The article gives us a couple more interesting details, including that the two kouroi have affinities with something called the “Youth of Tenea” which was unearthed in the area back in 1854. We also get some ancient references to Pausanias, who mentions a sanctuary called Tenea Eileithya and Strabo, who mentions a temple of Apollo there. I think they’re referring to the Apollo of Tenea which has been in the Munich Glyptothek since 1854 (and found in 1846):
Image via Wikipedia
Here’s what Strabo has to say (via Lacus Curtius) in 8.6.22:
Tenea, also, is in Corinthia, and in it is a temple of the Teneatan Apollo; and it is said that most of the colonists who accompanied Archias, the leader of the colonists to Syracuse, set out from there, and that afterwards Tenea prospered more than the other settlements, and finally even had a government of its own, and, revolting from the Corinthians, joined the Romans, and endured after the destruction of Corinth. And mention is also made of an oracle that was given to a certain man from Asia, who enquired whether it was better to change his home to Corinth: “Blest is Corinth, but Tenea for me!” But in ignorance some pervert this as follows: “but Tegea for me!” And it is said that Polybus reared Oedipus here. And it seems, also, that there is a kinship between the peoples of Tenedos and Tenea, through Tennesthe son of Cycnus, as Aristotle says; and the similarity in the worship of Apollo among the two peoples affords strong indications of such kinship.
Such is the account I heard of the Asopus. When you have turned from the Acrocorinthus into the mountain road you see the Teneatic gate and a sanctuary of Eilethyia. The town called Tenea is just about sixty stades distant. The inhabitants say that they are Trojans who were taken prisoners in Tenedos by the Greeks, and were permitted by Agamemnon to dwell in their present home. For this reason they honor Apollo more than any other god.
One of my spiders just dragged this back to my laptop … seems one Theodore May is retracing Alexander’s journey and is documenting his trip in a blog (along with associated tweets) called Backpacking to Babylon. Here’s a bit from the ‘about’ page:
Backpacking to Babylon represents several years of dreaming and planning. This project aims to chronicle Alexander’s long march to Babylon and his legendary rivalry with Darius, and where possible place his exploits in a modern-day context. In viewing the present through the prism of the past, I hope to enrich our understanding of both. Along the way, I hope to share with you many untold stories as well.
In order to do this, I am walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great through seven countries/territories, over eight months, covering 2,000-plus miles, arriving ultimately in the capital of ancient Babylonia, Babylon, the remains of which are found 50-odd miles south of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Some readers may quickly reference the Biblical hymn Psalm 137, while others may be more familiar with a popular “modern” interpretation by German disco band Boney M.
This project also aims to explore the limits of new media. Trekking through out-of-the-way places is nothing new — witness the exploits of explorers through the centuries. However, only in the past several years has it become possible for the rest of us at home to come along for the ride.
John Ketseas (thanks!) sends in an item from Naftemporiki (in Greek) which appears to be a followup to that Kouroi story from a week or so ago. It appears that further investigation has found a cemetery in the area, and (I think) some of the parts from one of the kouroi (I may be misreading that one). In any event, here’s a photo from the article:
from naftemporiki
… and for those of you who read modern Greek, here’s the article:
rogueclassicism 