Cyphanta or Kyphanta ( grc, τὰ Κύφαντα) was a town on the eastern coast of ancient Laconia, belonging to the

Eleuthero-Lacones The League of Free Laconians () was established in southern Greece in 21 BC by the Emperor Augustus,Greenhalgh and Eliopoulos. ''Deep into Mani: Journey to the southern tip of Greece'', 21 giving formal structure to a group of cities that had been ...

. It was in ruins in the time of Pausanias (2nd century), but from the notice of it in other writers, it was evidently at one period a place of some importance. Pausanias describes it as situated 6

stadia Stadia may refer to: * One of the plurals of stadium, along with "stadiums" * The plural of stadion, an ancient Greek unit of distance, which equals to 600 Greek feet (''podes''). * Stadia (Caria), a town of ancient Caria, now in Turkey * Stadi ...

from

Zarax Zarax ( grc, Ζάραξ) or Zarex (Ζάρηξ) was a town on the eastern coast of ancient Laconia, with a good harbour, situated upon a promontory, which is a projection of Mount Zarax. Like Prasiae and some other places on this part of the Laconian ...

, and 10 stadia inland; and

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

speaks separately of the port-town and city. Pausanias adds that Cyphanta contained a temple of

Asclepius Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of ...

, called ''Stethaeum'', and a fountain issuing from a rock, said to have been produced by a blow of the lance of

Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...

. The numbers in Pausanias, however, cannot be correct. At the distance of 6 stadia from Zarax (modern

Ierakas Ierakas ( el, Γέρακας) is a small village built along a natural fjord on the south east coast of Laconia, Greece. It is part of the municipal unit of Zarakas. Ierakas is famous for its port or Limani, ( el, Λιμάνι) providing docks for ...

), there is no site for a town or a harbour; and it is scarcely conceivable that, on this rocky and little-frequented coast, there would be two towns so close to one another. Moreover, Pausanias says that the distance from

Prasiae Prasiae or Prasiai ( grc, Πρασιαί),Aristophanes, ''Pac.'' 242 or Prasia (Πρασία),''Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax'' p. 17 also known as Brasiae or Brasiai (Βρασιαί), was a town on the eastern coast of ancient Laconia, described by P ...

to Cyphanta is 200 stadia; whereas the real distance from Prasiae (modern Paralio Leonidi) to Zarax is more than 300 stadia. In addition to this Ptolemy places Cyphanta considerably further north than Zarax; and it is not till reaching

Cyparissia Kyparissia ( el, Κυπαρισσία) is a town and a former municipality in northwestern Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trifylia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. ...

that there is any place with a harbour and a fountain. Modern scholars place its site near the modern Kyparissi.

References

Populated places in ancient Laconia Former populated places in Greece Locations in Greek mythology {{AncientLaconia-geo-stub