On the northern fringes of the present-day Lake Stymphalia, east of the main provincial road and the modern Stymphalia Environment Museum, lie the ruins of the ancient city of Stymphalos. Although archaeological evidence dates its foundation to the Archaic period, its origins are truly lost in the depths of myth. The city was named after its mythical first settler, Stymphalos, and became a focal point for many myths, legends, and stories, primarily intertwined with the waters of the area. The most famous myth is, of course, that of the Stymphalian Birds, which, however, does not directly involve the ancient city.

Another myth from the region, that of the conflict between Pelops and Stymphalos, directly concerns the settlement. According to this myth, Pelops, in his effort to conquer the entire Peloponnesian peninsula, found himself in Stymphalia, opposed by the local king, Stymphalos. After many unsuccessful attempts to conquer the area, Pelops resorted to a deceitful and unholy trick. He invited Stymphalos to a peace dinner, during which he killed, dismembered, and discarded his body. For this crime, however, Pelops was punished by the gods with prolonged drought. Crops were destroyed, animals perished, and people barely found a little poor-quality water. The problem was finally resolved with an oracle from the Delphic Oracle, which instructed Pelops to convince the most pious of all men, Aeacus, to pray.

But who was Aeacus? Aeacus was the son of Zeus and Aegina, the daughter of Asopus, the river that still springs from the same karstic grounds east of the present-day lake and carries the waters of Stymphalia to coastal Corinthia! The interplay of water, even through mythological references, is fascinating!