BELEMI´NA
BELEMI´NA,
BELMI´NA, or BELBI´NA (
Βελεμίνα, Βέλμινα, Βελβίνα: Eth.
Βελβινήτης, Steph. B. sub voce a town in the NW. frontier of Laconia, the territory of which was called Belminatis. (
Βελμινᾶτις, Plb. 2.54;
Strab. viii. p.343.)
It was originally an Arcadian town, but was conquered by the Lacedaemonians at an early period, and annexed to their territory; although Pausanias does not believe this statement. (
Paus. 8.35.4.)
After the battle of Leuctra Belbina was restored to Arcadia; most of its inhabitants were removed to the newly founded city of Megalopolis; and the place continued to be a dependency of the latter city. (
Paus. 8.27.4;
Plut. Cleom. 4;
Plb. 2.54.)
In the wars of the Achaean league, the Belminatis was a constant source of contention between the Spartans and Achaeans. Under Machanidas or Nabis, the tyrants of Sparta, the Belminatis was again annexed to Laconia; but upon the subjugation of Sparta by Philopoemen in B.C. 188, the Belminatis was once more annexed to the territory of Megalopolis. (
Liv. 38.34.) The Belminatis is a mountainous district, in which the Eurotas takes its rise from many springs. (Strab.
l.c.; Paus. 3.21.3.)
The mountains of Belemina, now called
Tzimbarú, rise to the height of 4108 feet. Belemina is said by Pausanias (
l.c.) to have been 100 stadia from Pellana, and is plated by Leake on the summit of Mount
Khelmós, upon which there are Hellenic remains. (Leake,
Morea, vol. iii. p. 20;
Peloponnesiaca, pp. 203, 234, 237, 366.)
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