Asine

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This page refers to ancient Asine of Argolis. For other cities under the same name look at Asine (disambiguation)

Ancient Greek city of Argolis, first ever mentioned by Homer as part of the kingdom of Diomedes, king of Argos.

In 740 BC the Argeians destroyed the city because its citizens helped the Spartans in their war against Argos. After the destruction its citizens left for a new city the Asine of Messenia, in a land that was given to them by the Spartans.

Excavations made from 1922 by Swedish archaelogists led by Axel W Persson (and involving the then Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden) found the acropolis of ancient Asine surrounded by a Cyclopean wall (much modified in the Hellenistic era) and a Mycenaean era necropolis with many Mycenaean chamber tombs containing skeletal remains and grave goods.

Excavations have continued since the 1920s (with a break for the second world war) almost continuously under the Swedish Institute in Athens.

The site was last used as a fortified position by Italian troops during the second world war when machine gun nests were built.