EPIDAUROS LIMERA
Lakonia, Greece.
On
the E coast, beside the bay dominated by the rock of
Monemvasia. The epithet, of doubtful meaning even in
antiquity, distinguishes the city from Epidauros in the
Argolid. According to Apollodoros (Strab. 368) limera
meant “of the good harbor” (= limenēra), but others explained the word as signifying “parched” or “deficient”
(Schol.
Thuc. 7.26). Pausanias (
3.23.6) alleges that the
city was founded from the Argolic Epidauros. There was
a cape (
ἄκρα,
Paus. 3.23.11) with a fort (Strab. 368) called
Minoa; this may have been the promontory of Monemvasia, which, however, is now an island. The city overlooks a long stretch of coastline and the E end of the
easiest route from Sparta to the E coast of the Peloponnese. Athenian raids during the Peloponnesian War are
mentioned by Thucydides (
4.56.2, 6.105.2, 7.26.2). The
city became a member of the Eleutherolakonian League
(
Paus. 3.21.7).
The acropolis is enclosed by a Hellenic fortification
wall. Ancient towers and terrace walls are also visible;
there is a leveled surface on the acropolis, perhaps for a
temple. Mycenaean sherds have been noted near the summit. Inland, a series of chamber tombs yielded pottery
extending in time from Late Helladic II to Late Helladic
IIIC. Some of the earliest vases from the burials suggest
Minoan connectlons.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Topography: W. M. Leake,
Morea
I (1830) 211-17; F. W. Hasluck in
BSA 14 (1907-8)
179-82; H. Waterhouse & R. Hope Simpson in
BSA 56
(1961) 136-37. Cults (Zeus Soter by the harbor; Athena
on the acropolis; Aphrodite, Asklepios; Artemis Limnatis
beside the road to Boiai; and a pool of Ino): J. G. Frazer,
Paus. Des. Gr. (1898) III 387-90. Inscriptions:
IG V i
174-75, 306. Tombs: A. Ch. Oikonomakos,
ἡ Ἁρχαία Ἐηίδαυρος Διμηρά (1957); K. Demakopoulou in
Deltion
23A (1968) 145-94.
G.L.HUXLEY
