The "pyramid" of Elliniko

The so called “pyramid” of Elliniko is a bit of a mystery. It is nothing like the scale of the Egyptian pyramids, but it still makes for an interesting trip -even if just to see what so many archaeologists have been arguing about over the years.

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The so called “pyramid” of Elliniko is a bit of a mystery. It is nothing like the scale of the Egyptian pyramids, but it still makes for an interesting trip - even if just to see what so many archaeologists have been arguing about over the years. It’s also in a peaceful landscape to the south west of Argos, surrounded by olive trees, bushes and cypresses. Out of interest, it is near to the sources of the Erasinos river, on ancient roads that connected Argos with Tegea. It is built with grey local shale and has an entrance on the side facing the Argolic gulf. 

Much has been said and written about the pyramid as people have tried to figure out when it was built and what it was used for. It is now fairly widely accepted that it was built at the end of the 4th century BC. Writers, scholars and archaeologists formed their own ideas about its history and use, often on the basis of excavations which were carried out in the 1930s.

Incorrect theories. The original theory that the pyramid was built in the Prehistoric period has been disproved, as has the view that it was a funerary monument. Neither does it have any connection with the pyramids of Egypt and Pausanias, the Greek geographer who had visited Egypt, did not call it a pyramid but rather a "pyramidal structure with reliefs depicting shields in the shape of Argolic shields". Pausanias considered this to be a "polyandrion", that is, a group burial monument –however, it is worth saying that there is some dispute as to whether his description even refers to the Elliniko "pyramid".

What were the "pyramids" used for? According to the Ministry of Culture the Elliniko monument was a “fort of the type of small strong-holds which controlled the arterial roads”. The British archaeologist David J Windell believes that the pyramid was an agricultural building and that three other "pyramids" that have been identified in Argolis and Laconia had a similar use: Lygourio, Campia in Nea Epidaurus and Viglafia, in Laconia. He sees them as having been integral parts of the rural landscape in the Peloponnese of the 4th century BC. They were probably used for processing valuable goods that needed protection (such as essential oil products, perfumes, dyes, pharmaceuticals), as well as for shelter in times of unrest.

The testimonies of 19th century travellers and the excavations. Although a number of the 19th century travellers described the pyramidal monuments at Elliniko, Ligourio and Viglafia, William Martin Leake is our best source. He was fascinated by these “pyramids” and made floor plans of them and also published texts and photographs in 1830.
In 1938 under the auspices of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, L. Lord began the most important excavation work in Ellinikon and Lygourio. Most of the findings from the excavations and the surface survey were dated from the 4th century BC.

Did you know that

The "pyramid" of Elliniko is located SW of Argos (9 km.).

Location

Find the destination on the interactive map below.