time of Pausanias. Probably, this spring helped in the legend that wants Hippolytus to be worshipped as a god-healer.
Other Antiquities
600 meters from the settlement of Troizina we reach in a crossroad where we can see a hugr rock believed to be the rock of Theseus, which lift to take from below the sword of his father.
At the north of the chapels of Saint Georgios and Saint John, have been descovered remainings of the ancient Temple of Artemis. This monument is difficult to be seen because is hidden behind vegetation.
In a small distance from the palace of Theseus there is the Temple of Panas and the tomb of Pitheas.
Along the eastern wall of the Acropolis are the remainings of the Temples of Isis and Aphrodite. Outside the city was the Shrine of Fitalmios Poseiodon and in a near distance the Shrine of Dimitras, made by Althipos. Further along we find the springs of Ilikos river, where Theseus had built the Temple of Nimfia Aphrodite. Also some other roman tombs have been discovered.
At the end of the Hellenistic period a partition was built which separated the main City from the outskirts and provided better protection for Acropolis, in a case of a siege. From this partition are saved the remainings of two square castles and the lower part of a bigger one known as the "Palace of Theseus". During the Middle Ages, a castle was bulit on this location from the Frank ruler of the area. Recently came to light a Christian basilica church east of the Gefyraio river.