VEDA WELLNESS

HELLENIKON PYRAMID

Epidavros, Greece

Offered exclusively at our Greece Retreat

In the south-west edge of the Argolic plain, near the sources of Erasinos river (today’s Kefalari), on the main road that led in antiquity from Argos to Tegea and the rest of Arcadia, stands an isolated monument, a small fortress, known as ”The Pyramid” of Hellenikon. Based on the findings of the excavations and its structural elements it is dated in the mid 4th century B.C. and not in the Prehistoric times, as some researchers recently tried to prove. In the late antiquity the pyramid was considered a burial monument, “Polyandrion”, while today it is certain that it was a fortress that belonged to the type of small fortresses that controlled the roads and that are seen in many other regions of Argolida and Kinouria.

It has the shape of a tower with inclining exterior sides which enclose a rectangular building of 7.03 x 9.07m (total internal dimensions). These exterior walls, with a side inclination of 60 degrees, become vertical at 3.50m of height in order to support the floors of the superstructure. The main entrance of the monument is to the east, overlooking the sea of the Argolic gulf, and from there begins a long narrow internal corridor that leads to a smaller gate, which makes a small opening to the south wall, opening to a square room (7 m. side). This imposing monument is built with hard grey limestone found in the region, with large blocks, partly trapezoidal and partly polygonal.