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117-626: Today Megalopoli has several schools, shops, churches, hotels and other services. The population of Megalopoli in 2021 was 5,344 residents. Megalopoli is situated in a wide valley, surrounded by mountains: the Taygetus to the south, the Mainalo to the north, the Tsemperou to the southeast and the Lykaion to the west. Its elevation is 430 m above sea level. The river Alfeios flows through this valley, coming from

234-652: A combination of folded mountains and fault-block mountains running in a northwest–southeast direction. The Hellenic Subduction carries the leading edge of the African Plate under the Aegean Sea Plate at the Hellenic Trench . It follows an arc around the outer edge of the Peloponnese and Crete. The subduction on the west is to the northeast, on the east to the northwest, and north in the center. The average direction

351-526: A commander in Illyria, remained inactive while Perseus was there. After Perseus returned to Macedon, Coelius tried to recover Uscana, but was repulsed and returned to Lychnidus. He sent a detachment to the area to receive the hostages from the cities which had remained loyal (they were sent to Apollonia) and from the Parthini (a tribe of southern Illyria), who were sent to Dyrrhachium (modern Durrës, Albania). Perseus

468-483: A detachment of 800 Romans, which withdrew on a hill and formed a circle with interlocked shields to protect against javelins. The Macedonians surrounded the hill, but could not make their way up. The Macedonians used cestrosphendons , a weapon that had just been invented. It was like a dart with feathers round the shaft shot by a sling held by two thongs. The slinger whirled it and it flew off. The Romans were getting tired and Perseus urged them to surrender. Pulbius Licinius

585-502: A heroic march into Macedon through the Olympus mountains . He sent 4,000 light infantry ahead to secure the road to a pass near Octolophus, but the road was so difficult and steep that they advanced only fifteen miles and seven miles the following day. They spotted an enemy camp guarding the pass. Quintus Marcius stopped on a hill, which gave a wide view and ordered one day's rest. The next day he attacked with half his troops. The enemy had seen

702-558: A major tourist attraction in the region. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The peak known as Taleton, above Bryseae , was 'dedicated' to Helios , the Sun, to whom horses were sacrificed. Taleton was also 'dedicated' to Zeus . Today, the mountain is closely associated with the holy Prophet Elias , and every year on the 20th of July (the Greek Orthodox feast day for the Prophet Elias),

819-589: A north–south direction. Mount Taygetus is a limestone horst bordering the Eurotas Rift Valley. Below its eastern face is the Sparta fault, a normal fault striking perpendicular to the direction of extension. Footwall scarps are visible on the eastern side of Taygetus at the base of its spurs. They result from sudden slippages of the hanging wall in the direction of the dip, causing earthquakes. Single earthquakes result in 1–12 m of scarp. The Sparta fault

936-423: A party to open a road, with allied troops protecting them while clearing the way through the forests. Marcius kept the cavalry and baggage before him and closed the rear with his legions. The descent from the hill felled pack animals. Elephants threw off their riders and roared loudly, frightening the horses. A series of bridges (made with two long posts fastened to the earth to which ten-yard-long beams were attached)

1053-571: A profound influence on the federal politics and it was the hometown of several notable Achaean figures such as Philopoemen , Lykortas and Polybius . Rome conquered Megalopolis during the Third Macedonian War in 146 BCE, as part of their conquest of Greece. The city remained populated under the Romans but by the 6th century it was almost completely abandoned. During the Byzantine era, and later also

1170-399: A siege started. Perseus heard about this attack and sent one of his commanders with 2,000 men. His instructions were that if he could not dislodge the Romans at Meliboea he was to march on Demetrias before Figulus and Eumenes moved there from Iolcos. When the Romans at Meliboea saw him arriving they burnt the siege works and left. The Macedonians hurried to Demetrias. Figulus and Eumenes reached

1287-661: A strong garrison in Gonnus and returned to Macedon for the winter. He sent a governor to Phila to try to win over the Magnetes (a tribe to the east of Thessaly) and went to Thessalonica with king Cotys IV, the Thracians' commander. They heard that Autlebis, the chief of a Thracian tribe (possibly the Caeni ) and Corrhagus, one of Eumenes' commanders, had invaded one of Cotys' territories. Perseus let Cotys go to defend it and gave his cavalry only half of

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1404-634: A woman who was involved in the failed plot and a Roman who claimed that Perseus had tried to coerce him into poisoning ambassadors to Rome. Perseus was declared a public enemy, the Senate elected to wage war and dispatched an army to Apollonia on the western coast of Greece to occupy the coastal cities. The war was, however, put off. Eumenes also prepared for war. Gentius , king of the Illyrians , brought himself under suspicion, but had not gone so far as to decide which side to support. The Thracian Cotys IV , king of

1521-490: Is N 21° E. In the islands and southern Greece a fault-block mountain orogeny prevails due to a double set of crustal movements. On the one hand the Aegean Sea Plate is being raised by the subduction. On the other hand, north–south extensional movements, yet unexplained, are pulling the plate apart, creating normal extensional faults and generating a parallel sequence of horsts and grabens , or rift valleys , running in

1638-612: Is a mountain range on the Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece . The highest mountain of the range is Mount Taygetus, also known as "Profitis Ilias", or "Prophet Elias" ( Elijah ). The name is one of the oldest recorded in Europe, appearing in the Odyssey . In classical mythology, it was associated to the nymph Taygete and it was named after her. During Byzantine times and up until

1755-508: Is probably the classical Mount Taléton mentioned by Pausanias . The summit is an ultra-prominent peak . It is prominent above the Isthmus of Corinth , which separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece, rises only to approximately 60 m (200 ft). Numerous creeks wash down from the mountains and the Eurotas has some of its headwaters in the northern part of the range. The western side of

1872-561: Is zig-zag in strike, varying between N 170° E and N 140° E. The maximum slippage has been 10–12 m in three increments. The earthquake of 464 BC, which levelled Sparta, resulted from a slippage of 3–4 m over a length of 20 km of the fault. The slip rate has been about 1 mm per year suggesting an average interval between earthquakes of 3000 years. The slopes of Taygetus are heavily forested, primarily with Greek fir ( Abies cephalonica ) and black pine ( Pinus nigra ). Devastating fires in 2005 and 2007 consumed much of

1989-474: The Greek National Road 7 . The Greek National Road 7 connects Megalopoli with Pyrgos via Karytaina and Andritsaina . The railway from Corinth to Kalamata passes 4 km south of the town. Megalopoli is 24 km southwest of Tripoli, 41 km north of Kalamata, 45 km northwest of Sparti and 68 km southeast of Pyrgos. Megalopolis is known for its ancient ruins situated northwest of

2106-520: The Gulf of Corinth . He left his ships at Creusis and traveled to join the fleet stationed at Chalcis overland. Aulus Hostilius, who had been protecting Rome's allies, had restored discipline in his troops and was encamped in Thessaly; he handed over his troops and returned to Rome. The consul started marching towards Macedon. Perseus sent troops to the mountain passes into Macedon. Quintus Marcius carried out

2223-498: The Megalopoli Power Plant followed soon. The town was struck by the massive Arcadia earthquake of 5 April 1965, in which 17 inhabitants were killed and 80% of residences were demolished or rendered uninhabitable. The municipality Megalopoli was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following three former municipalities, that became municipal units: The municipality has an area of 722.629 km,

2340-588: The Odrysian Kingdom , the largest state in Thrace, had already declared for Macedon. The consuls for 171 BC were Publius Licinius Crassus and Gaius Cassius Longinus . Macedon was assigned to Publius Licinius and the command of the fleet was assigned to praetor Gaius Lucretius. Two legions were assigned for Macedon, each number 6,000 instead of the usual 5,200. Allied troops numbering 16,000 infantry and 800 cavalry accompanied them. Envoys were sent to confer with

2457-628: The Peloponnese and called a meeting of the Achaean council. He praised the Achaeans for retaining an old decree forbidding the Macedonian kings to approach their territories, and emphasized that Rome considered Perseus an enemy. Violent conflict erupted in Thessaly and Perrhaebia (the land of the Perrhaebi , a tribe in northern Thessaly). This was exacerbated by a debt problem. Rome sent an envoy to try to defuse

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2574-530: The River Strymon , in modern Bulgaria), 3,000 Thracians, 2,000 Gauls, 3,000 Macedonian cavalry, 1,000 Thracian cavalry, and 500 men from various Greek states. Perseus marched to Perrhaebi in the northernmost district of Thessaly and seized the main towns north of the River Peneus , which crosses northern Thessaly: Cyretiae , Mylae , Elatia and Gonnus . He encamped at Sycurium , between Mount Ossa and

2691-459: The University of Athens , discovered remains of adult individuals which appeared to confirm that Ceadas was mainly a place of punishment for criminals, traitors and captives. According to an Open University online course, "The first century CE writer Plutarch explains that Sparta had a ritual by which newborn babies were judged by the elders and those thought unfit to be allowed to live were left at

2808-479: The 19th century, the mountain was also known as Pentadaktylos (Πενταδάκτυλος; Greek for five-fingered , a common name during that period). The Taygetus Massif is about 100 km (62 mi) long, extending from the center of the Peloponnese to Cape Matapan , its southernmost extremity. It contains the tallest mountain in the Peloponnese, the Profitis Ilias summit, reaching 2,405 m (7,890 ft); this

2925-625: The 270s BC, Aristodamos the Good managed to take control over the city as a tyrant backed by Macedon. In 235 BC, the second tyrant of the city, Lydiades , gave up control over the polis and the city became a member of the Achaean League . In 222 BC, the Spartan king Cleomenes III burnt down the city but it was rebuilt in the years after the destruction. As a member of the Achaean League, Megalopolis had

3042-514: The Achaean council threatened to call on Rome in their opposition to an alliance with Perseus. If not for this, such an alliance might have happened. Perseus made preparations for war, storing corn for 30,000 troops. He had money to hire 10,000 mercenaries and could draw many soldiers from Thrace. He had been stocking weapons. He seized some places and persuaded others through favour. Eumenes II claimed that if Rome ignored these developments, Perseus might attack Italy. A few days after Eumenes' speech,

3159-519: The Central Range. The Rindomo Gorge separates the Central Range from Southern Taygetos. The section of Taygetus that forms the backbone of the Mani Peninsula is also known as Saggias, and is often not considered part of Taygetus. The central part of the mountain range is commonly called "Skoteini Plevra", which means "the dark side" because the villages located there do not receive as much sunshine in

3276-523: The Enipeus to use it as a defence. Meanwhile, Quintus Marcius sent 2,000 men from Phila to seize Heracleum, halfway between Dium and the Vale of Tempe, and moved his quarters there, as if he intended to besiege Dium. Instead, he prepared for the winter and had roads built for the transport of supplies from Thessaly. Figulus sailed from Heracleum to Thessalonica. He pillaged the countryside and repulsed sorties from

3393-516: The Eumenes' men at the rear and their combined ranks provided a safe retreat for the allied cavalry. As the enemy's pursuit slackened, the Thessalians ventured forward to protect the retreat. The Macedonian forces, which had become spread out, did not close with the enemy, which was advancing in compact formation. The Macedonian phalanx now came forward without Perseus' orders. The Roman infantry came out of

3510-535: The Greek states. They received the support of Epirus , in western Greece, and Aetolia and Thessaly, in central Greece. The main Boeotian cities, though divided between a pro-Roman and a pro-Perseus faction, decided to break the treaty with Perseus to side with Rome. This broke up the league of Boeotian cities as some of them supported Perseus. In Rhodes a new leader, and some locally notable citizens such as Astymedes , persuaded

3627-625: The Macedonians. After this Publius Licinius went to Boeotia, where Thebes was in trouble with another Boeotian city, Coronea, and asked for help. The commander sent to Illyria by the consul attacked two towns. He seized Cerenia and initially allowed the inhabitants to keep their belongings, in order to encourage the strongly fortified city of Carnuns to go over to him. However, he did not succeed and later sacked Cerenia. The other consul, Gaius Crassus, achieved little in northern Italy and unsuccessfully tried to go to Illyria and attack Macedon. The senate

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3744-631: The Ottoman, the town on the same place was called Sináno (Σινάνο). It was renamed Megalopoli after the Greek War of Independence . Megalopoli retained a rural character until the early 1960s, when with the help of Megalopoli-born Prof. Leonidas Zervas (then Minister of Industry ) the Greek Public Power Corporation started mining lignite in the Megalopoli Mine and the construction of

3861-580: The Peneus. He was joined by 4,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry brought by Eumenes II of Pergamon and 1,500 infantry and 600 cavalry. A contingent of the Roman fleet went through the Gulf of Corinth and fought the Boeotians. It besieged Haliartus with 10,000 mariners and 2,000 troops under one of the brothers of Eumenes II. Eventually the city fell; 2,500 fighters who had taken refuge in the citadel were sold as slaves and

3978-403: The Roman camp and was ready. The narrow ridge allowed for the deployment of only small numbers of light troops and so the engagement was limited to a skirmish. Perseus, who was not far, did not intervene or send more troops. Despite the presence of the enemy, Quintus Marcius had no choice but to persist. Leaving some troops to guard the summit, he marched across trackless places, having sent forward

4095-543: The Roman camp the Aetolians were blamed for beginning the panic that spread to the Greek troops, who fled following their example. Five Aetolian officers were sent to Rome. The Thessalians were commended for their bravery. Perseus moved his camp to Mopselus, a hill at the entrance of the Vale of Tempe that commanded the plain of Larissa. Meanwhile, Misagenes (the son of Masinissa , king of Numidia ) brought 1,000 Numidian cavalry,

4212-441: The Roman camp, but the Romans did not give battle. He returned several times to the same spot and at the same hour. He hoped that the Roman cavalry would pursue his troops, so that he could attack it with his superior cavalry while it was away from the Roman camp. As this failed, he moved his camp five miles away from the Roman camp. The next day, he lined up for battle at dawn. As this was earlier than he had usually done, it surprised

4329-422: The Roman detachment. Livy wrote that as the two forces were equal in numbers and "no fresh troops came up on either side, the engagement ended in a drawn battle". Perseus then returned to Sycurium. Neither side wanted a large-scale battle and for Perseus, this was something of a test. Moreover, his men had marched for twelve miles without water. Perseus returned the next day, bringing water carts. He lined up before

4446-522: The Romans. He reached Cephallania (Cephalonia, an island in the Ionic Sea) where he was joined by seven ships from Roman allies. He then went to Corfu . The consul crossed the sea from Italy and encamped with his force near Apollonia. Perseus assembled his whole army at Citium . He had 39,000 infantry, half of which were phalanxes (heavy infantry). The force included 3,000 Cretans, 3,000 men from Agrianes, Paeonia and Parstrymonia (a Thracian area around

4563-419: The Romans. Perseus engaged the Romans by a hill called Callinicus. Perseus' left wing included Thracians intermixed with cavalry and the right wing consisted of Cretan infantry intermixed with Macedonian cavalry. The wings were flanked by a mix of Macedonian cavalry and allied troops of various nationalities. The centre held the “sacred” cavalry fronted by slingers and javelin throwers. Publius Licinius lined up

4680-413: The Vale of Tempe was a difficult passage, dangerous even if not guarded. The precipices on both sides were steep and the passage was so narrow that it barely allowed a loaded horse. To make matters worse, guard detachments occupied four places along the pass. One was at the entrance, another in a thick forest and the third on the road where the valley was narrowest (Livy did not specify the characteristics of

4797-506: The area and its strong posts, leaving them to the Romans, even though the area was easily defensible. He ordered the inhabitants of Dium , where he was encamped, to move to Pydna and moved his statues there. Quintus Marcius advanced, facing a difficult decision. The Romans could leave the area only through two passes: through the Vale of Tempe to Thessaly or on to Macedon by way of Dium, and both were guarded. The Romans could not withdraw to Thessaly lest they cut their supply lines. Furthermore,

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4914-550: The area today, such as those of the extinct straight-tusked elephant . The city was founded through a synodical of twenty to forty neighbouring communities between 371 and 368 BC by the Arcadian League in an attempt to form a political counterweight to Sparta . Megalopolis was a member of the Arcadian League after its foundation until the dissolution of the federation in 362 BC. In 353 BC, when Thebes had her hands full with

5031-526: The beginning of 173 BC, the Romans sent commissioners to Aetolia and Macedonia, but they were not given the opportunity to meet Perseus. The Romans surmised that he was preparing for war. Aetolian cities experienced increasingly violent internal conflicts. A Roman envoy attended the session of the Aetolian council at Delphi . He asked both factions to abstain from war. This was agreed through an exchange of hostages, who were sent to Corinth . The envoy then went to

5148-463: The camp. The troops were not well organised, stretched out in a long and irregular line. They became separated in the dark. They did not see anyone on the walls as they approached. However, the defenders made a sortie, killing many of the Romans; only 1,000 escaped. Appius took the remains of his force to Lychnidus without taking care of the stragglers. This and other reverses were reported to Rome. The senate ordered two deputies to gather information on

5265-467: The capital of Thessaly, to prevent Perseus from garrisoning it. Perseus' ambassadors arrived in Rome to argue for peace. The senate was not persuaded and they were ordered to leave Rome. Fleet commander Gaius Lucretius set off with 40 ships. He received ten vessels from allies in southern Illyria at Dyrrhachium (modern Durrës , Albania) and 54 light vessels from Gentius, which he assumed had been assembled for

5382-448: The captured Romans and their carts in a narrow passage. Unable to get through, the men threw the carts down the hill. The king showed up and, to the soldiers’ dismay, ordered them to march back. Livy noted that according to some sources the consul returned to his camp, while according to others a big battle ensued in which 8,000 enemies were killed, including two commanders, and 2,800 were captured, while Romans lost 4,300 men. Perseus left

5499-474: The city of the Abderites when they endeavoured to avert, by entreaty, the intolerable burdens imposed on them". Perseus made an incursion against Dardania in southern Illyria, killed 10,000 and seized a large booty. An embassy from Chalcis (chief town of Euboea ) came to Rome to complain about Gaius Lucretius (for plundering the city, a friend of Rome), and the current commander, Lucius Hortensius, for keeping

5616-508: The day of his accession. He was respected and feared in the east and had influence on many kings. He mentioned Prusias of Bithynia, who was an enemy of Pergamon, asking for the hand of Perseus’ daughter. He also mentioned that Antiochus IV , the new Seleucid king, betrothed his daughter to Perseus as an example of Perseus gaining influence among kings in the east, even though Antiochus had just renewed his father's alliance with Rome. The Boeotians had never made an alliance with Macedon. Members of

5733-580: The early morning and the late afternoon hours. The mountains of southern Europe that fringe the Mediterranean Sea and run generally in an east-west direction are of the folded type generated by collision of the northward-moving African Plate with the Eurasian Plate . Where the northern edge of the African Plate is being subducted in an irregular line a second orogeny occurs that is not entirely understood. The mountains of Italy and Greece are

5850-460: The earth for weeks. In antiquity, it was often identified as the site of the mythical Gigantomachy where the Greek giants were defeated and killed in a decisive battle with the gods, possibly inspired by enormous bones dug up from around the area taken as giants bones, which were noted by Ancient Greek writers such as Pausanias . These have been conjectured in modern times to be those of Pleistocene fossil animals which are still often unearthed from

5967-417: The east and flowing to the north, passing south and west of the town. Its tributary Elissonas passes north of the town. The large lignite deposits around Megalopoli are being exploited by open-pit mining . The Megalopoli Power Plant , 3 km northwest of the town centre, has produced electricity from this lignite since 1969. The A7 motorway connects Megalopoli with Kalamata and Tripoli , replacing

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6084-544: The era of barbarian invasions, Taygetus served as a shelter for the native population. Many of the villages in its slopes date from this period. In Medieval times , the citadel and monastery of Mystras was built on the steep slopes, and became a center of Byzantine civilization and served as the capital of the Despotate of the Morea . Mystras remains occupied by a tiny religious community. The buildings are remarkably well-preserved and

6201-674: The fire without having to climb the mountain. The highest point, Profitis Ilias, is a popular hiking destination and European walking route E4 runs along the lower slopes of the range. The view from the Profitis Ilias includes most of the Evrotas Valley and the Parnon range to the east, while the view towards the west includes Kalamata and the eastern half of Messenia. Most of the southwestern part of Arcadia can also be seen. Third Macedonian War The Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC)

6318-469: The foot of Mount Taygetos. However, no other source tells us this about Spartan practices, and no infant remains have been found at this site." While bones have been found at the site, a study determined they all belonged to adolescents and adults. At the ancient period, on spring women tied around their necks a plant which was growing on the mountain and was called Charisia . This way they wanted to make themselves more passionately beloved by men. During

6435-457: The forests on the central west slopes, and only about half remain. The slopes of Taygetus have been inhabited since at least Mycenean times. The site of Arkina, near the village of Arna , contains three beehive tombs and is still unexplored. Taygetus was important as one of Sparta's natural defenses. The Spartans threw criminals into a chasm of Taygetus known as Ceadas or Caeadas ( Greek : Καιάδας and Κεάδας ). Recent evidence, found by

6552-409: The forts he had taken were stocked with corn. Quintus Marcius moved his headquarters to Phila to distribute corn to the soldiers. Livy noted allegations that he had withdrawn because of fear that had he stayed he would have had to risk battle, and that he let his gains slip. With his withdrawal Perseus marched back to Dium, rebuilt the fortifications the Romans had pulled down, and encamped on the bank of

6669-462: The fourth). The only way to retreat or receive supplies was to recross the mountains, but they were also difficult. It was also hard to pass unnoticed as the enemy was posted on the heights. The only option was the area between the bottom of Mount Olympus and the sea, but that was only one mile wide, half of which was the bog of the mouth of the River Baphirus and a large part of the remaining plain

6786-455: The hands of Rome and gave her the right to determine his future and that of Macedon. Perseus hoped to buy the peace by various offers of higher and higher sums of money, but Publius Licinius turned them down. Perseus returned to Sycurium, preparing to resume hostilities. Meanwhile, the Romans in Boeotia, having taken Haliartus, moved to Thebes, which surrendered without fighting. The city was given to

6903-432: The heavy infantry inside the rampart and the light infantry and the cavalry in front of it. The right wing had light infantry intermixed with Roman cavalry and the left wing had light infantry and cavalry of Greek allies. In the centre were select cavalry with Eumenes' troops, 200 Gauls and 300 Cyrtians. The Thessalian cavalry of 400 was a short distance in front of them. Eumenes, his brother Attalus, and their infantry were in

7020-497: The hills overlooking the camp. As the Romans did not move, he returned to Sycurium. The Romans moved to Phalanna (the capital of the Perrhaebi of northern Thessaly) for further harvesting. Perseus learned that they were dispersed and that no one was guarding the camp. He hurried with 1,000 cavalry and 2,000 Thracian and Cretan light infantry and caught the Romans by surprise. He captured nearly 1,000 carts and 600 men. Then he attacked

7137-461: The hostages. Gentius sent an envoy of his to Perseus to get his sworn sword, the hostages and the talents, which was to be collected by men who accompanied him. After receiving all of these he was to travel to Rhodes with Macedonian envoys to deliver a plea by the two kings for Rhodes and her powerful navy to join them against the Romans. Perseus went to meet the Illyrians, the hostages were exchanged and

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7254-437: The island to ally with Rome. Gentius, the king of Illyria, remained non–committal. A commission was sent to Greece. Perseus invited one of the commissioners, Marcius, for a meeting. He denounced Eumenes' allegations and others and claimed that his international relations were not aimed at preparing for war. Marcius advised him to send an embassy to Rome and arranged an armistice to guarantee safe passage. He did this because Rome

7371-518: The issue was uncertain." When they returned to Macedon they told Perseus that the Romans were not preparing for war, but they were so embittered with him that they might do so soon. Perseus thought that this might be possible. He was determined to begin the war by shedding the blood of Eumenes, whom he hated, and called for Euander, a leader of Cretan mercenaries, and three Macedonian killers to arrange Eumenes' assassination. The cities of Greece and western and central Anatolia became convinced that Eumenes

7488-477: The lower Peneus. It overlooked the plains of Thessaly and was not far from Larissa. Meanwhile, Publius Licinius had marched from Epirus on the west coast of Greece through arduous mountain passes and through Athamania , a kingdom allied with Perseus. He was lucky that they were not attacked, otherwise the green troops tired from their journey would have been defeated. He reached Thessaly and encamped at Tripolis Larisaia , five kilometres north of Larissa and further up

7605-567: The massif houses the headwaters of the Vyros Gorge , which carries winter snowmelt down the mountain, emptying into the Messenian Gulf in the town of Kardamyli . Taygetus overlooks the cities of Sparta and Kalamata , whose skyline it dominates. The mountain range lies within the prefectures of Arcadia , Laconia and Messenia . Taygetus is crossed by Greek National Road 82 , which links Kalamata to Sparti and separates Northern Taygetus from

7722-400: The men and put the women and children in custody. He sent envoys to Gentius, to seek an alliance. Gentius said he did not have enough money for war. Perseus, who had a reputation as a miser, sent the envoys back but did not mention money, even though he had the proceeds from the slave sale. Perseus ravaged Ancrya, returned to Uscana, fortifying it, and then returned to Macedon. Lucius Coelius,

7839-502: The money and told them to proceed slowly and to wait for his instructions when they reached the border. Gentius, who had received only a small part of the money, was urged to provoke the Romans into an attack. As a result, he imprisoned two Roman envoys. Perseus, believing that Gentius had now been pushed into war with Rome, told the couriers to take the money back to his treasury. Livy wrote that, through his avarice, Perseus had lost an alliance with Gentius backed by large army of Gauls. When

7956-612: The municipal unit 331.498 km. The municipal unit of Megalopoli is subdivided into the following communities (villages within the community in brackets): The province of Megalopoli ( Greek : Επαρχία Μεγαλόπολης ) was one of the provinces of the Messenia Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Megalopoli, except the municipal unit Gortyna . It was abolished in 2006. Taygetus The Taygetus , Taugetus , Taygetos or Taÿgetus ( Greek : Ταΰγετος , romanized :  Taygetos )

8073-410: The nearest cities in Thessaly. Eumenes and Attalus returned to Pergamon. He then went with part of his army south to Achaean Phthiotis where he razed Pteleum . Antronae surrendered. Livy wrote that then he went to Larissa, that the Macedonian garrison had fled and that the inhabitants, who had taken refuge in the citadel, surrendered. Oddly, he had not previously mentioned that Larissa had been taken by

8190-556: The neighbouring states. He gathered 8,000 soldiers and sent them to Lychnidus , in the territory of the Dassaretians , a tribe in Epirus. Messengers from the nearby Uscana —a town allied with Perseus and garrisoned by Cretans—told Appius Claudius that some people in the town were willing to hand it over to him. He neither asked for hostages as a safeguard nor sent scouts. He encamped near the city and set out at night, leaving 1,000 men to guard

8307-586: The north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, in Boeotia) and marched to Thessaly. He immediately marched, but he was defeated. He gave up his useless attempts first to force his way through Elimea in south-western Macedon and secretly marched through Thessaly. Perseus anticipated his moves. Livy wrote that Gaius Hortensius did not conduct his naval operations “with sufficient skill or success, for none of his acts deserves better to be remembered than his cruel and perfidious plundering of

8424-781: The ousting of its ally. Perseus made an alliance with Cotys IV , the king of the Odrysian kingdom , the largest state in Thrace . He enlarged his army. He also announced that he could carry out reforms in Greece and restore its previous strength and prosperity. Perseus sent agents to seek support in the Greek states and cities. He gained the support of Greeks who were treated generously, saw Perseus as their kindred, were keen on revolutionary change, or did not want to be at Rome's mercy. Perseus' propaganda and political manoeuvres around Greece created bitter disputes between pro-Roman and pro-Perseus factions. At

8541-473: The plain. The pursuers were joined by an Epirot force that ravaged the area; 1,000 troops of the city of Antigonea were killed and 100 were captured in an ambush. They then encamped near Appius Claudius, who decided to go back to Illyria. He sent the soldiers to winter camps and returned to Rome. In early spring consul Quintus Marcius sailed with 5,000 men to reinforce his legions. They disembarked at Ambracia and moved towards Thessaly. Figulus took his fleet into

8658-458: The pro-Roman party and the property of the pro-Macedonians was sold. Perseus viewed the fact that the Romans were harvesting corn and dumping straw in front of their camp was a good opportunity to torch the camp. However, his night incursion was discovered. Perseus withdrew amidst skirmishes with pursuing Romans. The Romans moved to Crannon (modern Krannonas, to the south-east of Larissa) to reap more corn. They saw Perseus’ cavalry and infantry on

8775-412: The rampart. On seeing it advancing, Cretan commander Euander advised Perseus that continuing the battle was an unnecessary risk, and the king decided to withdraw. Despite this, the battle was considered a Macedonian victory because they lost 400 infantry and 20 cavalry, while the Romans lost 2,000 infantry and 200 cavalry. On Eumenes advice, Publius Licinius moved his camp across the river for protection. In

8892-491: The rear, just in front of the rampart. The armies' numbers were even. The battle was started by the slingers and javelin throwers. Then the Thracians attacked the Roman cavalry on the right wing, throwing it into confusion. The infantry on both sides cut the lances of the horsemen and stabbed the sides of the horses. Perseus’ centre pushed back the Greeks on the left wing. The Thessalian cavalry, which had been kept in reserve, joined

9009-401: The rowdy sailors in the town. Lucretius was put on trial and fined by the plebeian tribunes; the senate ordered Hortensius to free the men enslaved by Lucretius and to move the sailors off the island. It was suspected that Gentius might side with Perseus. Therefore, the senate sent eight ships with 2,000 soldiers to Issa. Aulus Hostilius sent Appius Claudius to Illyria with 4,000 men to protect

9126-400: The same number of infantry and 22 elephants for the Romans. Perseus was advised to use the victory to secure an honourable peace. This would make him look moderate and if the Romans rejected it, they would look arrogant. Perseus approved. Envoys were sent to the consul. They promised to pay tribute which would be negotiated. The reply was that peace would be granted only if Perseus put himself in

9243-408: The senate received envoys from Perseus. They said that Perseus had not said or done anything hostile. However, the senators did not believe this and "their ears had been captured by Eumenes". They felt affronted when the leader of the embassy said that if Perseus saw that the Romans were bent on an excuse for war, he would respond with courage and that "the chances of war were the same for both sides and

9360-492: The senate replied that the Rhodians and Perseus had conspired against Rome and that the words of the ambassadors confirmed this. Once Perseus had been defeated, Rome would consider retribution. The consuls for 168 BC were Lucius Aemilius Paulus (for the second time) and Gaius Licinius Crassus. Macedon was assigned to Lucius Aemilius and the command of the fleet was assigned to the praetor Gnaeus Octavius. The praetor Lucius Anicius

9477-424: The siege. The Romans and Eumenes considered besieging Torone , but changed their minds because of its garrison. They went on Demetrias , but they saw that the walls were fully manned. Thus, they brought the fleet into harbour at Iolcos , after pillaging the countryside. To remain active, Quintus Marcius sent 5,000 men to Meliboea by Mount Ossa, where it stretches out into Thessaly to command Demetrias. Works for

9594-406: The situation in Greece. The deputies reported the successes of Perseus and the fear of the Greek allies about Perseus reducing many cities. They also reported that Publius Licinius' troops were, thin because he had granted leave to many of them, in order to gain popularity. The consuls for 169 BC were Quintus Marcius Philippus (for the second time) and Gnaeus Servilius Caepio . The Macedonian War

9711-462: The situation. He managed to do so by addressing indebtedness "swollen by illegal interest" in both areas. Eumenes II of Pergamon , who had been in conflict with Macedon and who disliked Perseus, made a speech in the Roman senate with the aim of precipitating hostilities. The contents of the speech were kept secret and emerged only after war's end. He claimed that Perseus had been preparing for war since

9828-497: The small chapel at the peak holds a large festival, including a massive bonfire in commemoration of the Prophet Elias (a Greek-style transliteration of 'Eliyah' (אליה), the prophet Elijah), as he is believed to have ascended up into heaven in a chariot of fire. The bonfire can be seen from anywhere with clear view of the summit, and it is for this reason that the town of Kardamyli is a local gathering point for those who wish to view

9945-474: The snow covered the mountains of Thessaly, thus protecting Macedon from Roman attacks, Perseus attacked the Illyrians, who had granted free passage to the Romans. King Gentius had been wavering about whom to support. Perseus moved to the land of the Penestae (in southern Illyria) and went on to Stubera with 10,000 infantry, 2,000 light infantry, and 500 cavalry. From there, he marched on Uscana. In his discussion of

10062-837: The so-called Sacred War, the Spartans made an attempt to reduce Megalopolis; but the Thebans sent assistance and the city was rescued. In 331 BC, Megalopolis was invaded by the Spartans and there was a battle with the Macedonians that came to Megalopolis' help. In 317 BC at the start of the Second War of the Diadochi , Polyperchon , the new Regent of the Macedonian Empire, besieged Megalopolis which had sided with his enemy Cassander . The siege failed. In

10179-452: The surrender of Agasse. To get a good reputation he did not garrison it and did not ask for taxes. He moved on to the river Ascordus, but, as he got further away from the supplies from Thessaly, plunder became scant and provisions were scarce, so he returned to Dium. The Roman fleet arrived, but he was told that the transport ships were in Magnesia, further south. He was informed by Lucretius that

10296-469: The town centre, on both banks of the river Elisson. The ruins include an ancient theatre that used to hold up to 20,000 people and was 30 m (98 ft) tall. Other landmarks include the Thersileon with 67 pillars and a temple (11.5 m × 5 m or 38 ft × 16 ft). Megalopolis is known for its lignite deposits, which are prone to catch fire in summer and can smoulder and scorch

10413-507: The town was razed. Perseus sent a detachment twenty miles southward, to ravage the fields of Pherae , in southern Thessaly. He hoped that this would draw the Romans forward, but they did not respond. Perseus then appeared just over a mile from the Roman camp and sent forward a reconnaissance unit of 100 cavalry and 100 slingers. The Romans sent out a detachment of some 380 Gallic, Mysian and Cretan light cavalry. Perseus deployed only four cavalry squadrons and four infantry cohorts, and engaged

10530-462: The towns, employing naval catapults. After this, the troops were re-embarked, and he made for Aenia , fifteen miles away, and pillaged its fertile countryside. He then sailed to Antigonea and did the same, but a Macedonian detachment intercepted the troops and killed 500 men. Another fight by the coast, assisted by men from the ships, had the Romans kill 200 enemies. The fleet sailed on to the district of Pallene ( Chalkidiki peninsula ), whose territory

10647-483: The treaty concluded. The men who were to receive the money were sent to the royal treasury in Pella. The Illyrian and Macedonian ambassadors were ordered to board a ship at Thessalonica, where they were joined by a Rhodian who stated that the Rhodians were ready for war; he was made head of the joint delegation. Perseus let the Illyrians in Pella take the talents and had 10 talents sent to Gentius. However, he got his men to carry

10764-590: The two legions there were to have 6,000 infantry each and the rest of the men were to be sent to the various garrisons. The forces of the Roman allies were to be 10,000 infantry and 800 cavalry. For the fleet 5,000 sailors were to be levied. A year earlier Gentius was invited to join Macedon in an alliance. He had told Perseus that he did not have money for war. When he felt pressured by the Romans, he offered Gentius 300 silver talents if hostages were exchanged. Perseus sent an envoy to Gentius who gave him his sworn sword and

10881-605: The walls of the city. Negotiations between Eumenes and Antimachus were rumoured, via the governor of the city and a Cretan, Cydas. Ultimately, the Romans left. Eumenes sailed to visit the consul and then returned to Pergamon. Figulus sent part of the fleet to winter at Sciatus and went to Oreum in Euboea with the rest of the fleet because it was a better base from which to supply Macedon and Thessaly. Livy noted different accounts about Eumenes. According to one he did not assist Figulus, even though he had asked for it. When he left for Pergamon he

10998-401: The war disrupted their trade, brought losses in port duties and in provisions and caused scarcity on the island. They said that they wanted peace and that they had also sent envoys to Perseus. They would consider what measures to take against either party who insisted on carrying on the war. This message was considered arrogant. Livy cited one source claiming it was ignored while others wrote that

11115-611: The war was fought in Macedon as well as neighbouring Thessaly , where the Roman troops were stationed. After an inconclusive battle at Callinicus in 171 BC, and several years of campaigning, Rome decisively defeated the Macedonian forces at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC, ending the war. Rome's victory ended the Antigonid dynasty and brought an effective end to the independence of the Hellenistic kingdom of Macedon, although formal annexation

11232-552: The war's third year, Livy stated that Uscana apparently switched allegiance to Rome. The mixed Roman and Illyrian garrison refused to surrender and Perseus besieged it. The defending commanders soon capitulated, and asked to be allowed to leave with their weapons. Perseus agreed, but then disarmed them. He moved the population to Stubera and sold them as slaves. The 4,000 enemy troops were sent to various towns. He then marched on Draudacum, whose garrison surrendered, and then took eleven forts, capturing 1,500 Romans. He seized Oaeneus, killed

11349-533: The year's pay. Publius Licinius heard that Perseus had gone, and launched a failed attack on Gonnus in order to deny the Macedonians a convenient descent into Thessaly. He took towns in Perrhaebia, including Malloea and Tripolis , and returned to Larissa. The consul sent part of the army to various cities to winter, disbanded the forces of the Greek allies except for the Achaeans and sent Misagenes and his Numidians to

11466-515: Was a war fought between the Roman Republic and King Perseus of Macedon . In 179 BC, King Philip V of Macedon died and was succeeded by his ambitious son Perseus . He was anti-Roman and stirred anti-Roman feelings around Macedonia. In 172 BC, a Roman commission visited Perseus and required of him concessions which meant the extinction of his independence. Upon his refusal to comply with the demands they returned home and Rome declared war. Most of

11583-551: Was an enemy of Eumenes II of Pergamon (in western Anatolia), an ally of Rome. Amid these alliances, Abrupolis , the king of the Thracian tribe of the Sapaei and an ally of the Romans attacked Macedon, laid it waste as far as Amphipolis , and overran the gold mines of Mount Pangaeus . He was repulsed and then driven out of his territories by Perseus. This conflict contributed to the tensions that led to war, because Rome took issue with

11700-454: Was assigned to Aulus Hostilius and the fleet and the coast of Greece to the praetor Gaius Hortensius. Aulus Hostilius was on his way to Macedon via Epirus. An Epirot leader wrote to Perseus to tell him to hurry there. However, the king was delayed. If he had attacked at the river passage, the newly recruited troops would have been defeated. In any case, Aulus Hostilius was informed and changed his route. He left Epirus and sailed to Anticyra (on

11817-430: Was assigned to Quintus Marcius and the command of the fleet to praetor Quintus Marcius Figulus. The troops allocated for Greece were 6,000 Roman infantry, 6,000 Latin infantry, 250 Roman cavalry and 300 allied cavalry. The old soldiers were discharged, so each legion had 6,000 soldiers. The soldiers granted leave were recalled. The recruitment for the fleet was 1,000 Roman freedmen and 500 Italians and 500 Sicilians. When

11934-456: Was astonished that he had left northern Italy exposed to possible attacks and sent envoys to warn him not to attack anyone without authorisation. Livy wrote that Publius Licinius, frustrated with his lack of success, turned against the Boeotians, mercilessly plundering several cities there, where he was wintering. The people of Coronea put themselves under the protection of the Senate, which ordered Licinius to release his captives. Gaius Lucretius

12051-403: Was away, the pro-Roman faction called in a Roman garrison. Dinarchus, the commander of the Aetolian cavalry, also arrived with 600 infantry and 100 cavalry to support Perseus, but when he saw the changed situation he switched allegiance to Rome. Due to the winter weather, Perseus abandoned Stratus, and went to Aperantia , which, through the influence of Archidamus, willingly surrendered. Archidamus

12168-539: Was by far the most plentiful. There, Figulus was joined by 20 ships from Eumenes II and five ships from Prusias I of Bithynia . This encouraged him to besiege Cassandrea , which connected the Pallene peninsula (one of the three long peninsulas that extend from the Chalkidiki peninsula) to the territory. An attack was repulsed by the city garrison. The arrival of a Macedonian ship from Thessalonica with Gallic auxiliaries ended

12285-510: Was even more ruthless and rapacious, described by Livy as “oppressive to the allies, despicable in the sight of the enemy". Perseus, in a surprise attack on the Roman fleet stationed at Oreum on the island of Euboea , captured five warships and twenty transports laden with corn, and sunk the other ships. He then went to Thrace to help Cotys. Epirus , on the west coast of Greece, went over to the Macedonians. The consuls for 170 BC were Aulus Hostilius Mancinus and Aulus Atilius Serranus . Macedon

12402-464: Was informed and he responded with a force of light infantry and cavalry, including the Numidians and the elephants, followed by more troops. Perseus called in the heavy infantry, but it was too late. They arrived in a hurry and were not properly arrayed. Publius Licinius attacked and Perseus lost 300 men and 24 of the “sacred” cavalry, including its commander. The heavy infantry fled, but got tangled with

12519-542: Was invited by the Epirots to attack Aetolia and marched on Stratus, the strongest Aetolian city, with 10,000 infantry and 300 cavalry. He could not pitch camp on the snow-covered Mount Citium and had to encamp elsewhere. He then was held up at the River Aracthus because of its deep water. He built a bridge, crossed, and then met Archidamus, a distinguished Aetolian, who had persuaded the nobles to betray Stratus. However, while he

12636-496: Was made its governor, while Perseus returned to Macedon. Appius Claudius was eager make up for his defeat in Illyria and attacked a stronghold in Epirus. He had a force of 6,000, Romans and contingents of Thesprotians and from Chaon (both from Epirus). He was repulsed by the garrison. He besieged the city, but then lifted it due to a report that Perseus was marching there. He was pursued up an almost impassable mountain and lost 1,000 men, in addition to 200 captured. He then encamped on

12753-447: Was made where the rocks were steep, in order to help the elephants. The Romans advanced only seven miles, and then waited for the troops at the camp to join them. On the fourth day they reached a pass and encountered similarly difficult terrain. As they approached the plain troops encamped between Heracleum and Libethrus, while some occupied a valley and part of the plain. The greater part was on hillsides. Perseus panicked. He evacuated

12870-464: Was more oppressive than the Seleucid king. The senators resented this claim. Hostility towards Eumenes by various Greek states made Rome more determined to favour him. The plan to assassinate Eumenes failed during his visit to Delphi. Gaius Valerius Laevinus , who had been sent to investigate the situation in Greece and monitor Perseus, returned to Rome and supported Eumenes' allegations. He also bought

12987-485: Was not on good terms with the consul. Quintus Marcius could not get him to leave his Gallic cavalry behind. Ambassadors from Bithynia and from Rhodes went to Rome to propose peace. The Bithynians said that their king had promised Perseus to mediate for peace and asked the senate to give him this role. The Rhodians said that during the interwar period they had started a friendship with Perseus which they broke unwillingly because Rome wanted to draw them into an alliance. Now

13104-410: Was not ready for war. The army was preparing and had not yet gone to Greece. Many senators were pleased with the commissioners' diplomatic achievements. However, the older senators disapproved of the new policy of diplomacy, which they saw as not reflecting Romans' honour and courage and called for military action. As a result, 50 ships were sent to Greece and 2,000 troops were sent to occupy Larissa ,

13221-481: Was put in charge of Illyria. Aemilius carefully prepared his campaign. He asked for a commission to find out if the troops were still in the mountains or had descended to the plain, to inspect the armies and the fleet, to report on what was required, whether the allies were still loyal, which states were hostile, the status of Perseus’ troops, and the logistics. They reported that the Romans had advanced towards Macedon, but that travel mountains had proven costly. Perseus

13338-545: Was some years away. The kingdom was divided into four client republics, each subservient to Rome. Roman prestige and authority in Greece greatly increased. In 179 BC, King Philip V of Macedon died and his ambitious son, Perseus, ascended the throne. In pursuit of an alliance, Perseus married Laodice, the daughter of Seleucus IV the king of the Seleucid Empire . Perseus' daughter was set to marry Prusias II of Bithynia (in north-western Anatolia , modern Turkey ), who

13455-485: Was steering Rome towards war. They sent emissaries to Rome. One of them was from Rhodes . It said that they felt sure that Eumenes had included Rhodes among those he accused of being friends of Perseus and, therefore, Rhodes had tried to confront Eumenes in the Roman senate. As this had failed, they accused Eumenes of trying to stir the Lycians (a people in western Anatolia under Eumenes' rule) against Rhodes and claimed that he

13572-592: Was still holding his country and the two forces were close to each other. The Romans had rations for only six days. The Roman position in Illyria was perilous and needed to be reinforced or withdrawn. A strong enough army there could open a second front. Some of the fleet's crew had died of disease and some had gone home, leaving the ships undermanned; also, the men did not have proper clothing and had not received their pay. The senate decided that two new legions of 5,000 infantry each were to be taken to Macedon. The men in Macedon who were unfit for service were to be discharged,

13689-530: Was taken up by the town. The small remaining space could easily closed by a short rampart with towers; construction material was abundant. Quintus Marcius ordered Spurius Lucretius, who was in Larissa, to capture the deserted forts around Vale of Tempe. He sent scouts to check the roads around Dium and then he marched to the city. It was so rich and well-fortified that Quintus Marcius could not believe his luck that it had been evacuated. He continued his march, forcing

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