Places
1. Patra
2. Olympia
3. Lefkada
4. Preveza
There are elements showing that Patras was firstly inhabited around the 3rd millenium BC. However Patras under that name was founded by the Achaeans of Sparta who, headed by Preugenes and his son Patreus, came here after being forced out by the Dorians. But similarly the Achaeans of Argos, also forced out by the Dorians, headed by Tisamenos, occupied the eastern Achaia, after besieging Eliki. Up to then, the whole of Achaia was named after the Ions and was called Ionia but was also called Aegialos, either because it was named after the king of Sikyon, Aegialus, either because the whole region spread all along the coast (aegialos). The Ions firstly took to Athens and from there to Asia Minor where they founded twelve cities, the Ionian Dodecapolis, in remembrance of the twelve cities they had left behind.
Preugenes and Patreus made three Ionian market towns into one. Those three
were Aroe, Mesatis and Antheia and having as center Aroe they founded a new
city that they called Patrae after Patreus. The city's name was in the plural
because of the unification of many settlements. So you can see Patras written
as "Patrae", "Patra" (modern Greek), "Patras"
(English), "Patrasso" (Italian) etc.
Patras has developed thanks to its port and the commerce that takes place
through it. Beautiful neo-classic buildings embellish the city whose roads
all end up to the sea so that its bracing force is not cut. Artistic and spiritual
life is very intense. Today, Patras is one of the most significant cities
in Greece and its port is still playing that important role that it had during
all its long history. It's the third greater city of Greece (after Athens
and Thessalonica) with aproximately 300.000 inhabidants. Patra is also famous
as a student city since the 35.000 students are a big percentage to the total
population.
The original Olympics began as a small regional festival in the 11th century, which was dedicated to the God Zeus. But the origins of the town itself are Mycenaean's who worshipped the Goddess Rhea, sister of Cronus and father of Zeus. If you know your Mythology you may remember that Cronus was told that he would be dethroned by his own children and he devoured five of the sons Rhea had given birth to. When Zeus was born she gave a rock to Cronus and he ate that instead. Zeus survived and later dispatched his father to the underworld and Zeus was top God and founder of the Olympic games.
The first Olympic games were held in 776 BC and reached their height of popularity in 576 BC. The festival was open to only Greek born men but later Romans were allowed to compete most likely because they were running the country by then. Slaves and women were not even allowed to be spectators and women caught sneaking in were thrown off a cliff. The events included foot races, wrestling, discus, javelin, long-jump, horse and chariot racing, and a type of boxing called pancratium. There were not only atheletic events but also writing, poetry and history readings, plus business transactions and treaties were made between leaders of city-states. There was no television so unlike modern Olympics, spectators were able to see all the events and not just the ones the Americans were in and had a good chance of winning. The games were banned in 426 by the emperor Theodosius II because they were pagan, and the temples were destroyed. They were begun again in 1896 in Athens.
Olympia was always functioning as a place of political projection and the games often fell, especially during late antiquity, victim to political exploitation from important personalities like Philip II, Alexander the Great and his successors. Romans, proving their authentic Greek origin, also took part in the games, after the total submission of Greece to Rome, but by then the glamour and idealistic spirit of the games was considerably weakened.
Directly depending on the the games and the sanctuary of Olympia was the town of Elis, whose sole interest was the preparation and performance of the games.
The excavations at Olympia were begun in May 1829, two years after the battle of Navarino, by French archaeologists.
The finds (metopes from the opisthodomus and parts of the metopes from the pronaos of the Temple of Zeus) were transferred to the Louvre where they are still being exhibited. When the Greek government was informed of the looting of artifacts, the excavation was stopped.
Excavations started again 45 years later by German archaeologists. The research is being continued to this day by the German Institute of Archaeology in Athens, and the Ephorate of Antiquities in Olympia.
Some of the most important monuments of the site are:
The name of the island “Lefkada” routed from the name “Lefkas Petra” or “Lefkas Akra”, an ancient name of today’s Leukata, the southern cape of the island.
The wild white rocks of the cape where, according to, the poet Sapfo ended her life in the name of love, gave the name to the city, the Corinthians founded in Lefkada, and then to the entire island. According to geographer Stravonas they renamed the ancient city of Nirikos to Lefkada, capital of the island.
Humanity in Lefkada can be traced back to the Paleolithic era. The distinguished German archaeologist Wilhelm Dairepfeld, associate of Henry Schliemann in the Troy excavations, conducted extensive archaeological research in Nydri, and brought important findings from the copper age (2,000 B.C.) to light and hence started the theory that Lefkada can be identified with Homers Ithaca.
Lefkada has some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. Kathisma, Aghios Nikitas, Egremni and Porto Katsiki are just magnificent!
The city of Preveza lies where the ancient city of Vereniki used to be. It was founded by the king Pyrros of Epirus in 290 B.C. to honour his mother in law Vereniki, wife of the King of Egypt, Ptolemeos.
Preveza is being founded after the gradual depopulation of the Roman city of Nikopolis in the end of 11 th century. The name Preveza can be found in written documents during the 13 th century.
Except of the beautiful beaches of the Ionian sea, you’ll find the important water land of Amvrakikos Gulf, Venetian castles, Byzantine monasteries and landmarks. In the historical Zalogo, the memories of the sacrifice of the brave Souliotisses women , who sacrificed themselves instead of being captured by the Ottomans, during the revolution.
Preveza also has many ancient sites such as the ancient Kassopi, the Aheron River where Necromancy was practiced and the ancient city of Nikopolsi, one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire, and was established in 31BC by Octavious Augustus.
Many tourists gather in the charming town of Parga, a historical place under the shadow of a medieval castle, with Greek island characteristics, a clean beach and a very good climate, who regardless of the high tourist population still keeps the quaint charm of the area.