Patras – A brief introduction

Patras – A brief introduction
Patras is located at the Western part of Greece’s mainland on the Northwestern
coast of Peloponnesus. The city is sited right in the middle of an imaginary
triangle formed by three locations of major archeological importance: Ancient
Delphi in the north, Epidaurus in the south-east and Olympia in the south-west,
whereas, at the same time, it is placed between the Mount Panachaiko and the
Gulf of Patras, which links the city with Aitoloakarnania and the Ionian Islands.
Patras, the third largest city of Greece, has always been a path to Europe, a
Gate towards the West and a commercial channel to the ports of Italy, France
and England.
Probably, Patras already existed before the Peloponnesian War, which took place
in 431 B.C. In Roman times, Emperors like Tiberius, Nero and Hadrian, ceded
several privileges to Patras, turning the city into one of glory and wealth.
In 1821, Patras was one of the first cities to revolt against the Turkish
occupation. Because of its strategic importance, the city was almost completely
destroyed during the Revolution.
During the 19th century, Patras met an impressive commercial and economic
growth thanks to its port. The city regained its past historical, economical and
cultural decisive role and, became once more, a place of cultural exchange and
creation.
Today, Patras is a cosmopolitan city and remains a place where new ideas, ever
renewed conceptions and avant-garde philosophical movements are flourishing.
Being the metropolis of Western Greece, the city is well-connected to the rest
of the country, through a highly developed transportation system. Europe’s
biggest cable-stayed bridge links Patras with the central and northern part of
the country.
The University of Patras provides all necessary expertise for both scientific and
artistic activity, encouraging the city to move towards further development. The
fifty thousand University students living in Patras are pumping youth and vitality
in the city’s arteries.
The rich historical and cultural heritage of the city has helped in establishing it
as the European Capital of Culture 2006.
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 Sikyon, Aegialus, either
because the whole region spread all along the coast (aegialos). The Ions firstly
took 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.
Preugenes and Patreus made three Ionian market towns into one. Those three
were Aroe, Mesatis and Antheia and having as center Aroe they founded a new
city that they called Patrae after Patreus. The city's name was in the plural
because of the unification of many settlements. The oldest of these three
market towns was Aroe. Its founder was Eumelos who, helped by Triptolemos of
Eleusis, introduces the cultivation of grains. Eumelos and Triptolemos later
founded Antheia, which was named after Eumelos' son, Antheias. Finally, at the
market town of Mesatis, they worshiped god Dionysus.
According to another tradition, Eurepelus, Euemonos' son, king of Thessaly,
heading the Thessales after the Trojan War, he founded a colony at Aroe.
After the Mycenean period and as Patras geographical position was at the
periphery of Greece and quite far from the big urban centers of that period,
such as Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Chalkis 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 Achaean League together with the cities Dyme, Tritaea and Pharae
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.
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.
Patras history after the excavations
By 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 3rd millenium BC and not at the end of the 2nd 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-Hellenistic period, in the first half of the 2nd
millenium BC, another settlement is founded at the region. But Patras starts
flourishing for its first time during the Post-Hellenistic 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 mycanaean 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 city, 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 remedying 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, it 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. A cadastral map in drawn up, privileges are given, crafts are created,
and the most important was that of earthen 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 center 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.
But the roman emperors also created public buildings and offered other
benefactions such as the roman amphitheater, the roman aqueduct, the roman
Odeon. All 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.
Medieval and Modern period
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 built by Justinian at the place of the ancient acropolis. The city is
extended around the fortress. In the middle of the 9th century AD, 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 Byzantines, 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 a 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.
Some Photos of Patras
Patras panoramic photo
Patras Panoramic Photo with the Cathedral of Saint Andrew and the port
Patras Panoramic Photo with the Byzantine Castle
Patras Panoramic Photo with the Psila Alonia Square
Patras Panorama: the port, the Roman Odeon, the Byzantine Castle and the
Cathedral
Patras marina view from the small port theater
Patras panorama with a view of the marina and the port
The lighthouse near the Saint Andrew Cathedral
Patras Saint Andrew Cathedral
Patras Lighthouse
Patras Municipal Theater “Apollo”
Patras Byzantine Castle
Patras Roman Odeon during the Carnival season
Patras harbour
Patras Trion Symmachon Square near the port
Patras Harbour
View of the Rio-Antirrio Bridge
Rio-Antirrio Bridge
Rion-Antirrion Bridge Fireworks
Aerial view of the Bridge
The Kalogria pine forest near Patras
Patras Carnival photo
Patras Carnival photo