Archaeological site of Egosthena

What I can see

On a hill 450m high, we see the castle of Egosthena, which overlooks the Corinthian Gulf, Porto Germeno and the Gulf of the Alkyonides Islands, which are known from mythology and renowned for their powerful earthquakes. The lower town lies at the foot of the hill, and the wall is largely preserved on the east and north sides. It is an important example of 4th century BC fortification art. Every 50-60m, there were imposing square towers, 16 of which are preserved, with one of them almost completely preserved. This tower is about 15m tall and about 9m long. It was probably three-storey, as can be seen from the holes on the wall, on which the floors were likely resting. On its three vulnerable sides there are openings for archers, and on the third floor there are catapult windows. The mosaic floor, next to the north gate of the site, belonged to a five-aisled Christian basilica of the 5th century A.D. On it, a small church was later built of stone from ancient buildings, and some of them have ancient inscriptions. A monastery was bulit around the small church. Later, the site was also used as a cemetery.

What I can't see

In ancient times, Egosthena belonged to Megara, but then passed to the Achaean Confederacy and then, for a while, to the common of the Boeotian cities. In the sanctuary, which lies beneath the acropolis, hero-clairvoyant Melabus was worshiped. There was also an annual celebration with competitions and healing practices. The sanctuary was used from the Geometric period up to the Byzantine period.

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