The Search for the Location of the Phokian Skirmish
June 2001, Thermopylae, Greece
Segments of the expedition were filmed by Atlantic Productions for the BBC and the Discovery Channel
The Leonidas Expedition is endorsed and supported by the Center for Hellenic Studies PAIDEIA, at the University of Connecticut
Special Consultant
Professor Peter Green, University of Iowa
The 2000 Leonidas
Expedition raised new questions and it has become necessary for us to
return to the site for further work. Specifically, we shall be
addressing the following points:
(1)
Where is the actual location of the skirmish that took place between
Hydarnes and the Immortals and the contingent of 1000 Phokians sent by
Leonidas to guard the Anopaia? Current thinking sites the location of
this extremely important skirmish at Nevropolis. Yet we know from
Herodotus that after the skirmish the Persians marched on and descended
the mountain. However, it is impossible to descend the mountain from
Nevropolis and the crest using metal detectors. Since we know that the
Persians fired thousands of arrows against the Phokians it should be
possible to locate arrowheads at one of the two locations. We believe
the significance of the skirmish has not been fully articulated. For
example, had the Phokians been able to hold the Persians, the pass at
Thermopylae may never have been overrun. Thus the Phokian defeat sealed
the fate of Leonidas and the allies and contributed to the destruction
of Athens. For these reasons locating the site of the skirmish has
important historic significance.
(2)
An alternate path, starting at the upper Asopus just below Kastro
Orias, by way of Papadhia, leads directly to Nevropolis. This appears
to be a more gentle rise up Kallidromos and we hypothesize that this
may also be a likely candidate.
There
are two issues associated with this question. The first has to do with
the path taken by the Immortals. The second has to do with whether this
was in fact the true Anopaia. If the Persians marched up from the
Asopus (just below Kastro Orias), up to Elevtherochori through Kalivia,
they probably did not connect with the Anopaia ( the Anopaia was both a
major pathway built it was also the name of the mountain!) until
Elevtherochori or Nevropolis, depending on where you care to fix the
beginning of the path. Alternatively, if we assume that the Anopaia
started by the upper Asopus (and there is a cleft here as well) and
connected with Nevropolis by way of Papadhia, then the Persians may
well have taken the Anopaia where it started by the cleft in the hills
below Kastro Orias. This route and the route through Elevtherochori
from Kalivia assume, of course, that the Immortals approached the
Anopaia by way of Varthates and Dyo Vouna. The time estimates for
walking from Varthates down to the valley of the upper Asopus, up by
Kalivia to Elevtherochori and then to Nevropolis fit very closely to
those given to us by Herodotus. At this time, we don't know how the way
from Papadhia to Nevropolis compares with the other routes we examined,
hence the need to return to Thermopylae in the spring of 2001.
(3)
Unresolved inconsistencies in Herodotus regarding the beginning of the
path require that ewe investigate further the path from Koutseki
(Ano/Kato Damasta), by way of Chalkomata Spring to Elevtherochori
and/or by way of the Damasta Monastery (by-passing Elevtherochori).
Three significant passages in Herodotus suggest that the location of
the beginning of the path is not the upper Asopos (below Kastro Orias)
but were the Asopous debouches into the Malian Plain. Herodotus writes,
"South of Trachis (he means east) there is a cleft in the mountain
range which shuts in the territory of Trachinia; and the river Asopus
issuing from this cleft flows....."Further, he continues by stating
that , "in this space is located the village of Anthela, which the
river Asopus passes ere it reaches the sea." And finally, Herodotus
describes the beginning of the path thus: "Beginning at the Asopus,
where the stream flows through the cleft in the hills, it runs along
the ridge of the mountains...." When taken together, these passages
located the beginning to the path near Trachis and Anthela (and we know
their location from the works of various archaeologist), east of the
Asopus Gorge. This location is the same as the one proposes by previous
explorers and it's called the Chalkomata Spring approach. While the
time estimates for hiking this path, as given us by Wallace and
Pritchett (from Koutseki to Elevtherochori), would have the Persians
engaging the Phokians about four hours before dawn, which is too early
according to current thinking and our analysis, we are nevertheless of
the opinion that this path merits further examination.
Finally,
we recently received information from a colleague in Thessaloniki, a
Mr. Syntomorou, who has suggested a fifth possibility. This alternate
path (more on this at a later date) begins at the Asopus in the Malian
Plain and continues through Panaya Damastas and up through
PaleoDrakospilia, passing between Kallidromos and Paliokastro Hill
(north of Kallidromos Mountain). Documentary evidence provided by Mr.
Syntomorou makes this an option worth investigating.
Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D., Clemson University
Stavros Douvis, Ph.D., University of Athens
Phil Tomporowski, Ph. D., University of Connecticut
Ian Macgregor Morris, Ph.D., University of Nottingham
