Basilis was an ancient settlement in Arcadia

Arcadia

Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...

. It is a direct descendant of , the Greek word for 'kingdom'.

Pausanias

Pausanias (geographer)

Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...

 mentioned Basilis as a village in his Arcadica, which is his description of Arcadia. It was said to be founded by the banks of the Alfeios in the foot of the Lykaio mountains near the Arcadian Trapezus

Trapezus, Arcadia

Trapezus is an ancient city located in the municipality of Gortyn. Trapezus dates back to ancient times...

. The settlement had a temple and statue of Demeter

Demeter

In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...

, which many of the settlers thought was Cypselus

Cypselus

Cypselus was the first tyrant of Corinth in the 7th century BC.With increased wealth and more complicated trade relations and social structures, Greek city-states tended to overthrow their traditional hereditary priest-kings; Corinth, the richest archaic polis, led the way...

, son of Cresphontes

Cresphontes

In Greek mythology, Cresphontes was a son of Aristomachus, husband of Merope, and brother of Temenus and Aristodemus. He was a great-great-grandson of Heracles and helped lead the fifth and final attack on Mycenae in the Peloponnesus...

. Basilis was one of the cites that colonized Megalopolus

Megalopolis, Greece

Megalópoli is a town in the western part of the peripheral unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis . "Megalopolis" is a Greek word for Great city. When it was founded, in 371 BC, it was the first urbanization in rustic and primitive Arcadia. In...

, which was founded by Epaminondas

Epaminondas

Epaminondas , or Epameinondas, was a Theban general and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek city-state of Thebes, leading it out of Spartan subjugation into a preeminent position in Greek politics...

. Basilis was part of the archaic Parrhasian

Parrhasia (Arcadia)

Parrhasia was a region in south Arcadia, Greece. Parrhasius, son of Lycaon gave it his name.Today, the area corresponds to the modern southwestern Arcadia west of Megalopoli and the southeastern Ilia prefecture...

 province in Arcadia

Arcadia

Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...

. Basilis was later abandoned..

The location of the ancient settlement remains unexcavated. It is believed to be located in the area between the Alfeios and Isoma

Isoma

Isoma may refer to several places in Greece:*Isoma, Achaea, a town in Achaea*Isoma, Kilkis, a town in the municipal unit Kroussa*Isoma Karyon, a town in Arcadia...

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