Megalopoli (, Megalopoli) is a town in the southwestern part of the regional unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located on the same site as ancient Megalopolis (). When it was founded in 371 BC, it was the first large urbanization in rustic Arcadia. Its theatre had a capacity of 20,000 visitors, making it one of the largest ancient Greek theatres.

Today, Megalopoli has several schools, shops, churches, hotels and other services. The population of Megalopoli in 2021 was 5,344 residents. These animal bones and lignite deposits come from sediments which were deposited around 900–150,000 years ago, when the Megalopolis area contained a large shallow lake.

Evidence has been found from these deposits for the inhabiting of the area by the extinct human species Homo heidelbergensis around 500–400,000 years ago, with evidence for the butchery of straight-tusked elephants and the extinct large hippopotamus Hippopotamus antiquus by these hominins. Wooden tools from the Megalopolis basin dating to approximately 430,000 years ago are as of 2026 the oldest evidence of handheld wooden tools in the world.

The city was founded through a synodical of twenty to forty neighbouring communities between 371 and 368 BC by the Theban general Epaminondas and the Arcadian League in an attempt to form a political counterweight to Sparta. Megalopolis was a member of the Arcadian League after its foundation until the dissolution of the federation in 362 BC. In 353 BC, when Thebes had her hands full with the so-called Third Sacred War, the Spartans made an attempt to reduce Megalopolis; but the Thebans sent assistance and the city was rescued. In 331 BC, Megalopolis was invaded by the Spartans and there was a battle with the Macedonians that came to Megalopolis' help. In 317 BC at the start of the Second War of the Diadochi, Polyperchon, the new Regent of the Macedonian Empire, besieged Megalopolis which had sided with his enemy Cassander. The siege failed. The Megalopoli Mine is one of the largest lignite mines in Greece.

  • Falaisia
  • Gortyna
  • Megalopoli

The municipality has an area of 722.629&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, the municipal unit 331.498&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit of Megalopoli is subdivided into the following communities (villages within the community in brackets): It was abolished in 2006.

Population

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year !! Community !! Municipal unit !! Municipality

|-

| 1920 || 1,776 || – || –

|-

| 1961 || 2,235 || – || –

|-

| 1981 || 4,875 || – || –

|-

| 1991 || 4,646 || 8,888 || –

|-

| 2001 || 5,114 || 8,657 || –

|-

| 2011 || 5,779 || 7,890 || 10,687

|-

| 2021 || 5,344 || 6,905 || 8,784

|}

Notable people

  • Chaeron of Megalopolis (4th century BC), envoy of Philip II of Macedon
  • Cercidas (3rd century BC), Cynic philosopher and poet
  • Philopoemen (253–183 BC), general and statesman
  • Polybius (c. 203–120 BC), historian
  • Leonidas Zervas (1902–1980), Greek chemist

See also

  • List of settlements in Arcadia

References

Bibliography

  • 3rd Megalopolis Public School (in Greek)