MA´LEA
MA´LEA (
Μαλέα), a town in the district of Aegytis in Arcadia, the inhabitants of which were transferred to Megalopolis upon the foundation of the latter city. (
Paus. 8.27.4.) Its territory was called the Maleatis (
ἡ Μαλεᾶτις). Xenophon describes Leuctra as a fortress situated above the Maleatis; and as Leuctra was probably at or near
Leondári, Malea must have been in the same neighbourhood. [
LEUCTRA] Leake, however, connecting Malea with the river
MALUS (
Μαλοῦς, Paus. 8.35.1), a tributary of the Alpheius, places the town on this river, and on the road from Megalopolis to Carnasium (Leake,
Peloponnesiaca, p. 248); but this is not probable.
The place MIDEA (
Μιδέα) mentioned by Xenophon (
Xenoph. Hell. 7.1.28) is probably a corrupt form of Malea. (Curtius,
Peloponnesos, vol. i. p. 336.)