Near the modern town of Skala Oropou, the ancient Sanctuary of Amphiaraos,
more commonly known as the Amphiaraion, can be reached by heading 6.5 km
SE, roughly up the Mavrodhilisi ravine.
The Modern Site
The guard booth, right alongside the road, has just
been rebuilt and they were in the process of building brand new bathrooms
here. Still the site is very isolated. Make sure you have brought
your snacks and water with you. There is supposedly a very good guide
book recommended for this site and sold at the guard booth. I can't remember
the exact name, but if you look at them you can probably spot it. It's
a little more expensive but written by some noteworthy scholars.
There is also a small museum here, but it's been closed for decades. You
can still walk around the lower side of it and take a look at a number
of more delicate architectural members that are under a portico.
There are tons of ancient rooftiles all around so watch where you step.
Though we did not go down to modern Oropos, usually
known as Skala Oropos, there are a few hotels and tavernas there.
It a few kilometers away from the water's edge on the Straight of Euboea
and in antiquity it was used as the nearest point of access for ships going
across to Euboea.
I would also like to thank Ann Blasingham for her
explanations and tour of this site as well as for the bibliographies below.
Epigraphical Evidence:
IG VII 235-503,
SEG XXVI 601-610, SEG XXX 473,
SEG XXXI 415-492, SEG XXXIII 404,
SEG XXXVI 442
Fossey,
J.M. Topography and Population of Ancient Boeiotia, vol I. Chicago,
1988. Pp. 29-33 (includes list of inscriptions concerning the city
of Oropos), pp. 36-37 (includes bibliography on the Amphiareion). (Buy
it now!)
Oikonomides, Al. N. "Inscriptions
from Oropos and the Amphiareion." Horos 3 (1985), 19-23.
Petrakos, Basileios. Ho Oropos
kai to hieron tou Amphiaraou. Athens, 1968. Covers epigraphical
evidence for the city of Oropos and the Sanctuary of Amphiaraos; very good
epigraphical bibliography for these sites through the early 1960's.
--, Epigraphika tou Oropou.
Athens, 1980.
--, "He Epigraphika tou Oropou kai
tou Ramnountos." Praktika tou He Diethnous Sunedriou Hellenikes kai
Latinikes Epigrahikes (Athens, 1982). Athens, 1984, pp.309-326,
337. Includes additional bibliography.
Archaeological Evidence:
Coulton, J.J. "The Stoa at the Amphiaraion,
Oropos." BSA 63 (1968), 147-183.
Fossey, J.M. (see epigraphical evidence)
Lohr, Christoph. "Die Statuenbasen
im Amphiareion von Oropos." AthMitt 108 (1993), 183-212.
Petrakios, Basileios. "To Amphiareio
tou Oropou." Archailogia 39 (1991), pp. 21-33. (No bibliography,
but up-to-date description of current and prior work at the site.)
--, The Amphiareion of Oropos.
Athens, 1995. (Guidebook; site history and description in English, but
no bibliography.)
Travlos, John. Bildlexikon zur
Topographie des antiken Attika. Tubingen, 1988. (Bibliography through
early 1980's.)
Glazer, Franz. "Die Klepsydra im Amphiareion
bei Oropos." Pro Arte Antiqua. Festschrift fur Hedwig Kenner, vol.
I. Vienna: A.F. Koska, 1982. pp. 130-136. (on the water clock)
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