Mount Ithome ( Greek: Ἰθώμη) or Ithomi, previously Vourkano(s) ( el, Βουρκάνο(ς)) or Voulcano(s) ( el, Βουλκάνο(ς)), is the northernmost of twin peaks in Messenia,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. Mount Ithome rises to about , about over Valyra, the seat of Ithomi, the former municipality. The other peak is Mount Eva ( el, Εύα), , connected to Mount Ithomi by a thin ridge long. Mount Ithome is north of Kalamata on the Gulf of Messenia, east of

Pylos Pylos (, ; el, Πύλος), historically also known as Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is th ...

, seat of Bronze Age Messenia, and north of

Messini Messini ( el, Μεσσήνη, before 1867: Νησί ''Nisi'') is a municipal unit (''dimotiki enotita'') and the seat town (''edra'') of the municipality (''dimos'') of Messini within the regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') of Messenia in th ...

, modern namesake of ancient Messene, nestled under the cliffs of Mount Ithome. From the top the whole valley of the

Pamisos river The Pamisos (, la, Pamisus) is the largest river of the Messenia regional unit of the southern Peloponnese in Greece. It is long, and its drainage area is . Its source is on the western slopes of the Taygetus mountains,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.

Etymology

Ithome

Like most ancient names the etymology of ''Ithome'' is not certain. It is also the name of a town in Thessaly, although Reece notes evidence that the one in Thessaly was originally called ''Thome''.

Vurkano

The pre-independence name Vurcano has had many variants: Vourkano, Voulkanos, Vulcano, Voucano, Boulcano, Dorkano, Voulkani, etc. 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 Archaeological Museum of Messenia dates the name Vourkano to the 10th century.

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 Homeric village of Ithome was probably on the summit, which is flat. In the Bronze Age, a temple dedicated to

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D� ...

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. Ithomaea ( grc, ἰθώμαια), was an annual festival celebrated at Ithome, in honour of Zeus Ithomatas and originally a musical contest was held. 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

) 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 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 , thus Messene was essentially at and Mount Ithome loomed at 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 refers to 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 The helots (; el, εἵλωτες, ''heílotes'') were ...

in the 7th and 6th centuries BC. Ithome was also the center of the

Helot The helots (; el, εἵλωτες, ''heílotes'') were a subjugated population that constituted a majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia – the territories ruled by Sparta. There has been controversy since antiquity as to their ex ...

revolt in 465 BC after an earthquake in Sparta, which became known as the

Third Messenian War The helots (; el, εἵλωτες, ''heílotes'') were a subjugated population that constituted a majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia – the territories ruled by Sparta. There has been controversy since antiquity as to their ex ...

Notes

External links

* * * {{cite web , title=Αρχαια Μεσσηνη , work=Ancient Messene Monuments , publisher=Society of Messenian Archaeological Studies , url=http://www.ancientmessene.gr/site/index_en.php , accessdate=19 July 2015 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228080433/http://www.ancientmessene.gr/site/index_en.php , archivedate=28 February 2015 Populated places in ancient Messenia Landforms of Messenia Mountains of Peloponnese (region) Locations in Greek mythology