Helisson

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography

HELISSON(Ἑλισσών, Paus.; Ἑλισσοῦς, Diod.), a town of Arcadia in the district Maenalia, situated on Mt. Maenalus near the territory of Mantineia. The town was taken by the Lacedaemonians in one of their wars with the Arcadians, B.C. 352; but most of its inhabitants had been previously removed to Megalopolis upon the foundation of the latter city in 371. Near it rose the liver Helisson, which flowed through Maenalia into the Alpheius. The site of Helisson is doubtful. Leake places it at the village Alonístena, from which the river takes its modern name, and near which it rises; but as there are no ancient remains at this village, Ross conjectures that its site is represented by the Paleokastronnear the village Piana, lower down the mountain. (Paus. 8.3.3, 27. § § 3, 7, 30.1; Diod. 16.39; Leake, Morea, vol. 2. p. 54; Ross, Reisen im Peloponnes, vol. 1. p. 117.) The Elisphasii mentioned by Polybius (Plb. 11.11.6) are conjectured by some modern writers to be a corrupt form of Helissontii. For details, see MANTINEIA