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Modern Description: A stone-paved road leads from the port round the western battery to Kamíni (15 mins.), the attractive fishing harbour The route continues for Vlychós (25 mins.), which sits at the mouth of a gorge, overlooked by rocky rises to east and west. The plateau of the eastern hill (101 m) was occupied by an important Late Mycenaean citadel (13th-12th century BC), which overlooked the coast and the sea passage between Hydra and the mainland.
As you approach from the east, stretches of fortification wall in courses of rough masonry can be seen high up on the northeast face of the hill. The area at the summit shows evidence of settlement, with terraces below, and a gateway on the northwest side. Fragments of clay figurines and lead-weights for fishing nets have been found on the site. Archaeological evidence shows a continuation of use on the site in historic times, which may corroborate an allusion made in Herodotus (Hist. III, 58-59), where he says that a detachment of Samians, having extorted a large sum of money from the people of Siphnos under threat, proceeded to buy the island of Hydrea from the city of Hermione. This hill-top was probably their garrison-post which would have been taken when, according to Herodotus, the Samians were trounced by the surprise attack of a force from the island of Aegina in c. 526 BC. Surface finds on the hill, of coins and arrow-heads, would appear to corroborate this.
Trismegistos Geo: 37921

Info: McGilchrist's Greek Islands

(From McGilchrist’s Greek Islands, © Nigel McGilchrist 2010, excerpted with his gracious permission. Click for the books)

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