DEMETRIAS
Thessaly, Greece.
A city of
Magnesia. It was founded in ca. 293 B.C. by Demetrios
Poliorketes as a synoecism, according to Strabo (
9.436,
443), of Neleia, Pagasai, Ormenion, Rhizus, Sepias,
Boibe, lolkos, and probably Kasthanaie. From inscriptions we learn that Spalauthra, Korope, Halos, Aiole,
Homolion were absorbed into it then or later. Demetrias
was then and through the 3d c. B.C. a strong point and
harbor for the Antigonids. In 196 B.C. it fell to Rome and
in 194 B.C. was made head of the Magnesian League
(
Livy 34.51.3). With inside help it fell to the Aitolians
in 192 B.C. (
Livy 35.34) and was used by Antiochus III
until his retreat from Greece. The confused city was
retaken by Philip V of Macedon in 191 B.C. (
Livy 36.33）
and remained in Macedonian control until the battle of
Pydna in 167 B.C., when its fortifications were destroyed.
It continued, however, as head of the reformed Magnesian
League, and flourished through the Roman period, although its most splendid days were past. It was a bishopric in the Christian period, was ravaged by the Saracens
in the 9th c., and declined until its desertion by 1600.
The city was long thought to be located at Goritza
across the way, but has proved to be, as Strabo (
9.436）
stated, exactly between Pagasai and Neleia, indeed it
absorbed part of the walled area of Pagasai and probably all of Neleia. Pagasai is immediately SW of Demetrias and Neleia was probably at the tip of modern Cape
Pevkakia (Tarsanas) within the wall circuit of Demetrias. Demetrias is on the W shore of the Gulf of Pagasai, 3 km SE of modern Volo. Its wall included a rocky
cape (Pevkakia) jutting E into the gulf and a hill inland
to the W. The low hill of the cape and the higher one
inland are separated by a flat valley through which runs
the modern Volo-Halmyros road. Immediately to the S
of this cape is a marsh (Halykes) which may have been
the S harbor of the city, and to the N a bay (N harbor)
with a marsh (Bourboulithra) at its W end.
The wall of Demetrias, ca. 7 km in circumference, is
fairly well preserved to several courses high along much
of its length; it has largely disappeared along the shore
between the Pevkakia peninsula and the Bourboulithra
marsh. The enclosed acropolis is on a high point (Palatia,
170 m) on the W hill of the city. There remain 182 projecting towers, more or less evenly spaced along the wall.
The wall and towers consist of a stone socle with mudbrick upper parts, the brick represented now only by
some earth covering. The socle is built of rough-faced
rectangular and trapezoidal blocks laid in more or less
regular courses, and varying somewhat in style depending
on the material at hand. It is double with a filling of
stones. In some places the remains of an outer wall
(proteichisma) also furnished with towers (included in
the 182) may be seen. The wall must date from the early
3d c. B.C. A few of the towers at the SW end of the city
were hastily enlarged, perhaps at some time between 192
and 191 B.C. in connection with the Aitolian takeover,
or Antiochus' use of the city, or in the disturbed period
after his departure. These towers included painted grave
stelai from a necropolis immediately outside the original
wall.
Several buildings are visible within the circuit. No comprehensive excavations have ever been carried out, although in the early part of the century Arvanitopoullos
excavated here and there (including the stelai towers)
and some areas have been cleared or recleared recently.
The civic center of the ancient city seems to have been
at least partly at the base of the peninsula. Here are the
foundations of a temple, perhaps originally peripteral,
excavated in 1908 and recently cleared. It is attributed to
Artemis lolkia, and apparently dates to the early 3d c.
B.C. Remains of its peribolos wall can be seen to the N
and S of it. It appears that at least on the W side the
precinct was bounded by a stoa. Within the peribolos
was a Sacred Market, known from inscriptions. Just N
of this is a large (54 x 55 m) building with a square central peristyle court surrounded by rooms. Stählin thought
this was a market, but by analogy with, e.g., the Macedonian palace at Verghina it has recently tentatively
been identified as the Antigonid palace known to have
been built at Demetrias. Partially excavated and recently
cleared, it is dated to the first half of the 3d c. B.C. West
of this is a flat area with the remains of a terrace wall at
its W side. On the peninsula are various other ruins,
including a shrine of Pasikrata excavated by Arvanitopoullos. Some remains of the ancient harbor may be seen.
At the tip of the peninsula recent excavations have uncovered numerous Mycenaean remains, probably those of
Neleia, and some Hellenistic remains, notably those of a
purple-dye factory.
The ancient theater lay at the foot of the W hill, just
across the valley from the Macedonian palace (?). It was
partially excavated early in the century, and finally
cleared in 1958 and 1959. The edge of the orchestra
was discovered, and the first row of seats. The theater
apparently dates from the period of the city's foundation.
Only the foundations of the Hellenistic proskenion remain. The fairly well-preserved skene is of the Late
Roman period. North of the theater are two large hollow
areas, and some ancient remains including washbasins. It
is presumed the hippodrome and stadium were here. On
the N harbor there is a modern lighthouse. Near this in
1912 were discovered the poros foundations of a temple.
The main Late Roman and Christian settlement was
evidently in the flat valley by the N harbor. Here are
numerous wall remains, the foundations of a basilica,
etc. Seventy-six piers of a Roman Imperial aqueduct
(now called Dontia, “teeth”) cross the valley from just
S of the theater. In 1962 an Early Christian (late 4th c.
B.C.) basilica was excavated above the S harbor of the
city.
There are few remains to be seen on the city's W hill.
Above the theater is a not completely understood building partially cleared in 1961. This is a complex of rooms
and terraces with a rough surrounding wall, and a roadway leading to an entrance, perhaps with propylon, on
the W side. There was an altar in the center of the complex. Stählin suggested the Macedonian palace might have
been here, but at present this building is considered to be
a shrine.
The finds from Demetrias are mainly in the Museum
of Volo; some of the objects from tombs are in the Stathatos Collection in the National Museum of Athens.
Perhaps the most notable group of objects is that of the
painted grave stelai from the towers. Numbering ca. 400
and dating mainly from the 3d c. B.C., they are of marble,
painted with encaustic, generally with farewell scenes, or
single or grouped figures. Most are faded; a few retain
considerable color.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A.J.B. Wace,
JHS 26 (1906) 170
I; A. S.
Arvanitopoullos,
Praktika (1907) 175-82; (1909) 137-54
I; (1910) 235-41
PI; (1912) 154ff
I; (1915) 159-229
I; id.,
ArchEph (1908) 1-60; id.,
Graptai Stelai Demetriados—Pagason (1928)
MPI; id., numerous articles in
Polemon 1-5 (1929 to 1955), mainly on the stelai; F.
Stählin,
Das hellenische Thessalien (1924) 69-75
P;
Stählin & E. Meyer,
Pagasai und Demetrias (1934)
MPI;
id.,
BCH 46 (1922) 518; 53.2 (1929) 507; N. D. Papahadjis,
Thessalika 1 (1958) 16-26
MP, 50-65; 2 (1959)
22-27; D. Theocharis,
Thessalika 3 (1960) 57-85
PI;
Deltion 16 (1960) chron. 172-74, 183
P; 17 (1961-62)
chron. 172-74
I; 18 (1963) chron. 139f
P; 23 (1968)
chron. 263; 24 (1969) chron. 221f; id.,
Praktika (1957)
55-69
PI (Neleia); id.,
Ergon (1957) 31-36
PI (Neleia).
T. S. MACKAY
