The “Thermopylai of the Peloponnese”: The Kleidi Pass at Samikon

by Birgitta Eder, Hans-Joachim Gehrke, Erofili-Iris Kolia, Lea Obrocki, and Andreas Vött

Hesperia, Volume 94, Issue 4
Page(s): 473-535
Stable URL: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/977482
Year: 2025
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ABSTRACT:

Three small prominent hills at Kleidi near the Late Classical-Early Hellenistic fortifications of Samikon mark the point on the west coast of the Peloponnese where, based on Strabo’s description, the regionally important Sanctuary of Poseidon is thought to have been located. This article brings together for the first time all available archival material, the results of recent geoarchaeological and geophysical research, and a critical assessment of known literary sources to reappraise the ancient topography in the area. A plan of the area maps all recognizable structures on and adjacent to the Kleidi hills and offers the basis for a fresh evaluation of the site.