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Nemea (Municipality, Greece)

Νεμέα

image by Tomislav Šipek, 31 January 2022

Presentation of Nemea
Flag of Nemea

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Presentation of Nemea

Nemea is a town in Corinthia, Greece, and the seat of municipality with the same name. It is located a few kilometres west of ancient Nemea, with a population of under four thousand people.

Flag of Nemea

The flag of Nemea (photo, photo) is white with the logo in maroon.

Tomislav Šipek, 31 January 2022

The municipal emblem features icons recalling the lion of Nemea, the ancient town of Nemea (ruins of the temple of Zeus), and the local vineyards.

When Hercules heard that, he went to Tiryns and did as he was bid by Eurystheus. First, Eurystheus ordered him to bring the skin of the Nemean lion; now that was an invulnerable beast begotten by Typhon. On his way to attack the lion he came to Cleonae and lodged at the house of a day-laborer, Molorchus; and when his host would have offered a victim in sacrifice, Hercules told him to wait for thirty days, and then, if he had returned safe from the hunt, to sacrifice to Saviour Zeus, but if he were dead, to sacrifice to him as to a hero.
And having come to Nemea and tracked the lion, he first shot an arrow at him, but when he perceived that the beast was invulnerable, he heaved up his club and made after him. And when the lion took refuge in a cave with two mouths, Hercules built up the one entrance and came in upon the beast through the other, and putting his arm round its neck held it tight till he had choked it; so laying it on his shoulders he carried it to Cleonae. And finding Molorchus on the last of the thirty days about to sacrifice the victim to him as to a dead man, he sacrificed to Saviour Zeus and brought the lion to Mycenae. Amazed at his manhood, Eurystheus forbade him thenceforth to enter the city, but ordered him to exhibit the fruits of his labours before the gates.

Apollodorus, Library 2.5.1
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.%202.5.1&lang=original

The site of Ancient Nemea lies in an upland valley in the modern Greek province of Korinthia and in the eastern foothills of the Arkadian mountains. The valley is about a mile wide, three miles long, and about 330 meters above sea-level.
It is currently occupied by a modern village of about 400 inhabitants, the ancient archaeological site, and many vineyards surrounded by olive groves. The northern end of the valley is dominated by the flat-topped Mt. Apesas where an altar of Zeus was said to have been established by the hero Perseus.

The most prominent feature of the modern archaeological site at Ancient Nemea is, of course, the Temple of Zeus. Just like other temples at major sanctuary sites in Greece (like the Temple of Zeus at Olympia or the Temple of Apollo at Delphi), the Temple of Zeus at Nemea stood within a large sacred area that consisted of many buildings and features: an altar of Zeus, a sacred grove of cypress trees, nine pavilions (oikoi), several kilns, a hotel (xenon), a bath house, houses, and a “hero shrine.” A little further outside of the central sanctuary area was the athletic stadium.
The extraordinary temple that we see on site today dates to the fourth century B.C. (around 330 B.C.). It was constructed as part of an extensive building program throughout the sanctuary at that time. Interestingly, though, this temple sits on top of an earlier version from the 6th century, B.C. – although not much of that early temple is visible today because it was destroyed by fire and then built over later on.
The Temple of Zeus played a significant role in the Nemean Games, one of the original panhellenic games of ancient Greece. It was before this temple that, prior to the competition, athletes paid homage to the father of their gods, Zeus.
Of the 32 original columns, only three columns remained standing when U.C. Berkeley acquired scientific rights to the site. The other columns had given way to time – especially to the many earthquakes that have shaken the region over the last two millennia – and to human intervention – people have been looting and removing architectural elements from the temple for centuries, unfortunately. Because of the looting and the devastation of the intervening centuries, the former director of the Nemea Center and excavations, Professor Stephen Miller, conceived a plan to reconstruct the Temple of Zeus as part of his ongoing efforts to preserve the site of Ancient Nemea. To date a total of six columns have been reconstructed.

https://nemeacenter.berkeley.edu/the-temple-of-zeus
Berkeley Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology

Neméa is arguably Greece's most important red-wine appellation, located in the northeast corner of the Peloponnese peninsula. The mountains and valleys surrounding the small village of Neméa have been producing wine for centuries, mostly from the native Agiorgitiko grape. A wide range of styles are made from this red grape variety, from rich, age-worthy dry wines to lighter, sweeter examples. The appellation that surrounds the village is geographically the largest in Greece. Around 40 wineries are located within Neméa's boundaries, and the area has seen a huge amount of investment and growth over the past few decades.
Agiorgitiko is Neméa's native grape variety, and is named for the small St George's Church found within the boundaries of the appellation: agiorgitiko translates as "St George's grape".
Wine-growing in Neméa dates back to at least the 5th Century BC, although the exact date is hard to pinpoint. Wine is a part of the Greek mythology surrounding the half-god Heracles, who was sent to Neméa to slay the Neméan lion. The Ancient Greek wine of Fliasion was made in Neméa and was known as the blood of Heracles, a moniker that is still today equated with Neméan wines.
Neméan wines are required under the appellation law to be composed entirely of Agiorgitiko, and it is the only PDO-level appellation in Greece that utilizes this grape variety. Despite these stipulations, Neméan producers have been experimenting with other grape varieties, and in particular Cabernet Sauvignon, which blends well with Agiorgitiko. These wines must be sold under the regional Peloponnese appellation.

https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-nemea
Wine-Searcher, 15 March 2021

Ivan Sache, 7 February 2022