BSA Course Day 16 - Argive Heraion & Mystras

Weather: 28 degrees & breezy

Step count: 14,904

After two nights in Nafplion, it was time to move on to our next base of Pylos. But we had more to see in Argos first and headed to a different part of the plain to visit the Argive Heraion.

Another gentle breeze helped us on our climb up the gentle slopes to the remains of the sanctuary of Hera, and I was immediately struck by the incredible view which would have overlooked the fertile alluvial plain and it's two rivers, reaching as far as the sea when the sanctuary was fully in use. The dramatic backdrop helped us to visualise the different aspects of the site which our tutors related, along with evidence for the cult of the goddess.

Laura explained that the discovery of many tholos tombs in the area provides evidence of use of the site during the Bronze Age, as other excavations have shown that they are always associated with communities and never stand alone. Carl Blagan of the American School suggested that the placing of the sanctuary appears to be a deliberate attempt to connect with the heroic past, and add to the prestige of the growing city-state of Argos at a time when there were several smaller communities sharing the Argive plain. The huge stones of the 8th century BCE terrace of the earliest upper temple emulated the Cyclopean walls typical of earlier Mycenean fortifications, and there are remains which may be an altar facing the tholos tombs which also evidences intentional interaction with the past.

Michael highlighted the written evidence to connect queen of the gods Hera, Zeus' powerful 'sister-wife' and goddess of fertility and marriage, to the site as Homer tells, in Iliad Book IV, that Argos is one of the three towns she claims to love best. Travel writer Pausanias told of a nearby sacred spring where Hera bathed to regain her virginity, which became part of female rituals to the goddess. Historian Herodotus also described a festival to Hera, focused on agricultural links to the plain, and related the story of Kleobis and Biton, twin brothers who pulled their mother in a wooden handcart during a procession to the Heraion from Argos. On reaching the sanctuary she prayed to Hera to reward her sons, and the goddess preserved the boys' act by allowing them to fall asleep in the temple and never wake up. Possibly not the accolade their mother was hoping for!

Archaic kouroi representing Kleobis and Biton at the

museum of Delphi

The Heraion fulfilled the same roles as the sanctuaries we'd seen throughout the course; religious places of worship which brought communities together through collective rituals or drew people to seek help from the gods for healing and protection. So it was interesting that it made us think also about the choice for placement of sanctuaries, whether to connect the past and the present or to cross boundaries between neighbouring towns who shared the sanctuary site. as Matt explained that Argos may even have claimed control of the sanctuary by placing the most statues to the goddess in a similar way to the displays of one-upmanship in the guise of dedications to the gods as we learned at the Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi.

Our time in Argos was over, and we boarded the bus for a long but picturesque drive towards Sparta, passing hundreds upon hundreds of olive trees, leaves glistening silver in the afternoon breeze.

We were headed towards the olive museum, which was sadly closed, but every cloud has a silver lining, and ours came in the form of a very welcome coffee stop with a view over the Spartan plain; the perfect backdrop for the next few student presentations.

Relaxed and refreshed, we travelled forward in time to the nearby fortress of Mystras, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but were not quite prepared for the seemingly never-ending climb to the top which was barely visible from our starting point.

Every corner of the steep and winding path brought the hope that it would be the last, until finally we made it to the dizzy heights of the fortress and an even more magnificent, sweeping view of the Spartan plain spread out far below us.

Tutor Rossana told us of the strategic and defensive importance of the site - which we had already experienced for ourselves on the challenging walk - hike?! - to reach it, built in the 13th century CE as a centre of Byzantine power, successively occupied by the Ottoman Turks and the Venetians before before being abandoned in the 19th century. It appears on Greek passports as an iconic symbol of the medieval past, much as the Acropolis is representative of the classical period in Greece, and has even given its name to a famous cheese.

We spent some time exploring the ruins, feeling like mountain goats precariously balanced on the walls, very aware of the sheer drops falling away beneath us and absolutely convinced that it would take a very determined invader to launch an attack!

The walk down took us past the beautiful late Byzantine three-aisled church of St Demetrios, where we admired wall paintings from the 13th and 14th century.

Further below we were welcomed with delicious sweets at Pantanassa Monastery, made by the nuns who are the only remaining inhabitants of Mystras. Inside the beautiful church, again typical of late Byzantine architecture and decoration, we saw votive offerings of thanks or prayers for divine assistance worked in gold and silver, poignant proof that there is much that connects us with our ancient predecessors who had similar needs, hopes and fears to those we have today.

Rossana's last talk was interrupted by a group of friendly convent kittens who wandered over for some fuss, and the cat lovers amongst us were happy to oblige with cuddles.

Our sleepy group was glad to arrive at Pylos after a two-hour bus journey, and there was just time for a few photographs of the harbour and a light meal of mezze and wine before turning in ready for the next day of adventures.