Mount Lykaion

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The Lykaion ( place of light, derived from lyx, lat lux, German Licht ', Greek Λύκαιον, ancient Greek Λύκαιοv ὄρος, Latin Mons Lycaeus ) is a mountain in the Greek countryside Arcadia in the Peloponnese, west of Megalopolis. In ancient times there was there a famous place of worship of Zeus. The highest peak ( Stefani ) is located at a height of 1,420 meters above sea level.

The sanctuary on the plateau

On a plateau of each peak is located at 1,200 m altitude, the sanctuary with a stadium, a hippodrome, a stoa and several other buildings. There were also, according to Pliny the Elder, the oldest games take place at all. Pausanias also mentions a sanctuary of Pan, who hails from Arcadia. The sanctuary possessed the right of asylum. At the time of Pausanias (2nd century AD) it was deserted.

The sanctuary has been used around 3000 BC; also found there a Minoan rock crystal seal with the image of a bull (about 1500-1400 BC ) indicates connections to the Minoan culture.

The Zeus Altar at the summit

On one of the two summits there was the Zeus Altar, of which today still remains to be seen, flanked by two pillars on which sat each a golden eagle.

The myth

Zeus had heard that people had become poor. So he went himself among the people to verify the rumor. Lycaon ( "Wolf Man " ), who had just killed a hostage of a foreign nation, entertained Zeus, to prove his divinity and because he wanted to kill him, with the flesh of slain hostage. Zeus destroyed it his palace and turned him into a wolf. Then Zeus let break forth Deucalion flood to destroy mankind; so the version of the story in Ovid.

The ritual

At night, young men went to the mountain to attend the Festival of Sacrifice. They ate meat from large boilers. Were among the pieces of meat, it was said, mixed pieces of human flesh. Who ate from this human flesh ( werewolf ) was transformed to the wolf. After several years as a wolf he was then taken back into the human community.

Interpretation of the ritual

Among the archaeological remains is nothing to suggest that on the Lykaion in fact people were sacrificed. ( Human sacrifices are ever detected on the Greek mainland nowhere. ) Only supposed to eat human flesh, which actually (consciously or unconsciously) wanted this. The ritual is a typical rite of passage, with which the company potentially dangerous elements for a certain period singles, in which they can live out their aggression. A historically certified person who has lived through this transformation twice after the ritual on the Lykaion, was later in life a professional boxer ( Damarchos of Parrhasia ).

The village and the region

Located very near to the sanctuary itself - a picturesque location - a mountain village of the same name. Also on the Lykaion Oros, named after the holy mountain chain, are the villages of Ano caries and Kastanochori. Even the ancient Lycosura is not too far away. Also west of the village Lykaion Neda is close to the sources of the eponymous river Neda, next to the famous Pan Temple. The area is very sparsely populated, however today after a major earthquake in 1969 hit the region and most of the residents who preferred to move to Athens or Megalopolis.