Greece 2021

Saturday13November

This morning, we leave our big house and Olympia to join Messene located 100 kilometers from here.

And hop, here we are in Messene, ancient city founded in 369 BC by the Helots, freed from slavery by General Epaminondas from the hands of the Spartans.

The fountain of Arsinoe and the ancient theater.

The small map of the site and on the hill the city of Ithomi, the new Messene.

Weeds invade the steps of the theater.

The limestone plinth which supported the seated statue of the philosopher Titus Flavius ????Isocrates (1st-2nd century AD). He was honored after his death by his hometown of Messene for his virtue as the New Plato".

"The limestone pedestal that supported the seated statue of the philosopher Titus Flavius Isocrates (1st-2nd century AD). He was honored after his death by his hometown of Messene for his virtue as a New Plato".

The basilica.

"A basilica designates during Antiquity a large public building of a semi-sacred nature intended to house judicial hearings, public assemblies, incidentally on the periphery commercial shops, and usurers. © Wikipedia

The entrance to the site overlooking Messene.

The ancient portico of the meat market.

The alignment of columns near the Asclepieion.

When you look closer, you can distinguish graffiti engraved on some columns.

"In ancient Greece and in Greco-Roman antiquity, an asclepieion or asklepieion is a healing sanctuary, dedicated to the god Asclepius." © Wikipedia

The Stadium with the gymnasium on the left, the mausoleum in the background, and the funerary monuments on the right.

Monument K3, stupa-shaped tomb.

The Doric propylon at the entrance to the funerary monuments.

A small opening to slip my camera into and see the interior of monument K3. 14 people were reportedly buried in this tomb.

The gymnasium is surrounded on three sides by porticos whose columns have been restored.

One can imagine the party when the gymnasium was full of spectators...

The seats or benches reserved for VIPs or distinguished guests.

Here is the view of the gymnasts from the track.

At the end of the Gymnasium, a restored building: the Heroon, mausoleum dedicated to heroes and gods.

Back to the gymnasium where I notice that the seats have an engraved letter...

The opportunity to review your Greek letters: Pi, Sigma, Kappa, Theta, Epsilon, Omicron...

Benches are also engraved

The porticoes north-east of the stadium with a single Doric column.

End of the visit, without forgetting to pass by the ekklesiasterion theater where politicians and citizens discussed the laws of the city... We resume the road, heading for Sparta where we should arrive at the end of the afternoon.

The journey passes through the city of Kalamata which borders the Gulf of Messenia.

We will take the opportunity to take a short tour of the city. Here, the Church of the Holy Apostles from the 12th century.

It was on March 23, 1821 that the uprising of the Greeks of the city against the Turks took place... One of the first events that launched the Greek War of Independence.

The Cathedral of Ypapanti, patron saint of Kalamata.

The building dates from 1873.

In these photos, we see the miraculous icon of Panagia Ypapanti (on the left of the photos). It dates from the year 672 and did not burn during the fire of the old church.

Kalamata and the Taygetos mountain range.

We pass through the Saint Constantine and Saint Helena monastery where the patio gives pride of place to orange trees.

The nave of the church dates from the 12th century.

The classic Greek cemetery where white is the order of the day on all tombstones.

The cemetery church.

Reliquaries of Saint Charalampos and Saint Nectarios of Aegina.

And hop, here we are already in the famous city of Sparta! We find an Airbnb not too spartan but not luxurious either.   Tomorrow will be devoted to visiting the fortified city of Mystras 10 kilometers from here.