Petros Themelis – författare

The Middle Ages arguably constitute the golden age of the prominent fortress town of Methone, an ancient settlement sited on the west coast of the Messenian peninsula of the Peloponnese. Its medieval magnificence is reflected in the strong fortification walls, built by the Venetians, who expelled the Frankish garrison of Geoffrey of Villehardouin in 1206, and took over the town three years later, following the signing of the Treaty of Sapientza in 1209. When the Venetians conquered Crete, Methone functioned as a bulwark of their colony in their competition with the Genoese. The fortress turned into a station on the way to the coasts of Asia and the Holy Land. Chroniclers of the West describe the Peloponnese as “L’Île de Modon” (Island of Methone). The significance of the fortress becomes evident in the note verbale of Doge A. Barbarigo in 1500 (after its capture by the Ottomans) to the Pope, the king of Spain and other princes: “we have lost the marvellous base for all ships sailing towards the East”. In the wake of the Naval Battle of Navarino, the liberating French troops of the commander-in-chief Maison, built a new town outside the walls. What survive today within the fortress are the ruins of Ottoman baths (hammam) and a minaret, underground cisterns, a gunpowder magazine and the church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour.

This book, illustrated in colour throughout, offers a concise presentation of the archaeological site of Ancient Messene, in the Greek Peloponnese, written by its excavator and head of the restoration program, and incorporating the latest results of archaeological research. Guided by the book's informative texts, pictures and drawings, the visitor to the site can take in the history of the city, walk around its monumental fortifications and explore the Theatre, the Agora and its sanctuaries, the impressive Stadium with its Palaestra, as well as investigate the area of the funerary monuments. Ancient Messene, in its capacity as a functioning archaeological and ecological park, has acquired its own unique dynamic and independent character. This is because the potential offered by the majestic remains of an entire ancient city, in combination with the controlled building activity in the surrounding modern settlements, has been substantially realized. In addition, the long-term investments in time and effort by all those who worked at the site since 1986 have paid dividends. Greek language edition (an English language edition, ISBN 9786185209483, is also available from the same publisher).