Lykaio is a mountain in Arcadia and is located on the border of the prefectures of Arcadia and Messinia. Its highest peak is Profitis Ilias, ancient Crete and has an altitude of 1,421 meters. The name Lykaio is believed to come from the root Lyk, which means light. The mountain is bounded by the Alpheios River to the coast of Kyparissia.
Mythology – Antiquity
In ancient times, it was the sacred mountain of the Arcadians, since it was believed that Zeus was born there. The ancient Arcadians also called it Olympus or sacred mountain. Rhea fled to the highest peak of Lykaio, Crete, so that her husband Kronos, who was devouring his children, would not kill him. There she gave birth to Zeus. Immediately afterwards Rhea wanted to bathe him but Arcadia was arid and could not find water, then she struck the ground and water came out, the river that was created was Neda, so she handed him over to the nymphs Agno, Theseoa and Neda who bathed him there. Neda later suckled him and raised him. The ancient Arcadians said that the Cretans mistakenly said that he was born in Crete, paraphrasing the name of the peak.
At the foot of Lycaeus was Lykosoura which according to Pausanias was the first city founded in the world, and many other towns. At its top was an altar of Zeus where sacrifices and human sacrifices were made, according to Pausanias. The altar was made of stone and around it there were two columns with two eagles on top that looked towards the side where the sun rose. It was believed that anyone who sacrificed there to Zeus Lycaeus would become a wolf if he did not eat human flesh during this time and after 10 years he would become a human again, otherwise he would remain a wolf forever. They said that no animal that entered there could see its shadow. Also, Lycaeus is associated with a variation of the myth of Lycaon which says that he sacrificed an infant there, while according to others his son Nyctimos and Zeus transformed him into a wolf.
Near the altar of Zeus there was a sanctuary of Pan and there in a cave in which he courted the Moon, which was surrounded by a grove, of the Pythian Apollo, and beyond the grove the Stadium, hippodrome and hostels. The Lycaeus, athletic competitions in honor of Zeus Lycaeus, were organized there. Pausanias tells us that these games were the oldest organized. The spectators sat on stone benches and the winners were crowned with an olive branch on a pedestal and received a bronze object as a prize. The events that were held were the diaulus, the stadium, the pentathlon, wrestling and boxing and the Arcadians competed under their natural name as Arcadians.
According to Thucydides, there was a sanctuary at the altar of Zeus and there Pleistoanaktas fled when chased by the Lacedaemonians. Also, entry was prohibited to common mortals, only priests were allowed to enter, if a mortal entered he would die within the year.
