SPHAKTERIA
Greece.
An island off shore
from the Bay of Navarino. It belonged to Sparta after
the second Messenian war. In 425 B.C. during the Peloponnesian war it was the site of the famous battle that
ended with the Athenian capture of 400 Spartans who
had landed on the island. The remains of the ancient
fort in which the Spartans sought refuge (
Thuc. 4.31.2),
on the mountain of Haghios Elias in the N section of
the island, which have been visited and described by
many scholars, are no longer easily recognizable. They
were destroyed by military installations during WW II.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
H. Schliemann,
AthMitt 14 (1889)
132; R. M. Burrows, “Pylos and Sphacteria,”
JHS 16
(1896) 55ff; 18 (1898) 147ff
PI; U. von Wilamovitz-Moellendorf, “Sphacteria,”
SBPreussAK (1921); W.
Kendrick-Pritchett,
Studies in Ancient Greek Topography (1965) 25ff
M.
M. G. PICOZZI
