Thessaly

Thessaly — Thessaly (Hellas), Pleiades 1332

Thessaly Physical Description

Thessaly is the largest and most important agricultural district of Greece. The plain is in the center of Greece separated by Mount Olympus from Macedonia to the north and on the west by the Pindus mountains, which separate Thessaly from Epirus. On the east is the Aegean Sea and on the south is the Maliac Gulf and Mount Oeta, which separate it from Locris, Phocis and Aetolia. In antiquity Thessaly included the long narrow valley of the Sperchios between Mount Othrys and Mount Oeta, and a district called Magnesia: a long narrow strip of country extending along the coast of the Aegean from Tempe to the Pagasitikos Gulf. Thessaly proper is a vast plain entered from the north either through the narrow and still spectacular Vale of Tempe, or over the passes of Mount Olympos(2917 m). The extensive plain of Thessaly is traversed by the Peneios River, one of the few perennial rivers in Greece, which flows into the Aegean through the Vale of Tempe.

The climate of Thessaly is continental because the mountains Ossa and Pelion on the east shut out the influence of the sea. The winter is less severe in Thessaly than in neighboring Macedonia, but the summers are hot. Cereals are produced in the deep rich soil of the plains, which supported fine herds of horses, cattle and sheep in antiquity. Thessalians of the classical period were agricultural people whose exports were shipped throughout the Mediterranian world. Today Thessaly is the "bread basket" of Greece. Thessaly has always been famous for its horses. During the Peloponnesian War the Thessalian cavalry helped the Athenians.

History

Thessaly was the center of a rich Neolithic civilization between 7000-3000 B.C. when hundreds of agricultural villages, some of which grew to be small fortified towns in the fourth millennium, were clustered around the heart of the fertile plain with its deep, well-watered soils. Thesslay was eclipsed in importance in the early Bronze Age by developments in the south of Greece that led to the rise of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. The Mycenaeans built fortresses in Thessaly late in the Bronze Age, when Iokos at Volos was the most important town in the region. Nothing is known of the history of Thessaly after the Bronze age until Classical times.

From a very early date up to the fifth century B.C. Thessaly was divided into four small kingdoms: Hestaeotis in the west (Trikkala); Thessaliotis (including Pharsalos) in the southwest; Pelasgiotis (Larissa) in the center; and Phthiotis (Othrys) in the southeast. Thessaly was governed by kings until one of them surrendered Thessaly to the Persians in c. 480 B.C. The Thessalian kings claimed descent from Herakles. Late in the fifth century Lycophron established a tyranny at Pherai. Anarchy returned under Alexander the Great. In 197 B.C. the Romans took Thessaly under their protection as part of a province. In mythology, Thessaly was the home of the centaurs, including Cheiron who initiated Asklepios into the art of healing and brought up Peleus, father of Achilles. Admetus and Alcestis lived in Pherai, and Jason's Argonauts set out on the quest for the golden fleece from Iolkos, near the northern town of Volos.

Sites

In the center of Thessaly is Larissa, the chief town of the province of Thessaly. Larissa was the site of a major Bronze Age citadel, but was an important city in Classical times. Rich and prosperous in the fifth century B.C., Larissa was noted for its silver coinage, good horses, and aristocratic government. Siding with the Persians, the Thessalonians were weakened in the years following the Persian wars, and were conquered in turn by the Macedonians and Romans. Larissa was the capital of Thessaly under the Turks until the time of the First World War. Two notable ancient theaters with inscriptions are to be seen in the city.

To the west of Larissa on the edge of the plain of Thessaly, sits the market town of Trikkala, famed in antiquity for its horses. It is also said to be the birthplace of Asklepios, and thus had the first temple to that god and later medical school. North of Trikkala is the town of Kalambaka situated at the point where the river Peneios emerges from the Pindus range into the Thessalian plain. Here Caesar joined Cnaeus Domitius before the battle of Pharsalus. The Byzantines established a cathedral here dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin in the mid-twelfth century A.D, and many Byzantine monasteries spectcularly perched on the summits of spooky rock spires are scattered around Kalambaka at Meteora. In the ninth century A.D. the first hermits settled on the rocks of Meteora and a church of Panayia (all saints) was built at Doupiani. During the fourteenth century when the Serbians controlled the area, the monks sought safety and tranquillity on the summits of the rocks.

Pharsala is a town south of Larissa that has been occupied continuously since Neolithic times. It is most notable, however, as the site of the battle of Pharsalus which took place in the summer of 48 B.C. and which saw the defeat of Pompey by Caesar. From the hill above the town there is a clear view of the Enipeus valley where the battle took place.

Curtis Runnels

• in the great flood: Apollod. 1.7.2
• inhabited by the Aeolians: Apollod. 1.7.3, Apollod. 1.7.5
• Salmoneus at first dwelt in: Apollod. 1.9.5
• Pelias dwelt in: Apollod. 1.9.9
• Pheres founds Pherae in: Apollod. 1.9.13
• Herakles left behind by the Argonauts at Aphetae in: Apollod. 1.9.18
• Phlegyas in: Apollod. 3.10.3
• the country of the Pelasgians: Apollod. E.6.14, Apollod. E.6.15. See also "Pelasgian land."
• Pelasgians formerly there: Hdt. 1.57
• Darius' European tribute from nations east of it: Hdt. 3.96, Hdt. 7.108
• Thessalian allies of Pisistratus: Hdt. 5.63
• Lacedaemonian invasion of Thessaly: Hdt. 6.72
• Aleuadae of Thessaly at Xerxes' court: Hdt. 7.6
• description of Thessaly: Hdt. 7.129
• its submission to Xerxes: Hdt. 7.132
• Greek force there: Hdt. 7.172, Hdt. 7.173
• danger to Phocis from Thessalians: Hdt. 7.191, Hdt. 7.215
• Xerxes' march through it: Hdt. 7.196
• Thessalian cavalry inferior to Asiatic: .196
• defeats of Thessalians by Phocians, and Thessalian revenge: Hdt. 8.27-32
• Mardonius in Thessaly: Hdt. 8.113, Hdt. 8.133
• Thessalians in his army: Hdt. 9.31
• Artabazus in Thessaly: Hdt. 9.89
• Melampus goes to: Paus. 4.36.3
• betrayed to Xerxes by Aleuads: Paus. 7.10.2
• invaded by Lacedaemonians under Leotychides: Paus. 3.7.9
• Agesilaus marches through: Paus. 3.9.12ff.
• conquered by Pyrrhus: Paus. 1.13.2
• overrun by Gauls: Paus. 1.4.1
• cows of Thessalian breed: Paus. 4.36.3

• Thessalians

• view from southwest above Elasson
• distant view from east
• distant view from southeast, snow capped
• distant view from south
• snow capped peak from west
• view from north
• gulf view from south
• view of gulf from south
• view up the river from Argyssa
• harbor from mound
• mound from west
• view of the plain at Mount Elasson Olympos in distance