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Modern Description: South of the town of Platiana in northeast Elis, on the borderline between ancient Triphylia and Arcadia, is a fortified city identified as either Typaneai or Hypana. Both cities belonged to ancient Triphylia and are known from Polybius's account of the invasion by King Philip V of Macedon during the Inter-Ally War (220-217 BC) and from other ancient sources.

The city was built high on a steep hill at the east end of Mount Lapitha. Its difficult access was rare for an ancient Greek city, but its location was well chosen for it commanded both the mountains of Trifylia and the road from Pissatis to Megalopolis and the rest of Arcadia. Like the other citadels of ancient Triphylia, this strategically located, naturally fortified site received a man-made fortification for added protection against enemy attacks. The city's well-preserved enceinte dates from the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods. Directly east of the acropolis is the ancient theatre, one of the two surviving ancient theatres in the Elis Prefecture (the other being the theatre of ancient Elis).

The city thrived in the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods. The discovery of stone artefacts during the clearing of undergrowth on the hilltop, however, indicates that the site was inhabited since prehistory. It was probably abandoned by the second century AD, as it is not mentioned by Pausanias.

The chapels of Profitis Ilias and Agios Ilias or Agia Eleni were built on the acropolis in later years. Remains of the lower city were visible until the early twentieth century.
The ancient city at Platiana occupied a tall, elongated hill on Mount Lapitha, south of the Alfeios River. It was divided into three parts: the acropolis, or upper city, on the hilltop, the lower city on the south slopes of the acropolis, and a third zone on the north slope. All three parts were protected by walls.

The acropolis is a typical example of a naturally fortified site with added man-made fortifications, which enclosed both private and public buildings. Within the enceinte are eight terraces, now covered with architectural remains of the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. The acropolis proper occupied the highest terrace, at the west. The enceinte of polygonal masonry survives to an impressive height. Built in the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods, it had a number of towers and gates.
The upper city's four lower terraces (I-IV), on the east, were probably occupied by private residences and public buildings. Recent excavations on terraces III-IV revealed a large rectangular building with five rooms, a possible workshop with two rooms and a courtyard, and a single-roomed building, all of the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods. The agora was probably located on terrace V, where a large square water cistern survives to this day. Parts of the stage and cavea of a small theatre built of roughly hewn ashlar blocks of local limestone occupied terrace VI. Terrace VII, at the very top, was given over to the acropolis proper, which had its own fortification wall, a water cistern, and a well. Terrace VIII, on the hill's west end, has no architectural remains.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypana
Wikidata ID: Q11925666
Trismegistos Geo: 58945

Info: Odysseus

(Odysseus, Greek Ministry of Culture)

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