Parrhasia (Arcadia)
Encyclopedia
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. The nymph of Artemis
named Callisto
, whom the goddess Hera
made into a bear and Zeus
later made into the constellation Ursa Major
, was said to come from Parrhasia.
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...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Parrhasius
Parrhasius (son of Lycaon)
Parrhasius was in Greek mythology the son of Lycaon or of Zeus. He was an Arcadian hero, and his son Arcas had the region named after him.He is said to have founded the Arcadian city of Parrhasia....
, son of Lycaon
Lycaon (mythology)
For the Trojan Lycaon, see Lycaon .Lycaon was a king of Arcadia, son of Pelasgus and Meliboea, who in the most popular version of the myth tested Zeus and as a punishment was transformed into the form of a wolf.-Versions of the myth:...
gave it his name.
Today, the area corresponds to the modern southwestern 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...
west of Megalopoli and the southeastern Ilia prefecture. The nymph of Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
named Callisto
Callisto (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Callisto or Kallisto was a nymph of Artemis. Transformed into a bear and set among the stars, she was the bear-mother of the Arcadians, through her son Arcas.-Origin of the myth:...
, whom the goddess Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
made into a bear and Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
later made into the constellation Ursa Major
Ursa Major
Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
, was said to come from Parrhasia.
Ancient cities
- AlipheiraAlifeiraAlifeira is a village and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is a municipal unit. The seat of the municipality was in the village of Kallithea. It is north of the...
- BasilisBasilisBasilis ilis) was an ancient settlement in Arcadia. It is a direct descendant of , the Greek word for 'kingdom'.Pausanias 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...
- LycosuraLycosuraLycosura was a city of Arcadia said by Pausanias to be the oldest city in the world, though there is no evidence for its existence before the fourth century BCE...
- PhigaleiaFigaleiaFigaleia is a village and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Zacharo, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 184 for the village and 2,499 for the municipality. The seat of the municipality was...
- TrapezusTrapezus, ArcadiaTrapezus is an ancient city located in the municipality of Gortyn. Trapezus dates back to ancient times...