Might the town in the East be her true refuge? A town that is vibrant, dynamic, refined and culturally superior. Another call for Ypsipyli to explore it and find refuge in its windy harbors, in the arms of the Great Goddess. The other halp of the couple known as “Dipolis”, the majestic Hephaistia.
Hephaistia, the second largest town of Lemnos after Myrina, developed on the peninsula of Paleopolis, on the northern side of the bay of Pournia, and came to light during the excavations of the Italian archaeologist Alessandro Della Seta, the Italian School of Archaeology and the relevant Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.
A walled settlement, a cemetery and the Sanctuary of the Great Goddess (of) Lemnos are evidence of the existence of the ancient city dating from the 8th to the 5th century BC. Evidence also exists of later times, since two ceramic kilns of a workshop and the ancient theatre that has been discovered direct us to Hellenistic times and survive, with modifications, in Roman times. Finally, bathhouses and dwellings show that the city has left its traces up until the Byzantine period.
THE SANCTUARY OF THE GREAT GODDESS
The sanctuary is built within the city, on the western slopes of Paleopolis. It is believed to have been destroyed at the end of the 6th century BC as the result of a Persian attack. Several chambers around a central courtyard and several votive offerings suggest that the sanctuary was dedicated to a female deity, as evidenced by some statuettes representing her. Clay tiles in the form of a Sphinx or Siren have also been found, as well as ‘special’, small clay ‘houses’ depicting fountains, which were given as offerings to the goddess. The name of the Goddess remains unknown. Some identify her with the local goddess Chrysi and others with the island itself, calling her Goddess Lemnos.
THE ANCIENT THEATRE
The ancient theatre is the most important monument of the area and is associated with the presence of the Athenians on the island. In fact, the sound financial situation of the Athenian priests and the privileges they enjoyed gave them the opportunity to engage in the arts and letters. The concave of the ancient theatre, which dates back to the 4th century BC, was built on the slope of a hill on which there were sanctuaries dating back to the 7th and 6th centuries BC. Outside the concave there was an orchestra, a stage, stalls and a water drainage system made from limestone. Its construction includes five building phases and its operation and maintenance extend back to the late Roman period. Within the framework of the 3rd Community Support Framework, restoration and enhancement works were carried out in order to preserve the ancient theatre and make it accessible to visitors. In recent years, residents and visitors of the island have had the opportunity to attend important theatrical and musical performances at the Hephaistia Theatre.
