Stones of Aigio

Archaeology and history of Agialia, on the Gulf of Corinth in Achaea, Greece

Aigio (ancient Aigion) is the main town of Agialia (Aigialeia), on the southern shore of the Gulf of Corinth. In antiquity, Agialia's cities included Helike, Aigion, Keryneia, Rhypes and Aigeira, which belonged to the Achaean League. Click a marker on the map to read about that site.

Photos: taken by the site owner at the Archaeological Museum of Aigio. Captions marked Uncertain are visual identifications only.
Badges on this page: Museum label = text from the museum's own display labels (photographed by the site owner)   Uncertain = not fully confirmed   [PLACEHOLDER] = still needs real information.

Map of Agialia

Marker positions are approximate. Only Aigion's position is the modern town centre, and Seliana's comes from ToposText.

Sites of Agialia

1. Ancient Aigion (modern Aigio)

Location
Under the modern town of Aigio, on the Gulf of Corinth.
Periods
Hellenistic and Roman finds are shown in the museum. [PLACEHOLDER: earlier periods in the town itself]
Key finds
  • A bronze arm from a statue more than 3 m tall. It was found in 1951 at 11 N. Plastira St., probably at the sanctuary of Zeus Soter, and dates to the late Hellenistic period. Museum label
  • A marble statue of Zeus (or Aigieus) holding the aegis, Roman, 1st–2nd c. AD. Museum label It is the museum's main exhibit, known as Zeus Aigiochos.
  • The "Small Herculaneum Woman", a marble Roman copy.
Excavation notes
Most finds come from rescue digs during building work in town. [PLACEHOLDER: details]
Museum photo 16
Marble statue of Zeus (Aigieus) with the aegis, Roman, 1st–2nd c. AD
Museum photo 17
Museum label for the marble Zeus statue
Museum photo 22
Information panel for the colossal bronze statue arm
Museum photo 23
Bronze arm from a statue over 3 m tall, late Hellenistic
Museum photo 11
Marble foot from a statue on its base Uncertain
Museum photo 14
Draped marble statues Uncertain

2. Helike: Nikoleika & Rizomylos

Location
The coastal plain east of Aigio. The Nikoleika sanctuary is 7.5 km east of the modern town.
Periods
Early Bronze Age (Rizomylos, c. 2700–2200 BC Museum label), then Mycenaean, Geometric, Archaic and Classical. The city was destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami in 373 BC (some sources give 375 BC).
Key finds
  • At Nikoleika, a sanctuary identified as that of Helikonian Poseidon (8th c. BC). It has a mudbrick altar (760–750 BC), an apsidal temple (710–700 BC) and the roof of a later temple (c. 550 BC).
  • Offerings include more than 100 clay chariot-wheel models Museum label, horse figurines, bronze offerings, and a clay temple pediment with sphinxes flanking a Gorgon.
  • At Rizomylos, an Early Helladic settlement that produced the depas amphikypellon (two-handled cup), the only one found in Achaea Museum label.
  • Elsewhere at Helike: a Hellenistic dye-works and a Roman road between Corinth and Patras.
Excavation notes
The Helike Project (D. Katsonopoulou and S. Soter) has worked here since 1988. The Nikoleika dig began in 2004 under E. Kolia and A. Gadolou.
Museum photo 33
The depas amphikypellon (two-handled cup) from Rizomylos, Early Helladic
Museum photo 34
Clay objects from the sanctuary of Helikonian Poseidon, Nikoleika
Museum photo 35
Clay chariot-wheel and horse figurine offerings, Nikoleika
Museum photo 36
Clay temple-model fragments, Nikoleika Uncertain
Museum photo 32
Early Helladic pots displayed as they were found Uncertain
Museum photo 28
Early Helladic pottery and finds Uncertain

3. Keryneia

Location
At the foot of the Bouraika / Agios Georgios hill Museum label. [PLACEHOLDER: exact location]
Periods
An Early Helladic settlement from the late 3rd millennium BC Museum label. Keryneia was a member of the Achaean League.
Key finds
[PLACEHOLDER: list finds from the museum labels]
Excavation notes
It is one of the newly excavated sites shown in the museum's 2024 wing Uncertain. [PLACEHOLDER]
Museum photo 29
Keryneia display: excavation photos and finds
Museum photo 30
Keryneia information panel and stone find

4. Trapeza (ancient Rhypes)

Location
A plateau about 8 km southwest of Aigio. It is identified with Rhypes, the mother city of Croton in southern Italy. No inscription has confirmed this identification.
Periods
Cult activity from the Protogeometric period, a large 8th-c. BC building, and temples of c. 570–560 BC and c. 520–510 BC. Further finds are Classical–Hellenistic (5th–3rd c. BC Museum label).
Key finds
  • A late Archaic Doric temple, about 31.6 × 16.7 m, which collapsed in an earthquake in the 1st c. AD.
  • Pediment sculptures, including a battle of gods and giants.
  • A clay sphinx from the roof corner.
  • Finds from Trapeza near Diakopto: a Scylla plaque and an Artemis figurine Museum label.
  • In 2024: Building C, with carved lions and gold jewellery from burials.
Excavation notes
Systematic excavation since 2007 (with research since 1995), led by Andreas Vordos of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Achaea.
Museum photo 39
Pediment sculpture fragments with drawn reconstruction Uncertain
Museum photo 46
Votive offerings from the sanctuary of Athena, Trapeza (ancient Rhypes)
Museum photo 47
Heads from the temple pediment sculptures, Trapeza Uncertain
Museum photo 48
Horse head from the temple pediment, Trapeza
Museum photo 40
Figurines and pottery, Trapeza Uncertain
Museum photo 49
Bronze swords and a spearhead Uncertain

5. Seliana (ancient Phelloe)

Location
A mountain village (about 750 m up) south of Aigeira. Its identification with ancient Phelloe is tentative Uncertain.
Periods
Geometric through Classical remains near the chapel of Agios Vasileios. Surveys found occupation from the Late Bronze Age to late antiquity.
Key finds
  • A Geometric cemetery (8th c. BC). Ten graves dug in 2010 held bronze jewellery and Thapsos-style pottery from an Achaean workshop.
  • An apsidal house.
  • A bronze tripod, possibly from Cyprus, 10th c. BC Museum label.
Excavation notes
Rescue excavations since 2000 by C. Katsarou of the Ephorate. The cemetery had been looted in the past.
Museum photo 25
Geometric pottery from the Seliana cemetery (ancient Phelloe)
Museum photo 26
Geometric pottery, Seliana
Museum photo 27
Bronze tripod (possibly from Cyprus) and bronze bowl, Seliana
Museum photo 51
Geometric storage jars Uncertain

Historical Periods

6th millennium BC

Neolithic

A Neolithic settlement at Krathio, on the Sylivaina coast Museum label.

c. 2700–2000 BC

Early Bronze Age

Early Helladic settlements at Rizomylos (Helike) and Keryneia.

c. 1600–1100 BC

Mycenaean

Mycenaean walls and pottery at Helike, and Late Helladic III tombs on Kallithea hill near Nikoleika.

c. 900–700 BC

Geometric

The Poseidon sanctuary at Nikoleika, the cemetery at Seliana, and early cult activity at Trapeza.

c. 700–146 BC

Archaic, Classical & Hellenistic

The temple at Trapeza and the Achaean League. Helike was destroyed in 373 BC, and Aigion rose afterwards.

146 BC – 4th c. AD

Roman

The Corinth–Patras road crossed the area, and the marble Zeus of Aigion dates from this time.

4th–15th c.

Byzantine

[PLACEHOLDER: Byzantine history of Aigio]

15th–19th c.

Ottoman

[PLACEHOLDER: Ottoman era and 1821]

19th c. – today

Modern

[PLACEHOLDER: the modern town]

Photos from the museum

Museum photo 20
Clay vessels and spindle whorls from the Neolithic settlement at Krathio, 6th millennium BC
Museum photo 19
Neolithic pottery from Krathio Uncertain
Museum photo 18
Prehistoric pottery and stone tools Uncertain
Museum photo 62
Prehistoric pottery and tools Uncertain
Museum photo 61
Mycenaean pottery and a bronze sword Uncertain
Museum photo 1
Geometric pottery Uncertain
Museum photo 2
Geometric krater and bronze bowls Uncertain
Museum photo 3
Detail of a Geometric krater with meander pattern Uncertain
Museum photo 4
Geometric vases, including a three-legged vessel Uncertain
Museum photo 5
Three-legged Geometric vessel Uncertain

Visit the Museum

The Archaeological Museum of Aigio has no website of its own. Official info is on the Ministry of Culture museum page and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Achaea page (in Greek).

Practical info

Hours: 08:30–15:30 every day except Tuesday (closed)
Address: 3 Ag. Andreou & Michalakopoulou St., Aigio 25100
Phone: +30 26910 21517
Tickets: about €3–5

⚠ Ticket prices differ between sources. Call the museum to confirm before you go.

The building & its history

The museum is in the old Municipal Market (c. 1890), which is often credited to Ernst ZillerUncertain. It opened in 1994, closed after an earthquake in 1995 and reopened in 1999.

A new wing opened in 2024. It shows finds from seven newly excavated sites in Agialia, including Helike and its rare Early Bronze Age two-handled cup.

What you'll see

The galleries run in order: Neolithic → Mycenaean → Geometric → Roman.

The main exhibit, a marble statue of Zeus Aigiochos, stands in the last room. It is said to have been found by chance during building workUncertain (this comes from a tourism source).

Also on display is the Small Herculaneum Woman, a marble Roman copy of a Greek original.

More photos from the museum

Sources