Helisson (Ancient Greek: Ἑλισσών) was a town in ancient Arcadia, Greece. It was situated in the district Maenalia, situated on Mount Maenalus near the territory of Mantineia, near the source of the river Helisson (present Elissonas), a tributary of the Alpheius. According to Greek mythology, the town was founded by Helisson, a son of Lycaon.[1]
The town was taken by the Lacedaemonians in one of their wars with the Arcadians, 352 BCE; but most of its inhabitants had been previously removed to Megalopolis upon the foundation of the latter city in 371 BCE.[2][3] There was a temple of Poseidon with a statue of the god. Pausanias (who visited in the 2nd century CE) found the head of the statue still remaining.[4] The Elisphasii mentioned by Polybius[5] are conjectured by some writers to be a corrupt form of Helissontii.
Its site is tentatively located south the modern Piana.[6][7]