Megalopoli Μεγαλόπολη | |
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  Megalopoli Location within the region  | |
| Coordinates:37°24′N22°8′E / 37.400°N 22.133°E /37.400; 22.133 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Peloponnese |
| Regional unit | Arcadia |
| City established | 371 BC |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 722.6 km2 (279.0 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 331.5 km2 (128.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 430 m (1,410 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Municipality | 8,784 |
| • Density | 12.16/km2 (31.48/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 6,905 |
| • Municipal unit density | 20.83/km2 (53.95/sq mi) |
| • Community | 5,344 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 222 00 |
| Area code | 27910 |
| Vehicle registration | TP |
Megalopoli (Greek:Μεγαλόπολη,romanized: Megalópolē) is a town in the southwestern part of the regional unit ofArcadia, southernGreece. It is located in the same site as ancientMegalopolis (Ancient Greek:Μεγαλόπολις,romanized: Megalópolis,lit. 'large/great city'). When it was founded in 371 BC, it was the first large urbanization inrustic Arcadia. Its theatre had a capacity of 20,000 visitors, making it one of the largestancient Greek theatres.[2]
Today, Megalopoli has several schools, shops, churches, hotels and other services. The population of Megalopoli in 2021 was 5,344 residents.[1]
Megalopoli is situated in a wide valley, surrounded by mountains: theTaygetus to the south, theMainalo to the north, theTsemperou to the southeast and theLykaion to the west. Its elevation is 430 m above sea level. The riverAlfeios flows through this valley, coming from the east and flowing to the north, passing south and west of the town. Its tributaryElissonas passes north of the town. The largelignite deposits around Megalopoli are being exploited byopen-pit mining. TheMegalopoli Power Plant, 3 km northwest of the town centre, has produced electricity from this lignite since 1969.
The area of Megalopolis featureslignite deposits, which are prone to catching fire in summer and can smoulder and scorch the earth for weeks. In antiquity, it was often identified as the site of the mythicalGigantomachy 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, as mentioned by Ancient Greek writers such asPausanias. These have been conjectured in modern times to be those ofPleistocene fossil animals which are still often unearthed from the area today, such as those of the extinctstraight-tusked elephant.[3] These animal bones and lignite deposits come from sediments which were deposited around 900-150,000 years ago, when the Megalopolis area contained a large shallow lake.[4][5] Evidence has been found from these deposits for the inhabiting of the area by the extinct human speciesHomo heidelbergensis around 500-400,000 years ago, with evidence for the butchery of straight-tusked elephants[6] and the extinct large hippopotamusHippopotamus antiquus by these hominins.[7]
Megalopolis is known for its ancient ruins situated northwest of the town centre, on both banks of the river Elisson. The ruins include anancient theatre that Pausanias mentions as the largest theatre of Greece and that was 30 m (98 ft) in diamater.[8] The theatre is architecturally connected with the "Thersileon", a building with 67 pillars that might have served cultural as well as political purposes.[9] On an artificial terrace lies a sanctuary – probably the sanctuary of ZeusSoter described by Pausanias – that consists of aperistyle with twopropyla and aDoric-Ionic temple (size of thestylobate: 11.62 m × 4.4 m or 38.1 ft × 14.4 ft).[10] Theagora of the city was on two sides confined bystoai: The Stoa Philippeios in the north measured 156 m or 512 ft in length, making it one of the largest stoai of Greece, and was built by the Megalopolitans to honourPhilip II of Macedon.[11] In the east stood the Stoa Myropolis with a reconstructed length of around 125 m or 410 ft.[12] The west side of the agora contained a building complex withBouleuterion andPrytaneion, built over the ruins of the former city palace, as well as a sanctuary for Zeus andHestia.[13] In the northwestern edge of the Agora some scarce remains of a large building might be interpreted as place for theecclesia.[14] In the northeastern edge of the Agora stood the so-called Archeia, a hall with statues.[15]
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 toSparta. Megalopolis was a member of theArcadian League after its foundation until the dissolution of the federation in 362 BC. In 353 BC, when Thebes had her hands full with the so-calledThird Sacred War, the Spartans made an attempt to reduce Megalopolis; but the Thebans sent assistance and the city was rescued.[16] In 331 BC, Megalopolis was invaded by theSpartans and there was a battle with theMacedonians that came to Megalopolis' help. In 317 BC at the start of theSecond War of the Diadochi,Polyperchon, the new Regent of the Macedonian Empire, besieged Megalopolis which had sided with his enemyCassander.[17] The siege failed.[17]
In the 270s BC,Aristodemus the Good managed to take control over the city as a tyrant backed by Macedon. In 235 BC, the second tyrant of the city,Lydiadas of Megalopolis, gave up control over the polis and the city became a member of theAchaean League. In 222 BC, the Spartan kingCleomenes III burnt down the city, but it was rebuilt in the years after the destruction. As a member of the Achaean League, Megalopolis had a profound influence on the federal politics and it was the hometown of several notable Achaean figures such asPhilopoemen,Lykortas andPolybius.
Rome conquered Megalopolis during theThird Macedonian War in 146 BC, 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 the Ottoman, the town on the same place was calledSináno (Σινάνο). It was renamed Megalopoli after theGreek War of Independence.
Megalopoli retained a rural character until the early 1960s, when with the help of Megalopoli-born Prof.Leonidas Zervas (thenMinister of Industry) the GreekPublic Power Corporation started mininglignite in theMegalopoli Mine and the construction of theMegalopoli Power Plant followed soon.[18] The Megalopoli Mine is one of the largest lignite mines in Greece.[4] The town was struck by the massive Arcadiaearthquake of 5 April 1965, in which 17 inhabitants died 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:[19]
The municipality has an area of 722.629 km2, the municipal unit 331.498 km2.[20]
The municipal unit of Megalopoli is subdivided into the following communities (villages within the community in brackets):[19]
The province of Megalopoli (Greek:Επαρχία Μεγαλόπολης) was one of theprovinces of the Messenia Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Megalopoli, except the municipal unitGortyna.[21] It was abolished in 2006.
| Year | Community | Municipal unit | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 1,776 | – | – |
| 1961 | 2,235 | – | – |
| 1981 | 4,875 | – | – |
| 1991 | 4,646 | 8,888 | – |
| 2001 | 5,114 | 8,657 | – |
| 2011 | 5,779 | 7,890 | 10,687 |
| 2021 | 5,344 | 6,905 | 8,784 |
Places adjacent to Megalopolis, Greece | |
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| Regional unit ofArcadia |  | |
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| Regional unit ofArgolis | ||
| Regional unit ofCorinthia | ||
| Regional unit ofLaconia | ||
| Regional unit ofMessenia | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
