Harry's Peloponnese Guide: Ancient Megallopolis Page 1

Ancient Megallopoli is encircled by the mountains Tageftos, Mainalos and Lykaion with the rivers Alpheus and Elissonas to the south and north respectively.

Built at the rivers junction, the ancient city was for a brief period, an important center attracting settlers from all over the Peloponnese.

There isn't a whole lot to see today except the ancient theater pictured below which was the largest in ancient Greece and held 20,000 spectators. Megallopoli is out in the middle of nowhere which adds to its charm. You wont have hoards of tour buses bothering you here!

Since Megallopoli translates to "Big Town" its not surprising they had the biggest theater. There is a bit more to its history after the Peloponnesian Wars. Essentially Megallopoli was an artificial town built as a counter to the power of Sparta by one of the ubiquitous leagues of ancient Greece. Thebes was running the show under Epamonidies for a brief 9 years. Settlers were moved here en-masse. And although superbly located subsequently was destroyed in war and never resettled.

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