Stymphalus
Stymphalus is an ancient town located in northeastern Arcadia, within the Peloponnese region of Greece. Its acropolis is positioned on a promontory that overlooks a lake, river, and mountain bearing the same name. Stymphalus is historically significant, primarily due to its association with the myth of Heracles, who is said to have driven away monstrous birds from the area during his Sixth Labor. The town's name is linked to a legendary monarch, with various accounts attributing its founding to different figures from Greek mythology, including a notable cult of Hera.
Known from classical literature, Stymphalus appears in Homer's "Iliad" and began minting its own coins after 400 BC, particularly during festivals honoring Artemis Stymphalia. The coins often depicted symbols related to these deities, including the Stymphalian birds. Over time, the town experienced growth through the amalgamation with neighboring communities and became part of the Arcadian League. Although Stymphalus fell into relative obscurity by the time of Strabo, it gained renewed attention during the rule of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who constructed an aqueduct to transport water from the local spring to Corinth. Today, archaeological remnants include parts of the city wall, a preserved tower, and various structures submerged in the lake, reflecting its historical and cultural significance.
Stymphalus
Stymphalos
A town in northeastern Arcadia (Peloponnese); its acropolis rose on a promontory overlooking a lake, river and mountain of the same name. Stymphalus stood at the intersection of a number of important roads.
But it owed its renown to the Sixth Labor of Heracles, who was said to have driven out the monstrous birds—as menacing as lions or leopards, according to Pausanias—that infested the lake; the hero employed a bronze rattle to frighten them into flight, and then shot many of them on the wing. According to a further series of Greek myths, Stymphalus owed its name to a monarch, the son of Elatus and Laodice, who was treacherously murdered by Pelops during his conquest of the Peloponnese; though a rival version attributed its foundation to a certain Temenus (which was also the name of a legendary king of Argos, a historic ally of Stymphalus); he was believed to have established the important cult of Hera, of which Stymphalus claimed to be the earliest home. The place is mentioned by Homer's Iliad as an Arcadian town.
After 400 BC it began to issue coins, probably during the festivals of Artemis Stymphalia, whose head some of the pieces display, while others show the head and neck of a Stymphalian bird springing from the calyx of a flower with two poppy heads. Pausanias noted that the ceiling of Artemis' ancient temple (of which the site has been tentatively identified, not far from the lake) was adorned with wooden reliefs of birds; and at the back of the shrine stood marble statues of virgins with birds' legs.
At the time when these coins were issued Stymphalus had increased in size, owing to amalgamation (synoecism) with other communities (c 375–350), and belonged to the Arcadian League. But in 315 the town was captured by one of Alexander the Great's successors, Cassander. Subsequently it belonged to the Achaean League (issuing federal coins). In 219/218 the forces of Sparta, Aetolia and Elis, under Euripidas, were decisively defeated in the neighborhood by Philip V of Macedonia. By the time of Strabo Stymphalus had become insignificant, but came to attention again in the time of Hadrian (AD 117–38), who built an aqueduct (of which traces survive) to conduct the waters of its local spring to Corinth.
A topographical survey of the ancient buildings, recently completed with the aid of novel computing techniques, suggests that their urban plan dates from the fourth-century synoecism. A tower on the acropolis is partly preserved, and remains of the city wall are still visible. On the slope is a small temple of Athena Polias, and traces of other structures suggest the possible location of the agora. There are also ruins of a theater with its auditorium cut out of the rock; a Hellenistic shrine and palaestra (athletics school) and portico are submerged in the lake.