According to mythology, Lycaon had fifty sons and one daughter, the beautiful Callisto whom Zeus fell in love with. The jealous Hera, however, transformed the soon-to-be born Callisto into a bear and when the child was born, it was named Arkas, that is, child of the bear. Then the country where Arkas was born changed its name and from Pelasgia or Apia (the land of the Apidians) it was called, it was renamed Arcadia.
But Arcadia also had its own god, Pan, the Arcadian god par excellence who was the symbol of music and love. This monstrous god with his strange appearance and the syringa (flute) that he played on the verdant slopes of Mainalus, was in constant and open dialogue, usually erotic, with the graceful brides of the rivers and forests. Arcadia has always been considered the earthly paradise of pastoral and carefree life, the region of bucolic serenity and absolute freedom.
Thus, in post-Renaissance European countries, the phrase "et in Arcadia ego" (= I also lived in Arcadia) prevailed, which was found written in Poussin's painting "the shepherds of Arcadia" as an epigram on a shepherd's tomb in Arcadia. From then on the name of Arcadia was firmly associated with the happy bucolic life of the countryside and contributed to the composition and dissemination of the famous "Arcadian ideal" of "Arcadianism", which means a nostalgic reflection and reference to the mythical society of Arcadian shepherds, an unreal dream of escaping from the troubled world of violence and exploitation and returning to a world of eternal innocence and peace that will be based on mutual love, good cooperation and kind rivalry of its members...
In recent years, the Liberty of Greece started from Arcadia, Tripolitsa and Phalanthos, Karytaina and Dimitsana. Names such as: Kolokotronis, Nikitaras, Grigorios V', Palaion Patrons Germanos, Deligiannis, Kefalas, Fotakos... Valtseti, Verbena, Doliana, Grana... these are the ones from among whom the Revolution of '21 went! Later, the "father of the Republic" Alex. Papanastasiou as well as modern Politicians, their homeland is Arcadia!
But Arcadia also gave birth to the great Forms of Letters and Arts: Mitropoulos, Varvoglis, Tsarouchis, Boutzianis, Karyotakis, Synodinos, Gatsos, Uranis...

ASTROS
According to Herodotus, the inhabitants of Kynouria were indigenous. This seems to be confirmed by the archaeological findings. The earliest signs of human presence in Kynouria date back to the Neolithic era or even earlier, according to the flint stone tools I found on the surface at Paralio Astros and Xerokambi. However, in other parts of Kynouria (Herronisi, Koutri, Ano Meligou, Prasies, Paliochori, Pigadi Kosmas), stone tools belonging to the Neolithic and the early Bronze Age were found. These are stone chisels, pickaxes, stone scrapers, obsidian arrowheads and obsidian tools. Also, ceramic finds dating back to the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, have been found in the above areas, but mainly in Paralio Astros, Herronissi, Xerokamambi and two caves, in the Leonidio cave next to the Monastery of Sintza and in the cave Asoula in Charadros.
In the Mycenaean years, coastal settlements developed in Paralio Astros (Pyramia-Astron), Leonidio (Prasies), but also inland (Xerokambi, Sovala Prastou, Paliohori, Vaskina). Both the aforementioned caves were inhabited at the same time.
From the 8th century onwards, Kynouria was stubbornly claimed by the Spartans and the Argives. After successive conflicts we arrive at one of the most shocking battles in Greek history, the battle fought in 546 BC. and it went down in history as the "Battle of Thyreus" or "Battle of the Six Hundred Elite", in which the Spartans emerged victorious. After this battle, the whole of Kynouria joins the territory of Sparta and follows its fate until 338 BC.
Information about Kynouria in the archaic years, we derive mainly from the votive offerings of two large sanctuaries, Tyrita, between Melana and Tyros, and Maleata in Kosmas, from tomb finds of the city of Prasia in Leonidio and the settlements in Marmaralona in Xerokambi and in Kutri Ano Meligous (from where the marble head of Meligous, now in Copenhagen). At the same time important road works must have been carried out, overseen by the kings of Sparta, with the construction of carriage roads leading from Sparta to the plain of Thyrea and elsewhere.
Unfortunately, in relation to the road network of ancient Kynouria, it is worth mentioning the Sanctuary of Enodius Hermes in the location of Fonemeni, on Zygos, half an hour west of Agios Petros. Here there were three stone piles, the Hermes, which also marked the boundaries of the three territories, Sparta, Argos and Tegea. The sanctuaries of the three states in honor of Hermes in the Fonemeni are a unique archaeological site, of enormous importance.
The stone mounds, the cult of Enodius Hermes and the part of the carriage road network that passed through there complete an extraordinary ensemble, which is a monument to the history and cultural heritage of the region, an eternal sign of the border that separated three territories and the roads that united. However, these monuments did not receive the care they deserved, unfortunately with consequences that would be difficult to reverse.
The main settlements of Kynouria in the classical years were developed in Prasies, on the beach of Ag. Andreas where the city of Anthini was probably located and in Thyrea. In 430 the Athenian general Pericles, with a large number of warships, comes to Prasies, desolates the land by cutting down the trees and then conquers and plunders the city. In 431, those expelled from the island of Aeginetes, settled in Thyreatida and in 424 BC. they are building the sea wall, probably on the peninsula of Astro Beach. However, the construction of this fortified project was interrupted by the Athenians, who in 424 BC, led by Nikias, came to Thyrea, conquered and destroyed it. In 338, after the battle in Chaeronea, Philip II bequeathed Kynouria to the Argives. Thus, in the Hellenistic years, Kynouria experienced a new prosperity having passed into the territory of Argos. The settlements are fortified, new ones are created and in general there is intense activity and life in the area. In addition to the flourishing Prasies, we have Polichni in Pulithra, Glyppia, which was also a fortified settlement between the villages of Platanaki and Ag. Vasilios, Tyros, Anthini on the beach of Ag. Andreas, the fortified settlement at Tsiorovo Dolianon and the settlement at Elliniko Astrous. The development of the Hellenistic times was followed by a noticeable subsidence in all areas of human activity in Kynouria, during the Roman years. The population decreases noticeably and the settlements are deserted or in decline. The only thing that stands out at this time is the mansion of Herodes Atticus in the area of ​​Loukos. The settlements are fortified, new ones are created and in general there is intense activity and life in the area. In addition to the flourishing Prasies, we have Polichni in Pulithra, Glyppia, which was also a fortified settlement between the villages of Platanaki and Ag. Vasilios, Tyros, Anthini on the beach of Ag. Andreas, the fortified settlement at Tsiorovo Dolianon and the settlement at Elliniko Astrous. The development of the Hellenistic times was followed by a noticeable subsidence in all areas of human activity in Kynouria, during the Roman years. The population decreases noticeably and the settlements are deserted or in decline. The only thing that stands out at this time is the mansion of Herodes Atticus in the area of ​​Loukos. The settlements are fortified, new ones are created and in general there is intense activity and life in the area. In addition to the flourishing Prasies, we have Polichni in Pulithra, Glyppia, which was also a fortified settlement between the villages of Platanaki and Ag. Vasilios, Tyros, Anthini on the beach of Ag. Andreas, the fortified settlement at Tsiorovo Dolianon and the settlement at Elliniko Astrous. The development of the Hellenistic times was followed by a noticeable subsidence in all areas of human activity in Kynouria, during the Roman years. The population decreases noticeably and the settlements are deserted or in decline. The only thing that stands out at this time is the mansion of Herodes Atticus in the area of ​​Loukos. we have Polichni in Pulithra, Glyppia, which was also a fortified settlement between the villages of Platanaki and Ag. Vasilios, Tyros, Anthini on the beach of Ag. Andreas, the fortified settlement at Tsiorovo Dolianon and the settlement at Elliniko Astrous. The development of the Hellenistic times was followed by a noticeable subsidence in all areas of human activity in Kynouria, during the Roman years. The population decreases noticeably and the settlements are deserted or in decline. The only thing that stands out at this time is the mansion of Herodes Atticus in the area of ​​Loukos. we have Polichni in Pulithra, Glyppia, which was also a fortified settlement between the villages of Platanaki and Ag. Vasilios, Tyros, Anthini on the beach of Ag. Andreas, the fortified settlement at Tsiorovo Dolianon and the settlement at Elliniko Astrous. The development of the Hellenistic times was followed by a noticeable subsidence in all areas of human activity in Kynouria, during the Roman years. The population decreases noticeably and the settlements are deserted or in decline. The only thing that stands out at this time is the mansion of Herodes Atticus in the area of ​​Loukos. The development of the Hellenistic times was followed by a noticeable subsidence in all areas of human activity in Kynouria, during the Roman years. The population decreases noticeably and the settlements are deserted or in decline. The only thing that stands out at this time is the mansion of Herodes Atticus in the area of ​​Loukos. The development of the Hellenistic times was followed by a noticeable subsidence in all areas of human activity in Kynouria, during the Roman years. The population decreases noticeably and the settlements are deserted or in decline. The only thing that stands out at this time is the mansion of Herodes Atticus in the area of ​​Loukos.

Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou