Decelea ( grc, Δεκέλεια, ), ''Dekéleia''), was a
deme and ancient village in northern
Attica serving as a trade route connecting
Euboea with
Athens,
Greece. It was situated near the entrance of the eastern pass across
Mount Parnes, which leads from the northeastern part of the Athenian plain to
Oropus, and from thence both to
Tanagra on the one hand, and to
Delium
Delium ( grc-gre, Δήλιον, ''Dḗlion'') was a small town in ancient Boeotia with a celebrated temple of Apollo. It was located upon the sea-coast in the territory of Tanagra in Boeotia, and at the distance of about a mile (1.6 km) from the t ...
and
Chalcis
Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...
on the other. It was situated about 120
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 Athens, and the same distance from the frontiers of
Boeotia: it was visible from Athens, and from its heights also might be seen the ships entering the harbour of
Peiraeeus
Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saronic ...
.
History
It was originally one of the twelve cities of Attica. The historian
Herodotus reports that Decelea's citizens enjoyed a special relationship with
Sparta. The Spartans took control of Decelea around 413 BCE. With advice from
Alcibiades
Alcibiades ( ; grc-gre, Ἀλκιβιάδης; 450 – 404 BC) was a prominent Athenian statesman, orator, and general. He was the last of the Alcmaeonidae, which fell from prominence after the Peloponnesian War. He played a major role in t ...
in 415 BCE, the former Athenian general wanted on Athenian charges of religious crimes, the
Spartans and their allies, under king
Agis II, fortified Decelea as a major military post in the later stage of the
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...
, giving them control of rural
Attica and cutting off the primary land route for food imports. This was a serious blow to Athens, which was concurrently being beaten in the
Sicilian Expedition it had undertaken in the west.
The Spartan military presence in Attica, in a deviation from previous policy where Spartans returned home for the winter months, was maintained year-round. Spartan patrols through the Attic countryside strained the Athenian cavalry and curtailed the ability of Athens to continue exploiting the
Laurium silver mines in southeastern Attica that were an important source of income.
Thucydides estimated that 20,000 slaves, many of them skilled workers, escaped to Decelea, from 413 until the close of the Peloponnesian War in 404 BCE.
Scholars have identified the site of the Spartan fort as the sit
of Palaiokastro now marked by the tombs of the Greek royal family, in the Tatoi national forest east of Mt. Parnitha. A substantial rubble circuit wall (about 2 m wide) has been traced, with Classical rooftiles and other evidence of occupation. This location fits the description of
Thucydides[Thucydides, 7.19] as midway between Athens and
Boeotia, visible from Athens and commanding the plain of Attica. The site controls what was once a major ancient road, usable by carts, connecting Athens to the
grain port of
Oropus.
See also
*
List of ancient Greek cities
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Tatoi Palace
References
Sources
* Fine, John V. A. ''The Ancient Greeks: A Critical History''.
Harvard University Press, 1983.
* McGregor, Malcolm F. ''The Athenians and their Empire''. Vancouver:
University of British Columbia Press, 1987.
* McCredie, James R. ''Fortified military camps in Attica''. Hesperia Supplement XI, 1966.
External links
Deceleaby Jona Lendering
{{coord, 38.1100, N, 23.7786, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Cities in ancient Attica
Demoi
Former populated places in Greece
Populated places in ancient Attica