Kalaureia or Calauria is an island close to the coast of Troezen in the Peloponnesus of mainland Greece, part of the modern island-pair Poros: for its modern character, see Poros.

Strabo describes the coastwise journey along the Hermionic Gulf:

"The gulf begins at the town of Asine. Then come Hermione and Troezen; and, as one sails along the coast, one comes also to the island of Calauria, which has a circuit of one hundred and thirty stadia and is separated from the mainland by a strait four stadia wide."^[1]

Calaurian amphictyony

In the Archaic period, an early amphictiony, one of several Hellenic leagues of pre-classical times of which little is known, was centered on Kalaureia. Archaeology of the site suggested to Thomas Kelly that the sacred league was founded in the second quarter of the seventh century BCE, ca 680-650;^[2] before that date there were virtually no remains at the site, which could not have been used more than sporadically;^[3] a temple of Poseidon was constructed in the sixth century, the ruins of which are still accessible on a hilltop close to the modern town, and at the same time a peribolos wall enclosing the sanctuary site:^[4] there are no earlier traces of structures. The temenos or sanctuary dedicated to Poseidon, may have been linked to the sanctuaries at Geraistos and Tainaros. The island was known at one time as Eirene ("Peace"), clearly in reference to the amphictiony.^[5] A reference in Strabo gives a list of the poleis that belonged:

And there was also a kind of Amphictyonic League connected with this temple, a league of seven cities which shared in the sacrifice; they were Hermione, Epidaurus, Aegina, Athens, Prasïeis, Nauplïeis, and Orchomenus Minyeius;^[6] however, the Argives paid dues for the Nauplians,^[7] and the Lacedaemonians for the Prasians."^[8] (Strabo, Geography viii.6.14.)

Troezen and Poros, which he considered the harbour of Troezen, Strabo omitted. However, there is no archaeological evidence to corroborate this list, and modern scholars believe that a feast in the ancient temenos celebrating the "revival" of the amphictiony, may have been based on a Hellenistic invention; the feast certainly existed: a third-century BCE plaque celebrating the "revival" of the Kalaureian League has been recovered.^[9]

Kalaureia in the Classical period

On Calauria a Doric temple of Poseidon was built in the ancient sanctuary, possibly around 520 BCE. The dimensions of the temple are 27.4 by 14.4 m. There are six columns on each short side and twelve on each long side.

After the Greco-Persian War, the friendly connection between Athens and Troezen appears to have continued; and during the hegemony of the Athenian empire before the thirty years' peace (455 BCE) Troezen was an ally of Athens, and was apparently garrisoned by Athenian troops; but by this peace the Athenians were compelled to relinquish Troezen. (19.29)

It was to Kalaureia that Demosthenes the famous orator, condemned to death with his friends by the pro-Philip Macedonian party at Athens, fled and took sanctuary in Poseidon's sanctuary; as Antipater's officers closed in, he took poison and died, 16 October 322.^[10]

Kalaureia was mentioned by Philostephanus in a lost work On Islands.

External links

• Kalaureia Archaeological Excavations

Notes

de:Kalavria

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