Mount Kyllini
Encyclopedia
Mount Kyllini or Mount Cyllene (icon; Greek:
Κυλλήνη kyˈlːɛːnɛː, Modern ciˈlini; sometimes Ζήρια, Mod. [ˈzirja]), is a mountain
on the Peloponnesus peninsula in Greece
, famous for its association with the god Hermes
. It rises to 2376 m (7,795 ft) above sea level
, making it the second highest point on the peninsula. It is located near the border between the historic regions of Arcadia
and Achaea
—in the northeast of Arcadia, and entirely within modern Corinthia
. It is located west of Corinth, northwest of Stymfalia
, north of Tripoli
, and south of Derveni
.
Much of the mountain is barren and rocky, although the area below 2000 m (6500 ft) is largely forested. There is an observatory
at 908 m (2979 ft), at 22.67 east longitude and 37.97 north latitude. From the top a large portion of northeastern Peloponnesus is visible, including the eastern part of Achaia and Chelmos, the Gulf of Corinth
and most of Corinthia, the southern part of Corinthia and parts of northeastern Arcadia. The nearest mountain ranges are Oligyrtos
to the south and Chelmos/Aroania to the west. Roads pass near the southern and western slopes, but there are not many on the mountain itself, as much of the mountain is part of a park. The municipal boundary of Stymfalia
–Feneos–Evrostini and Xylokastro passes through the mountain.
, Hermes
was born in a sacred cave on the mountain, and so Cyllenius is a frequent epithet
of his. The Homeric Hymn
Hymn to Pan recalled that "Hermes ... came to Arkadia ... there where his sacred place is as god of Kyllene. For there, though a god, he used to tend curly-fleeced sheep." In ancient times there was a temple and statue dedicated to him on the mountain's summit.
Hyginus
records that it was on Cyllene that the seer Tiresias
changed sex when he struck two copulating snakes.
Cyllene (or Kyllene) herself was a mountain nymph
(an oread
) who had taken for her consort Pelasges
in the most ancient times that Greek mythographers could recall. There was a port in Elis
in Antiquity named "Cyllene" near the mouth of the Alfeios River
, where the traveler Pausanias
noted the image of Hermes, "most devoutly worshiped by the inhabitants, is merely the male member upright on the pedestal." Several modern places are also named Kyllini
.
The Pleiades
were born on Mount Kyllini.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
Κυλλήνη kyˈlːɛːnɛː, Modern ciˈlini; sometimes Ζήρια, Mod. [ˈzirja]), is a mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
on the Peloponnesus peninsula in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, famous for its association with the god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
. It rises to 2376 m (7,795 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, making it the second highest point on the peninsula. It is located near the border between the historic regions of 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...
and Achaea
Achaea
Achaea is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The capital is Patras. The population exceeds 300,000 since 2001.-Geography:...
—in the northeast of Arcadia, and entirely within modern Corinthia
Corinthia
Corinthia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated around the city of Corinth, in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.-Geography:...
. It is located west of Corinth, northwest of Stymfalia
Stymfalia
Stymphalia is a village and a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Sikyona, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,852 . The seat of the municipality was in Kalianoi, 41 km southwest of the town of...
, north of Tripoli
Tripoli, Greece
Tripoli is a city of about 25,000 inhabitants in the central part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. It is the capital of the prefecture of Arcadia and the centre of the municipality of Tripolis, pop...
, and south of Derveni
Derveni, Corinthia
Derveni is a coastal town in prefecture of Corinthia in the Peloponnesus, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality Evrostini. It is linked by the old, mostly coastal, national road and a new, thought secondary, highway to mainland Greece and the Western Peloponnese.Its population stands at 1514...
.
Much of the mountain is barren and rocky, although the area below 2000 m (6500 ft) is largely forested. There is an observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
at 908 m (2979 ft), at 22.67 east longitude and 37.97 north latitude. From the top a large portion of northeastern Peloponnesus is visible, including the eastern part of Achaia and Chelmos, the Gulf of Corinth
Gulf of Corinth
The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece...
and most of Corinthia, the southern part of Corinthia and parts of northeastern Arcadia. The nearest mountain ranges are Oligyrtos
Oligyrtos
Oligyrtos is a mountain located at the junction of the Arcadia, Corinthia and Argolis prefectures in the northeastern Peloponnese in Greece. The mountain diagonally stretches from southwest to northeast, with about 35 km length and 15 to 20 km breadth. The highest point is Skipiza at...
to the south and Chelmos/Aroania to the west. Roads pass near the southern and western slopes, but there are not many on the mountain itself, as much of the mountain is part of a park. The municipal boundary of Stymfalia
Stymfalia
Stymphalia is a village and a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Sikyona, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,852 . The seat of the municipality was in Kalianoi, 41 km southwest of the town of...
–Feneos–Evrostini and Xylokastro passes through the mountain.
Mythology
In Greek mythologyGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
was born in a sacred cave on the mountain, and so Cyllenius is a frequent epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
of his. The Homeric Hymn
Homeric Hymns
The Homeric Hymns are a collection of thirty-three anonymous Ancient Greek hymns celebrating individual gods. The hymns are "Homeric" in the sense that they employ the same epic meter—dactylic hexameter—as the Iliad and Odyssey, use many similar formulas and are couched in the same dialect...
Hymn to Pan recalled that "Hermes ... came to Arkadia ... there where his sacred place is as god of Kyllene. For there, though a god, he used to tend curly-fleeced sheep." In ancient times there was a temple and statue dedicated to him on the mountain's summit.
Hyginus
Hyginus
Hyginus can refer to:People:*Gaius Julius Hyginus , Roman poet, author of Fabulae, reputed author of Poeticon astronomicon*Hyginus Gromaticus, Roman surveyor*Pope Hyginus, also a saint, Bishop of Rome about 140...
records that it was on Cyllene that the seer Tiresias
Tiresias
In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo; Tiresias participated fully in seven generations at Thebes, beginning as advisor to Cadmus...
changed sex when he struck two copulating snakes.
Cyllene (or Kyllene) herself was a mountain nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
(an oread
Oread
In Greek mythology, an Oread or Orestiad was a type of nymph that lived in mountains, valleys, ravines. They differ from each other according to their dwelling: the Idae were from Mount Ida, Peliades from Mount Pelia, etc...
) who had taken for her consort Pelasges
Pelasgus
In Greek mythology, Pelasgus was the eponymous ancestor of the Pelasgians, the mythical inhabitants of Greece who established the worship of the Dodonaean Zeus, Hephaestus, the Cabeiri, and other divinities. In the different parts of the country once occupied by Pelasgians, there existed...
in the most ancient times that Greek mythographers could recall. There was a port in Elis
Elis
Elis, or Eleia is an ancient district that corresponds with the modern Elis peripheral unit...
in Antiquity named "Cyllene" near the mouth of the Alfeios River
Alfeios River
Alfeiós is the longest river in the Peloponnese, in Greece. The river is 110 km long, flowing through the prefectures of Arcadia and Ilia. Its source is near Megalopoli in the highlands of Arcadia. The river begins near Davia in central Arcadia, then flows between Leontari and Megalopoli through a...
, where the traveler 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...
noted the image of Hermes, "most devoutly worshiped by the inhabitants, is merely the male member upright on the pedestal." Several modern places are also named Kyllini
Kyllini
There are several places on the Peloponnesus peninsula in Greece named Kyllíni :* Mount Kyllini , the mythological birthplace of Hermes ....
.
The Pleiades
Pleiades (Greek mythology)
The Pleiades , companions of Artemis, were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. They are the sisters of Calypso, Hyas, the Hyades, and the Hesperides...
were born on Mount Kyllini.
Nearest places
- FeneosFeneosFeneos is a village and a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Sikyona, of which it is a municipal unit. Its population was 2,359 as of 2001. The seat of the municipality was in Goura.In ancient times the area...
, west - Kastania (Mt Cnacalus), 1,000 m
- Kessari, southeast
- GouraGoura, CorinthiaGoura is a settlement in the prefecture of Corinthia, Greece. It is located at an altitude of 950 metres on the western slopes of Mount Zireia in the valley of the river Olvios, 91 kilometres south-west of Corinth. The village is named after the hero of the Greek War of Independence, Nikolaos...
, southwest