Ithome
Encyclopedia
Mount Ithome or Ithomi, previously Vourkano or Vurcano before being changed back to Ithome, is the northernmost of twin peaks in Messenia
, Greece
. Mount Ithome rises to about 800 metres (2,624.7 ft), about 760 metres (2,493.4 ft) over Valyra
, the seat of Ithomi
, the former municipality. The other peak is Mount Eva, 700 metres (2,296.6 ft), connected to Mount Ithomi by a thin ridge 0.8 kilometre (0.497098189319845 mi) long.
Mount Ithome is 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Kalamata
on the Gulf of Messenia, 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) east of Pylos
, seat of Bronze Age Messenia, and 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north of Messini
, modern namesake of ancient Messene
, nestled under the cliffs of Mount Ithome. From the top the whole valley of the Pamisos river can be viewed eastward to Mount Taygetus
and southward to the Gulf of Messenia. The site is highly defensible and yet off the main road; in this case, the Kalamata-Pylos road.
expressed a theory that the I- was prefixed to an original Thōmē. Reece points out that the Ithōmē occurs only in Homer
and a sybilline verse; that is, in poetry, and suggests Ithōmē is the poetic form. Strabo, he asserts, is implying a derivation from thōmos, "a heap of rocks," more suitable to the Homeric epithet klōmakoessa, "rocky" (his translation). There is a manuscript variant, Thamai. Homeric commentators on the Thessalian namesake also assert that it is to be pronounced without the I-. In support of this view Reece points out that Strabo was canvasing local tradition.
Reece goes on to tie thōmos to Indo-European
*dheH1-, Linear B
te-ke and Greek tithēmi, "put." A second possibility depends on Ithome being "lexically isolated, etymologically obscure, and, in fact, not even Greek." Reece's final opinion is that the Mycenaean Greeks called the place Thōmē meaning "rock heap" from the precipice and that this name was altered by the poets in such epithets as klómǎkǒéssǎ Ǐthómé.
. Ties to Vulcan or Volcano do not fit the geology. Ithome is not volcanic, evidences no volcanic deposits and its springs are not hot; in fact, they are known for their refreshing clarity and coolness.
One of the earliest records of a place called Bulcano is The Domains and Fiefs of the Principality of Achaia, composed for Marie of Bourbon, 1364. The Grand Seneschal of the Kingdom of Naples, Niccolo Acciajuoli, is said to possess Lo Castello de Bulcano (Messene) as a fief. The monastery on top, which dates to no later than the reign of the Byzantine emperor, Andronikos II Paleologus, 1282-1328, was probably known as Vurkano even then. The earliest major incursion of a non-Hellenic ethnic group is the settlement of the Slavic tribes of the Melingoi
and Ezerites in the 7th and 8th centuries in Messenia and Sparta around Mount Taygetus
as a defensible location. In the 9th and 10th centuries they ruled Messenia. At the time many classical names were changed to Slavic, only to be restored after independence. The Archaeological Museum of Messenia
dates the name Vourkano to the 10 century. It, like Morea, is probably Slavic.
The Homeric village of Ithome was probably on the summit, which is flat. In the Bronze Age, a temple dedicated to Zeus Ithomatas (Zeus of Ithome) existed there. It was torn down and rebuilt as a Christian church and monastery no later than the early 14th century from the same stone. In the 17th century this monastery of Panagia Voulkanou, or Moni Voulkanou, was closed, except for a caretaker, to become known as the Old Monastery. The new monastery was constructed on the lower east slope of Eva. It was a staging point in the Greek War of Independence and also houses a noted library containing ancient manuscripts.
The classical town of Ithome was on the lower west flank of Mount Ithome, which forms a bowl in the side of the mountain. The location was selected as the site for the city of Messene
(not the same as the modern city of Messini
) when it was rebuilt by Epaminondas
in 369 BC. Excavations there in recent decades have uncovered evidence of a settlement going back to the stone age. The location of Messene is marked by massive city walls that include the east side of the ridge, where they protect the ancient zig-zagging road to the summit, the top of the ridge, a wide area around the bowl and end against the mountain on the north, an approximately rectangular circuit. The mountain itself protects the east side. These defenses were probably restored, rather than constructed anew, by Epaminondas.
Within the lower part of this wide circuit are the ruins of the ancient city. About 300 metres (984.3 ft) up the slope is the modern village of Mavromati, occupying a small portion of the ancient city. It is a subdivision of the municipality of Messene
. Mavromati is built around the key feature of the city, one which made its large size possible, a large surface spring flowing out of the mountain through a hole in the rocks. A klepsydra, or "spring catchment," has been maintained as a village watering place. That is it is ancient is shown by the ancient system of channels constructed from it to the ancient urban area below. Mavromati is at 419 metres (1,374.7 ft), thus Messene was essentially at 119 metres (390.4 ft) and Mount Ithome loomed at 681 metres (2,234.3 ft) over it.
As the most defensible point in the surrounding territory, Ithome was the center of Messenian resistance to Sparta during the Messenian Wars
in the 7th and 6th centuries BC. Ithome was also the center of the Helot revolt in 465 BC after an earthquake in Sparta. This revolt is the Third Messenian War
.
Messenia
Messenia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, implemented 1 January 2011...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Mount Ithome rises to about 800 metres (2,624.7 ft), about 760 metres (2,493.4 ft) over Valyra
Valira, Greece
Valyra is a small village in southern Greece. Situated on the Peloponnese Peninsula, Valyra was the seat of the Ithomi municipality. Located near the ancient city of Messene, it lies 18 km NW of Kalamata, and about 177 km SW of Athens....
, the seat of Ithomi
Ithomi
Ithomi may refer to several places in Greece:*Ithomi, Karditsa, a Municipal Unit in the Mouzaki Municipality*Ithomi, Messenia, a Municipal Unit in the Messenia Regional Unit...
, the former municipality. The other peak is Mount Eva, 700 metres (2,296.6 ft), connected to Mount Ithomi by a thin ridge 0.8 kilometre (0.497098189319845 mi) long.
Mount Ithome is 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Kalamata
Kalamata
Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
on the Gulf of Messenia, 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) east of Pylos
Pylos
Pylos , historically known under its Italian name Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It was the capital of the former...
, seat of Bronze Age Messenia, and 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north of Messini
Messini
Messini is a Municipal Unit and Seat of the municipality of Messini within the Regional Unit of Messenia in the Region of Peloponnēsos, one of 7 Regions into which the Hellenic Republic has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, authorized by Law 3852, Issue 1 of 7 June 2010 and Issue 2 of 11...
, modern namesake of ancient Messene
Messene
Messene , officially Ancient Messene, is a Local Community of the Municipal Unit , Ithomi, of the municipality of Messini within the Regional Unit of Messenia in the Region of Peloponnēsos, one of 7 Regions into which the Hellenic Republic has been divided by the Kallikratis...
, nestled under the cliffs of Mount Ithome. From the top the whole valley of the Pamisos river can be viewed eastward to Mount Taygetus
Taygetus
Mount Taygetus, Taugetus, or Taigetus is a mountain range in the Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece. The name is one of the oldest recorded in Europe, appearing in the Odyssey. In classical mythology, it was associated with the nymph Taygete...
and southward to the Gulf of Messenia. The site is highly defensible and yet off the main road; in this case, the Kalamata-Pylos road.
Ithome
Like most ancient names the etymology of Ithome is not certain. StraboStrabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
expressed a theory that the I- was prefixed to an original Thōmē. Reece points out that the Ithōmē occurs only in Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
and a sybilline verse; that is, in poetry, and suggests Ithōmē is the poetic form. Strabo, he asserts, is implying a derivation from thōmos, "a heap of rocks," more suitable to the Homeric epithet klōmakoessa, "rocky" (his translation). There is a manuscript variant, Thamai. Homeric commentators on the Thessalian namesake also assert that it is to be pronounced without the I-. In support of this view Reece points out that Strabo was canvasing local tradition.
Reece goes on to tie thōmos to Indo-European
Indo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
*dheH1-, Linear B
Linear B
Linear B is a syllabic script that was used for writing Mycenaean Greek, an early form of Greek. It pre-dated the Greek alphabet by several centuries and seems to have died out with the fall of Mycenaean civilization...
te-ke and Greek tithēmi, "put." A second possibility depends on Ithome being "lexically isolated, etymologically obscure, and, in fact, not even Greek." Reece's final opinion is that the Mycenaean Greeks called the place Thōmē meaning "rock heap" from the precipice and that this name was altered by the poets in such epithets as klómǎkǒéssǎ Ǐthómé.
Vurkano
The pre-independence name Vurcano has had many variants: Vourkano, Voulkanos, Vulcano, Voucano, Boulcano, Dorkano, Voulkani, etc. The name is not Greek. Its provenience, meaning and time of assignment are not known, like those of MoreaMorea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
. Ties to Vulcan or Volcano do not fit the geology. Ithome is not volcanic, evidences no volcanic deposits and its springs are not hot; in fact, they are known for their refreshing clarity and coolness.
One of the earliest records of a place called Bulcano is The Domains and Fiefs of the Principality of Achaia, composed for Marie of Bourbon, 1364. The Grand Seneschal of the Kingdom of Naples, Niccolo Acciajuoli, is said to possess Lo Castello de Bulcano (Messene) as a fief. The monastery on top, which dates to no later than the reign of the Byzantine emperor, Andronikos II Paleologus, 1282-1328, was probably known as Vurkano even then. The earliest major incursion of a non-Hellenic ethnic group is the settlement of the Slavic tribes of the Melingoi
Melingoi
The Melingoi or Milingoi were a Slavic tribe that settled in the Peloponnese in southern Greece during the Middle Ages. Proto-Slavic tribes settled throughout the Balkans following the collapse of the Byzantine Empire's defense of the Danube frontier in the early decades of the 7th century, with...
and Ezerites in the 7th and 8th centuries in Messenia and Sparta around Mount Taygetus
Taygetus
Mount Taygetus, Taugetus, or Taigetus is a mountain range in the Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece. The name is one of the oldest recorded in Europe, appearing in the Odyssey. In classical mythology, it was associated with the nymph Taygete...
as a defensible location. In the 9th and 10th centuries they ruled Messenia. At the time many classical names were changed to Slavic, only to be restored after independence. The Archaeological Museum of Messenia
Archaeological Museum of Messenia
The Archaeological Museum of Messenia is located in Kalamata, the capital of the prefecture of Messenia in southern Greece.The museum is built on the site of the city's old market hall...
dates the name Vourkano to the 10 century. It, like Morea, is probably Slavic.
Mavromati
Mavromati is segmented mavr-oma-ti, "place of the black eye" from mavros, "dark," and omma, "eye," or ommation, "small eye," a common name for springs.Geography
The classical town of Ithome was on the lower west flank of Mount Ithome, which forms a bowl in the side of the mountain. The location was selected as the site for the city of Messene
Messene
Messene , officially Ancient Messene, is a Local Community of the Municipal Unit , Ithomi, of the municipality of Messini within the Regional Unit of Messenia in the Region of Peloponnēsos, one of 7 Regions into which the Hellenic Republic has been divided by the Kallikratis...
(not the same as the modern city of Messini
Messini
Messini is a Municipal Unit and Seat of the municipality of Messini within the Regional Unit of Messenia in the Region of Peloponnēsos, one of 7 Regions into which the Hellenic Republic has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, authorized by Law 3852, Issue 1 of 7 June 2010 and Issue 2 of 11...
) when it was rebuilt 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...
in 369 BC. Excavations there in recent decades have uncovered evidence of a settlement going back to the stone age. The location of Messene is marked by massive city walls that include the east side of the ridge, where they protect the ancient zig-zagging road to the summit, the top of the ridge, a wide area around the bowl and end against the mountain on the north, an approximately rectangular circuit. The mountain itself protects the east side. These defenses were probably restored, rather than constructed anew, by Epaminondas.
Within the lower part of this wide circuit are the ruins of the ancient city. About 300 metres (984.3 ft) up the slope is the modern village of Mavromati, occupying a small portion of the ancient city. It is a subdivision of the municipality of Messene
Messene
Messene , officially Ancient Messene, is a Local Community of the Municipal Unit , Ithomi, of the municipality of Messini within the Regional Unit of Messenia in the Region of Peloponnēsos, one of 7 Regions into which the Hellenic Republic has been divided by the Kallikratis...
. Mavromati is built around the key feature of the city, one which made its large size possible, a large surface spring flowing out of the mountain through a hole in the rocks. A klepsydra, or "spring catchment," has been maintained as a village watering place. That is it is ancient is shown by the ancient system of channels constructed from it to the ancient urban area below. Mavromati is at 419 metres (1,374.7 ft), thus Messene was essentially at 119 metres (390.4 ft) and Mount Ithome loomed at 681 metres (2,234.3 ft) over it.
As the most defensible point in the surrounding territory, Ithome was the center of Messenian resistance to Sparta during the Messenian Wars
Messenian Wars
Messenian Wars is a term of special historical application. It means the wars between Messenia and Sparta in the 8th and 7th centuries BC as well as the 4th century BC.*First Messenian War*Second Messenian War* Third Messenian War...
in the 7th and 6th centuries BC. Ithome was also the center of the Helot revolt in 465 BC after an earthquake in Sparta. This revolt is the Third Messenian War
Messenian Wars
Messenian Wars is a term of special historical application. It means the wars between Messenia and Sparta in the 8th and 7th centuries BC as well as the 4th century BC.*First Messenian War*Second Messenian War* Third Messenian War...
.