Ancient Thalames

The city of ancient Thalames is located at an altitude of 430 meters near the current location of the settlement Thalames. The city is usually written as Thalame, meaning “pit, alcove”.

When Ancient Thalames was at its peak, the oracle of Pasiphae was distinguishing. The laconic expression “of Pasiphae” and “in Pasiphae” demonstrate how important and useful the oracle was especially for the Spartans.

At Ancient Thalames Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, were also worshiped. Pausanias, in fact, reports that they were born there. Indeed, the historian claims that at the islet Pefnos, which is at the current location of the fishing village of Agios Dimitrios, there were statues of Dioscuri.

At Ancient Thalames, Ino was a goddess also worshiped, in the name of which an oracle for dreams used to function, in which those who wanted to explain their dreams or visions had to drink water from a sacred spring, then sleep at a special place and finally listen the explanations by the priests.

On the main road of Kalamata – Areopolis that crosses Thalames, beside the well, there is a statue pedestal with a dedicatory inscription to Marcus Aurelius on the top of which one can observe the imprints of the feet, where the statue was based.

The most important exhibits of the ancient city Thalames, however, are hosted in the Archaeological Museum of Kalamata.