PHENEOS
or Phenea, N Arkadia, Greece.
A town on the N edge of the now-dry lake of the same
name. Mentioned by Homer (
Il. 2.605), it rarely entered
the mainstream of Greek history, though it lay on a strategic route. It joined the Achaian League, and was taken
by Kleomenes in 225 (Polyb. 2.52.2). Pausanias describes
the site in Book Eight (14.1-15.4).
The site lies on a low hill just SE of the town of
Kalivia. Little remains, save for some of the walls (now
badly overgrown), and a Sanctuary of Asklepios lower
down the slope on the SE. The sanctuary contains two
buildings, one of them with a statue base of Asklepios
sculpted by Attalos of Athens (2d c. B.C.). In front of
the base there is a mosaic floor with a reservoir underneath. A colossal head of Hygeia in almost perfect condition, with inserted eyes and eyelashes still in place, was found in the same room. Coins found nearby confirm the
site as that of Pheneos.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J. G. Frazer,
Paus. Des. Gr. (1898) IV
231-41; J. Baker-Penoyre, “Pheneus and the Pheneatike,”
JHS 22 (1902) 228-40; G. Daux in
BCH (1959) 625; 85
(1961) 682
I; E. Vanderpool in
AJA 63 (1959) 280-81
I.
W. F. WYATT JR
