Tempe, Vale of

Tempe, Vale of
Greek Témbi

Narrow valley between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa, northeastern Thessaly, Greece.

The Pinios River flows through the 6-mi (10-km) valley before emptying into the Aegean Sea. The ancient Greeks dedicated Tempe to the cult of Apollo. Legends attribute its formation to a blow from Poseidon's trident; however, geologists believe it was carved by stream action. Because it provides access from the coast of Greece to the Thessalian plain, it has been a traditional invasion route. Ruins of castles and fortifications, from the Roman period to the Middle Ages, mark its strong points.

* * *

Modern Greek  Témbi,  

      narrow valley between the southern Olympus and northern Ossa massifs of northeastern Thessaly, Greece. The valley is lined by cliffs that rise to 1,650 feet (500 m) on the south; in places it is only 90 to 165 feet (25 to 50 m) wide, and it is only about 6 miles (10 km) long. The Piniós River flows through the valley before emptying into the Aegean Sea. Legends attribute the glen's formation to both an earthquake and cleaving by the trident of the sea god, Poseidon; geologists believe the grassy defile or gorge to be a fracture ravine carved by local stream action. It was formed in the Quaternary Period (1.6 million years ago to the present) when the valley's stream eroded back sufficiently to provide an outlet for the Larissian Lake, which dammed up the Piniós River. The lake drained away through the vale's stream, which became the lower course of the Piniós River.

      Inspired by the lushness of its vegetation, the ancient Greeks dedicated Tempe to the cult of Apollo, who, legend says, purified himself in the waters of the Piniós after killing the serpent Python. A temple was built in a recess on the right bank, and every eighth year a procession came from Delphi to gather sacred laurels awarded to the victors of contests.

      Because it provides access from the coast of Macedonian Greece to the Thessalian plain, the vale has been a traditional invasion route. Known to the Byzantines as Lykóstomo (“Wolf's Mouth”), it was called Boğaz (“Gorge”) by the Turks. The ruins of castles and fortifications extending from the Roman period to the Middle Ages mark strong points of Tempe, which the Greeks attempted to defend in 1941 during the German invasion.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tempe,Vale of — Tempe, Vale of A valley of northeast Greece between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa. Strategically important in ancient times, it is noted for its rugged scenery. * * * …   Universalium

  • Tempe, Vale of — or Modern Greek Témbi geographical name valley in NE Thessaly between Mounts Olympus & Ossa …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • TEMPE, VALE OF —    a valley in the NE. of Thessaly, lying between Olympus on the N. and Ossa on the S., traversed by the river Peneus, and for the beauty of its scenery celebrated by the Greek poets as a favourite haunt of Apollo and the Muses; it is rather less …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • vale — /vayl/, n. 1. a valley. 2. the world, or mortal or earthly life: this vale of tears. [1250 1300; ME < OF val < L vallem, acc. of vallis, valles valley] * * * (as used in expressions) Taff Vale case Tempe Vale of White Horse Vale of the * * * …   Universalium

  • Tempe, Arizona —   City   …   Wikipedia

  • Tempe Butte — is the official name of an andesite butte of volcanic origin, located partially on Arizona State University s main campus in Tempe, Arizona. It is often referred to by locals as A Mountain, after the sixty foot tall gold painted letter A near the …   Wikipedia

  • Tempe Restored — was a Caroline era masque, written by Aurelian Townshend and designed by Inigo Jones, and performed at Whitehall Palace on Shrove Tuesday, February 14, 1632. It was significant as an early instance in which a woman appeared in a speaking role in… …   Wikipedia

  • Tempe Terra — is an area in the northern hemisphere of Mars and part of the larger Tharsis region. It is centered at 39.7°N and 289°E and covers 2700 km at its broadest extent. A geolocially complex region, Tempe Terra is a transition zone between the old,… …   Wikipedia

  • Tempe — can mean:* Vale of Tempe, Greece * Tempe, Arizona, United States * Tempe, New South Wales, a suburb in Sydney, Australia * Lake Tempe, Indonesia * Tempe, Bloemfontein, South Africa, home of the 44 Parachute Regiment * Tempeh, a cultured soybean… …   Wikipedia

  • Tempe — [tem pē′, tem′pē; ] for 2 [ tem′pē] 1. [after the sacred Greek valley] city in SC Ariz., on the Salt River: suburb of Phoenix: pop. 159,000 2. Vale of valley of the Piniós River in NE Thessaly, Greece, between Mounts Olympus & Ossa: anciently… …   English World dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”