Archaeological site of Alipheira

Another fascinating archaeological destination in the semi-mountainous Ilia, the ancient walled city of Alipheira, south of the Alpheios river valley, awaits the archaeophile visitor to offer him the joy of discovering important monuments and to teach him about its mythology and history. In ancient times Alipheira was a city of Arcadia on the border with Triphylia.

It owes its name to Alipheros, one of the fifty sons of Lykaon, mythical king and progenitor of the Arcadians. The remains of the city date from the late Archaic to the Roman era, but it seems that the Classical and Hellenistic were the eras of its prime. The city was founded at a naturally fortified position, on top of a rocky ridge with the added protection of walls at the most exposed parts. The lower layers of stones are mainly preserved from the strong fortification, which was reinforced with three towers at least, while the building material of the walls remains largely scattered around the point of their collapse.

Apart from the impressive remains of the ancient fortification, visible are the lower parts and foundations of two important monuments of ancient Alipheira, whose identification with the sanctuary of Athena and the sanctuary of Asclepius is possible through the Arcadics book of Pausanias. The Doric peripteral temple of Athena, in the late archaic period, with the large altar and an inscribed pedestal for the out-of-doors colossal statue of the goddess, refer to the myth that the daughter of Zeus was born and raised in Alipheira. In fact, not far from the temple, the Tritonis spring has been identified, which is related to the tradition that Athena was born next to the Triton river.

To the west of the ancient city, within the fortifications, the Asclepieion, a small temple and an altar dedicated to Asclepius and part of another ancillary building for worship, have come to light after excavation. Part of Alipheira, the so-called lower city has been located lower, outside the fortification, to the north and east of the acropolis. Adjacent, but outside that area, the ancient necropolis is preserved with monumental, i.e. particularly well-constructed, tombs from the Hellenistic era.

We also know from the ancient sources that the city joined the Arcadian League after the defeat of the Lacedaemonians in the battle of Leuctra (371 BC) and participated in the synoecism of Megalopolis. Alipheira was ceded for a short time to the state of the Eleans in the 3rd c. BC which was a period of prosperity for the city, as it is attested by the construction of luxurious tombs.

Copyediting: Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia