Myths, History & Wine

Excavation findings reveal settlements of various historical periods in the wider area of Nemea (6000 BC, 3000 BC, 1200 BC). These settlements must have been agricultural and the inhabitants must have produced wine, because a large supply of grape seeds has also been found.

According to mythological tradition, Hercules comes to the area to complete the 1st of his 12 labors, to kill the Nemean Lion.

This scene has been captured and preserved in many ancient finds.

Based on rural myths, Hercules was the one who instituted athletic competitions in the region, in honor of Zeus. In Ancient Kleones today are preserved the ruins of the Temple of Herakles (200 BC).

The first written references to the region, and specifically Phliasia, come from Homer’s Iliad, Pindarus, Strabon and the traveler Pausanias.

So, in the largest basin of the Corinthian hinterland and on a hill, Phliouda or Phliasia was founded, in honor of King Phlias.

Phliasia consisted of the citadel and the lower city, which was surrounded by walls and a fertile valley, crossed by the river Asopus, which flows into the Corinthian gulf to this day.

In 6th century B.C. at a distance of 8km from Phliouda, the Sanctuary of Nemean Zeus is built.

There was no settlement, except for the priesthood that was responsible for the operation of the holy space.

(Nemea = daughter of the river god Asopus = nemus = arch. forest area/pasture).

Due to the morphology of the terrain, water bodies accumulated in the plain during the winter months, which made it difficult to create a settlement.

The first Nemean Games were founded and controlled by the city of Argos, and were held in the stadium of the Sanctuary of Zeus. The Nemean Games were athletic competitions, had a funerary character and were held in honor of Opheltes (son of King Lycurgus who died from a snake bite).

For this reason, winners were awarded a wreath of wild celery, a symbol of funeral worship.

In 573 BC the Nemean Games emerged in Panhellenic games (like the Pythian, Olympic and Isthmian) and were now held in honor of Zeus. During of these athletic events, the sacred truce was in effect, i.e. the cessation of all hostilities or war between the Greek cities.

They were held every 2 years (1st and 3rd year of each Olympics and constituted a religious festival.

At these festivals, as at banquets, guests consumed copious amounts of wine.

The largest production of wine in the region came from the Fliasio region, which is why the wine was known in antiquity as Fliasian wine (Dipnosophistas of Athens, excerpt from an Attic comedy by Antiphanes, 4th century BC).

Due to the wine trade, Fliouda experienced great economic prosperity during the 5th and 4th centuries BC. This is supported on the 5.000 coins from various ancient cities that have been found in the area and on the minting of a coin by the Phliasians in 350 BC.

Historical evidence is limited for the following centuries. The reappearance of the area in surviving texts takes place in the 13th century. AD, when the Franks occupy Morea (today’s Peloponnese) building castles-fortresses for their protection.

One of them is the Castle-Polyfegos (mountain at the entrance of today’s Nemea).

In 1320 the Castle-Polyfegos is counted among the castles that passed into the hands of the Byzantines, as it was captured by Andronikos Asan

In the following years, 3 km. from the ancient Fliunda, the town of Agios Georgios Polyfengos is built, a name taken from the homonymous medieval church.

In 1365 documents mention that the Byzantines had introduced a wine tax, which proves that the Byzantine wine did not stop being produced. With the renaming of the city, the reference to the name of the wine changed, and it became known as “the sweet wine of Agios Georgios”.

In 1458 the area was conquered by the Turks. In the 16th and 17th centuries the payment of tax for the right to cultivate and produce the final product is recorded. Due to the conquests and the constant conflicts, viticulture and wine production was reduced.

In 1691 the families living in Agios Georgios owned a total of 1,321 axinaria (1/4 ha) and 19 wine presses. They produced about 3,000 tons of wine, with over 50% distributed outside the region.

In the Greek Revolution of 1821, many residents took part in the battle, led by Daniel Pampoukis.

In June 1822 Theodoros Kolokotronis and his army settle in Agios Georgios and begin preparations for the upcoming battle in Dervenakia against the Turks.

On 26 July 1822 the Battle of Dervenakia, also known as the “Massacre of Dramalis”, was fought. The victory of the Greeks in this battle marks the liberation of the region.

In 1840 the Municipality of Nemea was created with its central seat in Agios Georgios. In 1880 the settlement created near the Sanctuary of Zeus was added to the municipality under the name Heraklion.

In 1915, it was decided to change the name of the main town, from Agios Georgios to Nemea, mainly for commercial reasons, since the name of the produced wine in the area became widely known as “Agiortiko (wine) of Nemea”.

In 1923 the area was officially renamed to Nemea and in 1958 Heraklion to Ancient Nemea.

Nemea was conquered by the Italians on 26 April 1941. Due to its morphology, many guerrilla troops were formed here during the period of occupation.

In 1971, Agiorgitiko Nemea was established as PDO (Product Designation of Origin).

In 1996, the first modern Nemeada takes place in the ancient stadium, as a revival of the Nemean Games.