Скачать или смотреть TROIZEN, Troizenia | DJI Avata 2 FPV Drone Tour of Ancient Greece

Ancient Troizena (Τροιζήν) occupied a broad ridge at approximately 37°30′ N, 23°21′ E, 3 km inland from its port Pogon (modern Vida/Galatas) on the Saronic Gulf. The city commanded the narrow strait facing Poros island, controlling maritime approaches to the Argolid and Attica.

The settlement's mythic fame centers on Theseus. Plutarch records the hero's birth here to Princess Aethra, daughter of King Pittheus, conceived when Poseidon visited her in a dream. As a boy, Theseus mistook visiting Heracles (wearing a lion-skin) for a lion and attacked him with an axe—an anecdote illustrating both the city's heroic associations and its claim to early importance despite its modest size.

Poseidon dominated religious life. The city bore the epithet Poseidonia, and civic identity intertwined with the sea-god's cult. Yet the most prominent sanctuary Pausanias encountered was dedicated to Hippolytus, Theseus's illegitimate son, dragged to death by horses spooked by Poseidon—a tragic myth cycle that gave Troizena its most visited shrine, located west of the Geofyras stream about 800 m from the agora.

When Xerxes threatened Athens in 480 BC, Themistocles evacuated Athenian women and children to Troizena for safety while men fought at Salamis. In 1959, a stele discovered in a local coffee house recorded this "Decree of Themistocles"—though epigraphic study dated the inscription to c. 300 BC, likely a commemorative copy honoring the city's role as Athens's refuge.

The Archaeological City extended between two streams—the Agios Athanasios to the east and Chrysorroas (Geofyras) to the west. The acropolis crowned a 313-m peak south of the settlement, separately fortified and housing a temple to Athena Sthenia. The main city walls, built of mudbrick on stone foundations per Pausanias, extended down both stream valleys in elongated defensive arms.

The agora occupied the flat foothill zone, featuring the Temple of Zeus Soter (founded by Aetius), stoas, and altars. Nearby stood the theater and the Temple of Artemis Likias, while between Artemis's temple and the Temple of Apollo Thearios lay the Sacred Stone—a prominent boundary marker or altar. The Stoa of Troizena marked the agora's edge.

West of the Geofyras stream, the Sanctuary of the Muses occupied a terrace where Roman-era builders later constructed an arched building—possibly a nymphaeum or gateway. South of Hippolytus's sanctuary, a Doric peripteral temple and main temenos functioned as an Asklepieion, blending hero cult with healing rituals. Excavations here yielded architectural fragments now housed in Poros and the National Archaeological Museum.

Mycenaean Troizena emerges from tholos tombs at Megali Magoula near the harbor, dating to the 14th–13th centuries BC. A Cycladic figurine head (c. 3000 BC) found nearby documents even earlier occupation. Proto-Geometric jar burials (enchytrismoi) and Early Helladic settlements at the Isthmus and Methana peninsula confirm continuous habitation from the Bronze Age.

The Classical city flourished as a member of the Kalaurian Amphictyony—a religious league of Saronic Gulf cities centered on Poseidon worship. During the First Peloponnesian War (460–446 BC), Athens briefly captured Troizena. In the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), Troizena allied with Sparta against Athens, which retaliated by sacking the city in 430 BC. Later, Troizena joined the Achaean League and hosted the Third Greek National Assembly in 1827, where Ioannis Kapodistrias was elected first president of independent Greece—linking ancient and modern Hellenic history.

The Tower of Diateichisma (also called the Tower of Damalas or "Palace of Theseus") dominates the site's northwest approach. This 5th-century BC fortification, enlarged during the Hellenistic period and Byzantine-Frankish era, preserves exceptional height and masonry. Its polygonal and isodomic walls demonstrate evolving military architecture from Classical through Macedonian times.
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Archaeological excavations ongoing since the mid-20th century have revealed fifteen burials spanning the 10th century BC to Hellenistic period—including box tombs, ceramic-roofed graves, jar burials (enchytrismoi), pit cremations, and a 4th-century BC marble burial enclosure. The Cemetery of the Heroes contained iron swords and weapons, suggesting warrior burials.
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Today, visitors explore the archaeological site of Ancient Troizena (admission free) west of modern Troizina village, walking among temple foundations, theater seats, and the impressive tower. The landscape—Mount Aderes rising behind, the Saronic Gulf glittering below, Poros island visible across the water—recreates the setting where Theseus was born, Hippolytus died, and Athenian refugees found sanctuary while their men fought for Greek freedom at Salamis.

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