The village of Anthousa is built at an altitude of 120 meters, in a plain. It is located close to Meligalas and has about 140 permanent residents. Surrounded by oranges and lemons, it is said that the village was named so, in 1927, because of the aroma of the citrus flowers.
Formerly, Anthousa was called Dere and its three hills were called Dere hills. In ancient times, battles took place in the area between Messinians and Spartans. During the Turkish occupation, the village was called Zeza, a name still used today by the locals. The word "zeza" is of Albanian origin and means "black". It was probably given to the village due to the black colour of the soil in the area.
In Anthousa, the visitor can see the traditional stone houses and the church of the Annunciation that dominates the square. The patron saint of the village is Agia Paraskevi and on the day of the saint's celebration, a local religious festival takes place. Finally, one of the fighters of the Greek Revolution, Nikolaos Arapostathis, came from the village.
