Ancient Messini

Messini was an ancient city in Messinia prefecture in the southwest section of Peloponissos. It is located next to Mavromati village. 

The city was established in the winter of 370 BC-369 BC by Thibean general Epaminondas, after his victory against the Spartans at the battle of Lefktra and his invasion in Lakonia  prefecture.  Epaminondas liberated Messinia from the spartan influence and chose the foot of mount Ithomi to build the capital of free Messinians. It was built almost in the same time as the arcadic Megalopolis, so as to isolate Sparti from enemy states and to eliminate its influence outside Lakonia.

Vouleftirio or Ekklisiastirio next to Asklipieion

Pausanias has preserved most of the information about the founding of the city. Messengers sent by the Thebans arrived in Italy, Sicily, the Libyan city of Evesperides  and wherever Messinians fugitives lived and summoned them back to their country. It is obvious that freed helots of Messini and neighbors would also participate, but the most vital element of exile was considered necessary and fortunately for the plans of Epaminondas, they responded to the call.

Stone pillars next to stadium

The choice for the location of the city was made after the alleged miraculous revelation of Messenian hero Aristomeni's will with the help of priests and seers. The city was named after the mythical Queen Messini, daughter of the king of Argos Triopios. So, the building of the wall begun, after the sacrifices of allies to local gods and heroes and with the accompaniment of Boeotic and Argitic lumens (although Pausanias does not consider that wall to be the one he saw himself).

Stadium of Ancient Messini

The city remained the cultural center of Messinia until 395, when the invasion of the Goths of Alaric supposedly gave the decisive blow to the city. Then the few residents began to settle in safer places and the area begun to get deserted.

Asklipieion and Vouleftirion

The wall that surrounded Messini is extremely long (circumference of 9 km) and at the time of Pausanias, it was already entirely in stone, something that caused him big surprise as the usual practice was an adobe superstructure. The structure had two monumental gates, the Arcadic (or gate of Megalopolis) and Laconic. At regular intervals it was reinforced with two-storey stone square and round towers. Today it is better preserved on the north side, on the lower part of the Arcadic gate. From the preserved parts and foundations one can identify almost all the line that the wall follows.

The Arcadic Gate

All buildings of Messini have the same orientation and belong to the urban grid created by horizontal (east to west) and vertical (north to south) streets. That urban system is known by the term "Ippodamic", named after his original founder and creator architect, planner, surveyor and astronomer of 5th century BC, Hippodamus from Miletus.

Carved representations inside the Asklipieion

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source: Greek Wikipedia