Mount Taygetus,
Taugetus, or
Taigetus is a
mountain rangeA mountain range is a chain of mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geology, though they often do; they may be a mix of different orogeny, for example volcanoes,...
in the
PeloponneseThe Peloponnese or Peloponnesus is a large peninsula and region in southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
peninsula in Southern
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
. It is the tallest mountain in the Peloponnese, reaching 2,407 m (7,896 feet) at the Profitis Elias summit. The Taygetus range is about 100 km long, extending from the center of the Peloponese to
Cape MatapanCape Matapan, also known as Cape Tenaro, Taenaro or Tainaro , is situated at the end of the Mani, Laconia, Greece. Cape Matapan is the southernmost point of mainland Greece. It separates the Messenian Gulf in the west from the Laconian Gulf in the east....
, its southermost extremity. The summit of Taygetus is an
ultra prominent peakAn ultra prominent peak, or Ultra for short, is a mountain with a topographic prominence of or more. There are a total of roughly 1,524 such peaks in the world. Some are famous even to non-climbers, such as Mount Everest, Aconcagua, and Mount McKinley , while others are much more obscure...
(2,344 m or 7,690 feet), as the
Isthmus of CorinthThe Isthmus of Corinth is the narrow land bridge which connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the mainland of Greece, near the city of Corinth. The word "isthmus" comes from the Ancient Greek word for "neck" and refers to the narrowness of the land. To the west of the Isthmus is the Gulf of...
which separates the Peloponnese from mainland Greece rises only to ~60 m in altitude.
The mountain is named after the nymph
TaygeteIn Greek mythology, Taygete was a nymph, one of the Pleiades according to Apollodorus and a companion of Artemis, in her archaic role as potnia theron, "Mistress of the animals." Mount Taygetos in Laconia, dedicated to the Goddess, was her haunt.As he mastered each of the local nymphs one by one,...
.
| Taygetus |
ElevationThe elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, often the mean sea level. Elevation, or geometric height, is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height is used for points above the surface, such as an...
: |
2,410 m (7,900 ft) (Profitis Ilias) |
| Location: |
eastern MesseniaMessenia or Messinia is a prefecture in the Peloponnese, a region of Greece. Messenia is bounded on the east by Mount Taygetus, on the north by the river Neda and the Arcadian Mountains, and on the west and south by the Mediterranean Sea, more specifically on the west by the Ionian Sea, and on the...
western LaconiaLaconia , also known as Lacedaemonia, is a prefecture in Greece. Laconia has the legal status of a prefecture, with Sparti its administrative capital. Its main towns and cities are Amyclae, Areopolis, Gytheion, Molaoi, Monemvasia, Mystras, Neapoli and Sellasia...
|
LengthDistance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are. In physics or everyday discussion, distance may refer to a physical length, a period of time, or an estimation based on other criteria . In mathematics, a distance function or metric is a generalization of the concept of physical...
: |
approx. 50 km, north to south
approx. from 10 to 20 km from east to west |
| Easiest route A climbing route is a path by which a climber reaches the top of a mountain, rock, or ice wall. Routes can vary dramatically in difficulty and, once committed to that ascent, can be difficult to stop or return. Choice of route can be critically important...
: |
climb |
Mount Taygetus,
Taugetus, or
Taigetus is a
mountain rangeA mountain range is a chain of mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geology, though they often do; they may be a mix of different orogeny, for example volcanoes,...
in the
PeloponneseThe Peloponnese or Peloponnesus is a large peninsula and region in southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
peninsula in Southern
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
. It is the tallest mountain in the Peloponnese, reaching 2,407 m (7,896 feet) at the Profitis Elias summit. The Taygetus range is about 100 km long, extending from the center of the Peloponese to
Cape MatapanCape Matapan, also known as Cape Tenaro, Taenaro or Tainaro , is situated at the end of the Mani, Laconia, Greece. Cape Matapan is the southernmost point of mainland Greece. It separates the Messenian Gulf in the west from the Laconian Gulf in the east....
, its southermost extremity. The summit of Taygetus is an
ultra prominent peakAn ultra prominent peak, or Ultra for short, is a mountain with a topographic prominence of or more. There are a total of roughly 1,524 such peaks in the world. Some are famous even to non-climbers, such as Mount Everest, Aconcagua, and Mount McKinley , while others are much more obscure...
(2,344 m or 7,690 feet), as the
Isthmus of CorinthThe Isthmus of Corinth is the narrow land bridge which connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the mainland of Greece, near the city of Corinth. The word "isthmus" comes from the Ancient Greek word for "neck" and refers to the narrowness of the land. To the west of the Isthmus is the Gulf of...
which separates the Peloponnese from mainland Greece rises only to ~60 m in altitude.
The mountain is named after the nymph
TaygeteIn Greek mythology, Taygete was a nymph, one of the Pleiades according to Apollodorus and a companion of Artemis, in her archaic role as potnia theron, "Mistress of the animals." Mount Taygetos in Laconia, dedicated to the Goddess, was her haunt.As he mastered each of the local nymphs one by one,...
. Taygetus overlooks the cities of
SpartaSparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the River Eurotas in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From c. 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars...
and
KalamataKalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
, whose skyline it dominates. In
ByzantineThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
times and up until the 19th century, the mountain was also known as
Pentedaktylos (Greek for
five-fingered, a common name during that period). The mountain range lies within the prefectures of
ArcadiaArcadia, Arkadía , or Arcady is a region of Greece in the Peloponnesus. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas.-Modern times:...
,
LaconiaLaconia , also known as Lacedaemonia, is a prefecture in Greece. Laconia has the legal status of a prefecture, with Sparti its administrative capital. Its main towns and cities are Amyclae, Areopolis, Gytheion, Molaoi, Monemvasia, Mystras, Neapoli and Sellasia...
and
MesseniaMessenia or Messinia is a prefecture in the Peloponnese, a region of Greece. Messenia is bounded on the east by Mount Taygetus, on the north by the river Neda and the Arcadian Mountains, and on the west and south by the Mediterranean Sea, more specifically on the west by the Ionian Sea, and on the...
.
The slopes of Taygetus are heavily forested, primarily with
Greek firGreek Fir is a fir native to the mountains of Greece, primarily in the Peloponnesos and the island of Kefallinia, intergrading with the closely related Bulgarian Fir further north in the Pindus mountains of northern Greece. It is a medium-size evergreen coniferous tree growing to 25-35 m tall and...
(
Abies cephallonica) and
black pineSeveral trees are referred to as black pine:* The European Black Pine.* The Japanese Black Pine.* The Jeffrey Pine in North America.* Matai, a New Zealand conifer.* Miro, also a New Zealand conifer.The band The Black Pine...
(
pinus nigra). Devastating fires in 2005 and 2007 consumed much of the forests on the central west slopes, and only about half remain. Numerous creeks wash down from the mountains and the Evrotas river has its headwaters in the northern part of the range. The mountain is a popular hiking destination and is part of the European walking route E4. The view from the top includes most of the Evrotas valley and the
ParnonParnon or Malevo is a mountain ridge on the east of the Laconian plain and the Evrotas valley. Its height is 1 940 m. It is visible from Athens above the top of the Argive mountains. The western part is in the Laconia prefecture and the eastern part is in the Arcadia prefecture...
range to the east, while the view towards the west includes
KalamataKalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
and the eastern half of Messenia. Most of the southwestern part of Arcadia can also be seen from the summit.
Taygetus is crossed by
Greek National Road 82Greek National Road 82 is a west to east highway linking Pylos with the GR-9/E55, Kalamata and downtown Sparta with GR-37/E???. The highway begins in downtown Pylos and runs through the southwestern part of Messenia and through curvy roads and through Lykodimos and intersects with a road linking...
, which links Kalamata to
SpartiSparti is a municipality of Laconia, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta. The population in 2001 was 18,184, of whom 14,817 lived in the town itself.-History:...
and separates Northern Taygetus from the Central Range. The Rindomo Gorge separates the Central Range from Southern Taygetos. The section of Taygetus that forms the backbone of the
Mani PeninsulaThe Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
is also known as Saggias, and is often not considered part of Taygetus.
The central part of the mountain range is commonly called "Skoteini Plevra" which means "the dark side" because the villages located there do not receive as much sunshine in the early morning and the late afternoon hours.
Human Geography
The slopes of Taygetus have been inhabited since at least
MyceneanMycenaean Greece is a cultural period of Ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese of southern Greece. Athens, Pylos, Thebes, and Tiryns are also important Mycenaean sites...
times. The site of Arkina, near the village of
ArnaArna is a village on the eastern slopes of the Taygetus mountain range, at an altitude of 700m to 850m .Located in the prefecture of Laconia, in the Peloponnese, it forms part of the town of Faris. The nearest major town are Gytheum, 35 km to the southeast, and Sparta, approximately 40 km to...
, contains three beehive tombs and is still unexplored. Taygetus was important as one of Sparta's natural defenses. The
SpartaSparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the River Eurotas in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From c. 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars...
ns threw criminals and "unfit" (weak, sickly,
deformedA deformity, dysmorphism, or dysmorphic feature is a major difference in the shape of body part or organ compared to the average shape of that part.Deformity may arise from numerous causes:*A genetic mutation*Damage to the fetus or uterus...
, or
mentally retardedMental retardation is a generalized disorder, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors with onset before the age of 18...
) infants into a chasm of Taygetus known as
Ceadas (Κεάδας) or
Caeadas (
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
: Καιάδας). In
antiquityClassical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
, male
SpartaSparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the River Eurotas in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From c. 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars...
n newborns were abandoned there if deemed unfit after examination for vitality. Recent evidence, found by the University of Athens, discovered remains of adult individuals and claimed that Ceadas was also, or mainly, a place of punishment for criminals, traitors and captives. During the era of barbarian invasions, Taygetus served as a shelter for the native population. Many of the villages in its slopes date from this period. In
Medieval timesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, the citadel of
MystrasMystras, also Mistra, Mystra and Mistras was a fortified town in Morea , on Mt. Taygetos, near ancient Sparta. In the 14th and 15th centuries, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea, experiencing a period of prosperity and cultural flowering...
was a center of Byzantine civilizations and served as capital of the
Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
. Mystras is remarkably well-preserved and today is a major tourist draw in the the region.
External links
http://www.mani.org.gr/en/taigetos/rint/rintomo.htm