Nemea

Nemea (Gr. Νεμέα) is an ancient site near the head of the valley of the River Elissos in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. Formerly part of the territory of Cleonae in Argolis, it is today part of the prefecture of Corinthia. The small village of Ancient Nemea (formerly known as "Iraklion") is immediately southwest of the archaeological site, while the new town of Nemea lies to the west.

Nemea was famous in Greek myth as the home of the Nemean Lion, which was killed by the hero Heracles, and as the place where the infant Opheltes, lying on a bed of parsley, was killed by a serpent while his nurse fetched water for the Seven on their way from Argos to Thebes. The Seven founded the Nemean Games in his memory, and the crown of victory was hence made of parsley and the judges wore black robes as a sign of mourning. The Nemean Games were held from 573 BC, or earlier, at the sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea. Three columns of the temple of the 4th century BC have stood since their construction and two more were reconstructed in 2002. As of late 2007, four more are being re-erected. The site around the temple has been excavated, including the great altar, bath, and hotel. The temple stands on the site of an Archaic period temple, of which only a foundation wall is still visible. The stadion has recently been discovered. It is notable for its well-preserved vaulted entrance tunnel, dated to about 320 B.C., with ancient graffiti on the walls.

The material discovered in the excavations is on display in a museum constructed as a part of the University of California's excavations.

Wine Region

Located in the Peloponnese next to Nemea, appx. 30 kilmeters from Korinth, the region was first noted for its winemaking by Homer who called it "Ameloessa" meaning "full of vines." Today, the appellation of Nemea is the most important red wine AOC of southern Greece and arguably of all of Greece. In Nemea, the indigenous Greek Agiorgitiko[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agiorgitiko] grape is used and produces wines famous for their deep red color, complex aroma and long, velvety palate.

Mythology

In Greek mythology, Nemea was ruled by king Lycurgus and queen Eurydice.

A creature known as the Nemean Lion terrorized the area around Nemea until Heracles strangled the animal with his bare hands.

Translation

The word "Nemea" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Catalan, Spanish, Basque, Italian, Hungarian, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Finnish, Swedish, Turkish.

Translation(s) in other languages: Arabic: نيمي، كورينثيا, German: Nemea (Heiligtum), Greek: Δήμος Νεμέας, French: Némée, Japanese: ネメア, Serbo-Croatian: Nemeja.