History – Monuments

It is a prehestoric settlement with neolithic findings at the location Svina (Platanos in Thalames). Stone spades, tools and pseudomorphic Mycenean urns have been spotted. It be-longed to the Koino of Lakedemonion, that is the Society of Lakedemonii and the Koino of Eleftherolakonon  that is the So-ciety of Eleftherolakones.

It constituted a remarkable center of the Ancient times with temples, bronze statues, a holy spring and an oracle that used dreams to give its prophecies and attracted a multitude of people to it.

The Spartian curators came to this oracle and slept in the temple of Pasifai, who gave them dreams with the most suitable solutions to the matters of the State.

Built-in ancient stones can be still located at the spring at the center of modern Thalames. Next to the spring there is also an inscribed base that belonged to the statue of the Roman Caesar Markus Aurelius Antoninos the venerable.

At the west side of the village there is the Holy Temple of St. Vasileios of the 12th century with many notable wallpaintings. You can also see the Church of St. Ioannis (19th century) with imposing architecture, St. Nikolaos Church , the Metamorphosis

of Sotiros Church along with many other Byzantine and Post-Byzantine which impress visitors.

The house of Levi, the Stavrianeas Tower and the Gennimatas Tower are among the oldest residences that present distinctive cha-racteristics of architectural interest.

Furthermore, there is a private laographic (folklore) Museum in the area.

A few months ago the restoration works of the St. George square finished, while the exterior stone decoration is still pending.

On the 7th issue of October 1999, Maniatiki Allilegii published the com-plaint letter of  the designer architect M.Orfanos conce-rning the omissions – declinations of the approved study.

Now the denouncing writer of the letter becomes justified since even the most ignorant can see for himself the imbalance bet-ween the used materials and the surrounding area. Who is responsible for the deviations and declina-tions?

TranslatorΥs note: Pasifai was believed to be the Goddess of the Moon (Selini).

Population

The Municipality region of Thalames along with the settlement Somatiana belongs to the Municipality of Lefktro. It numbers 196 re-sidents (census of 1991) and the basic occupation of the residents is olivepicking and home livestock breeding. There is also one professional goat livestock unit.

Transport – Roads

Transport in the area takes place with KTEL long-distance buses to and from Kalamata four times a day.

Roads are not at their best condition. Due to the oncoming olivepicking period they ought to be cleaned and laid with gravel. In certain parts bushes and wadding render the pas-sage of pedestrians and machinery unapproachable.

Another serious problem is the provincial road  Kala-mataAreopolis that passes through the center of the village. Its narrowness in connection with its many turnings make it dangerous.

A new tracing of the road is needed even though this does not seem feasible at the moment.

The water system

The water supply comes from the Viros springs. It is so limited though that the residents suffer from serious water shortage during summer months.

The cemetery

The existing cemetery is considered to be too small and its extension is necessary. Its maintenance and cleaning from useless stuff would give the place a different dimension.

The olive-oil cooperative

An olive-oil cooperative has a factory at the municipality region of Nomitsi. It numbers 75-80 farmers and covers the wider area.

The municipality region of Thalames has been characterized as a traditional settlement by the Ministry of Culture and therefore it can be financed for the restoration of squares and other public areas.

The previous local authority assigned the designing of certain proposal drawings to designer offices, such as the joining of St. George square, the tidying up of the Platanos square, the extension and expansion of the cemetery and the surrounding area, the preservation and transformation of the old Elementary school into a museum. (Its present condition is unacceptable since its roof , the doors and the windows need to be replaced).

What does the Municipality intend to do on the matter? Is is it going to make use of these proposals or is it going to miss another opportunity?

Antonis Roumaneas

The Municipality region of Kambos lies on the 20th km of the provincial road Kalamata – Areopolis and is the capital of the Municipality of Avia.

History – Monuments.

According to the evidence of the Ancient Greek writer Pafsanias, a re-markable civilization flouri-shed there with notable findings that were spotted in the later centuries.

Gerenia was believed to be at the hill of Zarnata where plenty of relics of the historical times were found at the pro-Christian founda-tions of the Medieval castle.

Considerable monume-nts appear at different parts of Kambos. The holy temple of St. Ioannis the Prodromos (13th century), the St. Theodori (12th century), the monastery of  Evangelistria and the church of Aghia Varvara that was built at the beginning of the previous century and is the central church of the village.

The Koumoundouros To-wer comes into sight at Ga-rbellia while a Mycenean vaulted tomb lies next to it. Currently the proposal on the restoration of the Tower and the nearby arche-ological area is being completed.

Population – Occupation

The Municipality region of  Kambos numbers 644 re-sidents (1991 census ) of all ages  having olive-picking   and live-stock breeding (home and professional) as a main occupation, while a number of them works seasonally at different bu-sinesses of Kalamata (packing dried figs and as auxiliary staff in tourism enterprises).

The main products of the area are olive-oil, cheese and meat.

The water system

The area is being provided with water from the Rintomo springs but the quantity of the water is considered to be in-sufficient. There is a wor-sening of the problem during the summer months. The Municipality of Avia puts forth joint moves in order to face this problem.

Transport – Roads – Road construction

Transport  to and from Kalamata takes place 4-5 times daily by the long distance KTEL buses.

The existing pre-war con-structed road that connects the area with Kalamata is considered insufficient and dangerous not only because of its narrowness but also of its many turns.

Farming roads are con-sidered to be sufficient. Still, some parts need to be cleaned from bushes and wadding.

Furthermore, the repair of the road system due to the damages caused by the re-cent rainstorms is absolutely essential.

Common areas – Cemetery

The grave yard is consi-dered small, its extension is necessary along with  the arrangement of its interior space.

Health

A health center operates and covers the wider area. Its upgrading is imperative so that it can provide satisfactory medical care at first level. The existing vacancies of doctors at certain periods should be eliminated.

Education – Culture

The State Nursing School does not function satis-factorily. There is only one nu-rsery teacher for 30-40 children. Parents have to take their children from school at 1 p.m, leaving their farming works unfi-nished.

The primary school now fu-nctions as a whole-day school while there have been several attempts for the school to be upgraded to 6 classes along with the construction of  new extra classrooms and school staff offices.

The High school oper-ation is regarded satisfa-ctory.

The Cultural Association of Kambos Machaon contributes a great deal towards the advancement of the cultural and spiritual level of the residents.

It would be a great omission of ours not to refer to the donation of 2.500 books by the Greek Philology teacher Nikolaos Giannukopoulos, which probably lie piled up in a warehouse.

Antonis Roumaneas

PLACE – HISTORY – MONUMENTS:  A set-tling of the Municipal District of Oitylo, on the frontier of the two Prefectures Messinia – Lakonia, three kilo-meters far from the provincial road Kala-mata- Kardamili – Areopolis. According the lore, Saint Nikonas Metanoite, went ashore  at the Bay of Hotasia and used it as his base. Saint Nikon acted during the 10th century  for the Enlightenment and the Christianization  of the Slavs and the Greek residents of the peninsula of Mani. There are two caves, not far from the sea, up on the cliffs. There was the place of his ascetic and prayer. He founded the churches Panagitsa and Taxiarhi. There are two cistern dated at his time, built by himself,  to  save rain because since that time, there was lack of water. The churches of Prophet Elia and Pa-nagia Pantanassa are a place of worship and prayer for the residents of the region. During the local fair on 15th August, a lot of people come from all around the area.

Inhabitants – oc-cupation: there are 120 residents (accordingly to the census of 1991) but the permanent residents do not exceed 50. Their main occupation is stock-breeding as well as olive-tree agriculture.

Along the cost, on the rocks there are saltpans, with high quality salt. The re-sidents do the explo-itation by themselves. Tourism has not been developed to the area yet.

Transport – Road construction – Path-ways:  there is no transport to the settling. The residents them-selves constructed the picturesque port and the pathway that connects the village to the central road. There are pathways, but they need to be tarred.

Water supply: there is not water supply. They bring the water to the village in water-wagons. There are also cisterns to collect the rain. They are looking for a solution to this problem but everything is still only written.

Cultural Deve-lopment: the Cultural Association of Hotassia is very active at the local level. They or-ganize the annual fair on 15th August. They also  make effort to find solution to the problems of the region and to ameliorate the cultural level of the village.

Although the great existing problems, the region is developing quickly. The old houses are renovated and some new ones are built.

We would like to thank Mr. Elia Gatea, ex-President of Oitylo and Mr. Lyberi Patouhea for the information they gave us.

Antonis Roumaneas

ΠΗΝΕΛΟΠΗ Γ. ΕΞΑΡΧΟΥΛΕΑ

Η είδηση του θανάτου της Πηνειώς με ξάφνιασε.  Την ήξερα δραστήρια και δημιουργική, με τη εσωτερική δύναμη που της επέτρεπε να κρατά την ίδια στάση ζωής εδώ και πολλές δεκαετίες και να αντιμετωπίζει με αποτελεσματικότητα  τις πολλές δυσκολίες που της έφερε η ζωή…

Είχα ακούσει, από αξιόπιστα μέλη της μικρής μας κοινωνίας, για την απέραντη στοργή και συνέπεια αλλά και ψυχραιμία με την οποία αντιμετώπισε την αρρώστια του άντρα της στις αρχές της δεκαετίας του 1980, αλλά δεν την είχα τότε γνωρίσει από κοντά.  Λίγα χρόνια μετά οι συνθήκες μου έδωσαν αυτή τη δυνατότητα. Ήταν το 1986 που ο γιός της ο Δημήτρης συμμετείχε στη διοίκηση του Αγροτικού Συνεταιρισμού Νεοχωρίου στον οποίο μου είχε ανατεθεί ο συντονισμός. Η ανάγκη κοινής δράσης και στενής συνεργασίας για την ομαλή λειτουργία του Ελαιουργείου αλλά και ολόκληρο το πλέγμα ενεργειών από το σχεδιασμό μέχρι την υλοποίηση για την κατασκευή του τυποποιητήριου του Συνεταιρισμού, με έφερναν συχνά στο σπίτι της οικογένειας αναζητώντας το Δημήτρη για να βοηθήσει. Έτσι μου δόθηκε η δυνατότητα να γνωρίσω τον πλούσιο ψυχικό της κόσμο. Η επικοινωνία αυτή συνεχίστηκε για μια δεκαετία αφού οι κοινές ενέργειες  με το Δημήτρη συνεχίστηκαν δεδομένου ότι  στη συνέχεια της συνεργασίας στο Συνεταιρισμό ακολούθησε η συνεργασία στην  Κοινότητα.

Με καταγωγή από την παλιά οικογένεια  των Νηφάκων της Μηλιάς, η Πηνειώ ήλθε σε μικρή ηλικία νύφη στην Καλόγρια, που την κατοικείτο τότε αποκλειστικά από μέλη της οικογένειας Εξαρχουλέα. Στο δικό τους μάλιστα κλάδο των Εξασρχουλέων η οικογένεια αναπαραγόταν από γενιά σε γενιά από μόνο ένα αρσενικό μέλος. Αυτό το δεδομένο της επέβαλε πολλαπλάσιες ευθύνες και υποχρεώσεις, τόσο στην εσωτερική λειτουργία της οικογένειας, όσο και στη διαχείριση της μεγάλης αγροτικής ιδιοκτησίας. Ευθύνες μάλιστα που πολλαπλασιάστηκαν μετά τον πρόωρο θάνατο του συζύγου της που την άφησε μόνη να φροντίζει τα τρία παιδιά της αλλά και τα πεθερικά της. Τα κατάφερε όλα με την αξιοπρέπεια και την αποτελεσματικότητα που αποτελούσαν δομικά χαρακτηριστικά της. Φρόντισε με στοργικότητα τα τελευταία χρόνια των γέρων, υποστήριξε τα κορίτσια της στις πανεπιστημιακές τους σπουδές, αλλά έδωσε και τη σταθερή υποστήριξη στο γιό της στις πολλαπλές αγροτικές εργασίες που απαιτούσε η μεγάλη κτηματική περιουσία τους.

Αλλά και στις κοινωνικές της υποχρεώσεις ήταν απόλυτα συνεπής μακροχρόνια, από τους εκκλησιασμούς τις Κυριακές και αργίες, μέχρι τις πανηγύρεις εκκλησιών και παρεκκλησιών στη γενέτειρα της και στα άλλα χωριά του δήμου Λεύκτρου, αλλά και στις χαρές και τις λύπες των συγχωριανών μας.

Τα τελευταία χρόνια μπορούσε να χαμογελάσει με την πρόοδο των μελών της οικογένειάς της. Τα εγγόνια μεγάλωσαν, σπούδασαν ή σπουδάζουν, οι πέραν των αγροτικών επαγγελματικές ενασχολήσεις του Δημήτρη εξελίσσονται ευνοϊκά και γενικότερα έβλεπε τους καρπούς των πολυετών προσπαθειών της να αποδίδουν σε βαθμό που την ικανοποιούσε.

Τις δύο τελευταίες δεκαετίες, που οι εργασιακές μου υποχρεώσεις με έφεραν μακριά από τη γενέθλια γη,  την έβλεπα σπανιότερα. Όμως στα συναπαντήματα μας, σε κοινωνικές εκδηλώσεις κυρίως, ο λόγος της είχε την ίδια εγκαρδιότητα . Τα τελευταία χρόνια περνώντας με το αυτοκίνητο μπροστά από το κτήμα τους στην Καλόγρια την έβλεπα να καλλιεργεί πατάτες στον κήπο τους. Σταματούσα και ανταλλάσαμε αλληλοστηριχτικές κουβέντες. Φέτος ο κήπος δεν είχε φυτευτεί και απόρησα. Στην κηδεία της ,έμαθα ότι είχε κάνει πρόσφατα μικροεπέμβαση στην καρδιά της!

Οι άνθρωποι φεύγουν, οι εικόνες τους μένουν. Και μας θυμίζουν τους χρόνους και τα γεγονότα που μας συνδέουν μαζί τους. Αυτή είναι η ανθρώπινη μοίρα…

Νίκος Ευστρ. Μαραμπέας