Patras History
PATRAS ' HISTORY
ACCORDING TO WRITTEN TRADITION
Patras'
history was known until recently only by written tradition. According to it,
Patras was founded by the Achaeans of Sparta who, headed by Preugenes and his
son Patreus, came here after being forced out by the Dorians. But similarly the
Achaeans of Argos, also forced out by the Dorians, headed by Tisamenos,
occupied the eastern Achaia, after besieging Eliki. Up to then, the whole of
Achaia was named after the Ions and was called Ionia but was also called
Aegialos, either because it was named after the king of Sikyona, Aegialus,
either because the whole region spread all along the coast (aegialos). The Ions
firstly went to Athens and from there to Asia Minor where they founded twelve
cities, the Ionian Dodecapolis, in remembrance of the twelve cities they had
left behind in Achaia.
Preugenes
and Patreus made three Ionian small settlements into one. Those three were
Aroe, Mesati and Antheia and having as center Aroe they founded a new city that
they called Patres after Patreus. The city's name was in the plural because of
the unification of many settlements. The oldest of these three small
settlements was Aroe. Its founder was Eumelos who, helped by Triptolemos of
Eleusina, introduced the cultivation of grains. Eumelos and Triptolemos later
founded Antheia, which was named after Eumelos' son, Antheias. Finally, at the
third settlement of Mesatis, the god Dionysus was worshiped.
According to
another tradition, Eurypylus, Euemonos' son, king of the Thessalie, heading the
Thessales after the Trojan War, he founded a colony at Aroe.
After
the Mycenaean period and as Patras geographical position was at the periphery
of Greece and quite far from the big centres of that period, such as Athens,
Sparta, Corinth, Chalkide etc., this city does not play an important role in
the significant events and the political evolutions that occur in the rest of
the country. It does not found colonies, neither is it active in the Persian
wars, the Peloponnesian war and the conflicts of the 4th century BC. The
initiative of all movements of that era belongs exclusively to Eastern Achaia.
On the contrary, after 280 BC, Patras plays a significant role in the
foundation of the second Achaian League together with the cities Dyme, Triteia
and Pharai and the initiative of the political movements is transferred for the
first time at the western Achaia. Later on and after the roman occupation of
Greece, in 146 BC, Patras plays the main role and Augustus founds here a roman
colony in 14 BC.
Patras'
inactivity in the political field up to 146 BC seems to be the cause for which
only those events linked to other big cities are referred by great ancient
historians and not those events of local importance. So, we know that even Patras
did not take part in the Peloponnesian war (431-404 BC), Alkibiades proposed to
the inhabitants of this city to construct the Long Wall to link the city around
the acropolis to the port.
Βy means of excavations, mainly the redeeming ones in building grounds, many gaps of the city’s history are now filled and many of the elements referred by ancient writers are now refuted.
From the
elements known so far, it is obvious that Patras is firstly inhabited in the
third , millennium BC and not at the end of the second as we used to believe.
These very ancient traces of the city are located at the region where Aroe is
situated today. During the next Middle-Helladic period, in the first half of
the second millennium BC, another settlement is founded at the region. But
Patras starts flourishing for its first time during the Late Helladic or
Mycenaean period (1580 -1100 BC). The plenty of Mycenaean graves that were
found at the city (street Germanou) as well as at the surroundings, Voudeni,
Aroe, Samakia, Girokomio, Petroto (Achaia Clauss), Krini, Saravali, Kallithea
and elsewhere, prove not only that the population is significantly risen by
then but that there are also relations developed among the regions.
At the end of
the Mycenaean period, Patras' synoecism is nothing more than a religious
unification and a foundation of a common worship of goddess Artemis and it was
called Triklaria after the three settlements (klaros) that initially existed in
the area and participated in the festivities. The temple of Artemis is located
at Velvitsi where three precious sculptures from a gable of a classic temple
were found. Recent discovery of an inscription gives signs that Mesatis was
situated at the region of Sichena and Voudeni. If we consider true the
testimony of ancient sources that Patras was founded at Aroe, then we have to
look for it at the place where the mediaeval fortress and today’s Aroe are. The
identification of Antheia remains to be found but most probably it was at the hill
of Mygdalia at Petroto. Patras' acropolis, both Mycenaean and classic, is
located under the mediaeval fortress, at a depth of at least 20 meters and its
excavation presents various problems.
From the two periods that followed, Geometric and Archaic, only few elements have seen the light and it seems that Patras had gradually started to decline. On the contrary, during the classic period (5th and 4th century BC), it seems that the politic settlement of Patras gets organized and becomes a cit , because at some point of the middle of 5th century the most ancient cemetery of the city, known as the Northern cemetery , is founded. Consequently, it seems that the tradition about Patreus is possibly a more recent creation, maybe of the Hellenistic period, when most of the cities in Greece invented settlers in order to interpret the origin of their names.
The tradition
that refers to Alcebiades' Long Wall seems to be based on a real event as
traces of the wall have been found during rescue excavations.
During the
Hellenistic period, 323-146 BC, the town is extended to the sea and a second
cemetery, the South, is established. Though, Patras reaches its highest peak
during
the roman period
when its port, because of the destruction of Corinth’s port, plays the first
role in the communication of Greece with Italy.Moreover, the foundation of a
roman colony in 14 BC by August promotes Patras even more. Α cadastral map
is drawn up, privileges are given, crafts are created. The most important of
which was that of clay oil lamps which
were exported almost to the whole world of that time, two industrial zones are
created, temples are built, roads that render Patras a communication centre are
opened, streets are paved with flagstones, foreign worships are introduced etc.
The city is extended up to the sea and the population rises to the point that
another two cemeteries are founded, the Eastern and the Southeastern. The land
is reorganized and its exploitation is now done through the farmhouses. Roman
Emperors gave to Patras the privilege to mint its own coins on which are
inscribed the initials CAAP, previously transcript as Colonia Augusta Aroe
Patrensis, meaning Colony of August at Aroe of Patras. Recently though, a coin
with fully written the abbreviation was found and so we read : Colonia Augusta
Achaica Patrensis, meaning Colony of August at Patras of Achaia.
But the roman
emperors also created public buildings and offered other benefactions such as
the roman amphitheatre, the roman aqueduct, the roman Odeion. Αll these
are proved by the dedicatory inscriptions found at those places where emperors
are characterized as benefactors.
Patras is by
then a cosmopolitan city. But at the end of the 3rd century AD it falls into
decline, most possibly because of a strong earthquake that stroke the whole of
NE Peloponnese in 300 AD.
None the less, there are still some little flashes, like in the old-Christian and the first Byzantine period (4th -6th century AD), when new crafts are created. It is assumed that during this period, the Byzantine castle that exists until nowadays with some reparations and other accretions done by the Franks and the Turks, is Justinian at the place of the ancient acropolis. The city is extended only around the fortress. In the middle of the 9th century ΑD, as we learn from the tradition of the rich lady Daniilida, Patras flourishes. Then, it starts following the track of the Byzantine State. Since the 13th century, it belongs sometimes to the Franks, sometimes to the Byzantine, sometimes to the Venetians and some other times to the Turks. The most important points of this track are: the period from 1266 to 1430 with the occupation of the Franks, then the Byzantium and in 1458 the occupation from the Turks. From 1687 to 1715 Patras was once more occupied by the Venetians and then again from the Turks up to the Liberation in 1821.
After the liberation from the Turks, Patras develops fast, thanks to its port and the commerce that takes place through it. Beautiful neo-classic buildings embellish the city whose roads all end up to the sea so that its bracing force is not cut. Artistic and spiritual life is very intense. Gradually the heavy industry develops which has as result the rise of the population. Today, Patras is one of the most significant cities in Greece and its port is still playing that important role that it had during all its long history.
Archeologist
(from “Patras
through the ages”, Municipality of Patras, 1999).