Aetolia
Aetolia
Αἰτωλία | |
|---|---|
Region ofAncient Greece | |
 Ancient and modernThermon,Aetolia | |
 Map of ancient Aetolia | |
| Country | Greece |
| Location | Western Greece |
| Major cities | Thermon |
| Dialects | Doric |
| Key periods | Aetolian League (290–189 BC) |
Aetolia(Greek:Αἰτωλία,romanized:Aἰtōlía) is a mountainous region ofGreeceon the north coast of theGulf of Corinth,forming the eastern part of the modernregional unitofAetolia-Acarnania.
Geography[edit]
TheAchelous Riverseparates Aetolia fromAcarnaniato the west; on the north it had boundaries withEpirusandThessaly;on the east with theOzolian Locrians;and on the south the entrance to theCorinthian Gulfdefined the limits of Aetolia.
In classical times Aetolia comprised two parts: "Old Aetolia" (Greek:Παλιά Αιτωλία,romanized:Paliá Aitolía) in the west, from the Achelous to theEvenusandCalydon;and "New Aetolia" (Greek:Νέα Αιτωλία,romanized:Néa Aitolía) or "Acquired Aetolia" (Greek:Αἰτωλία Ἐπίκτητος,romanized:Aitolía Epíktitos) in the east, from the Evenus and Calydon to the Ozolian Locrians. The country has a level and fruitful coastal region, but an unproductive and mountainous interior. The mountains contained many wild beasts, and acquired fame inGreek mythologyas the scene of the hunt for theCalydonian Boar,also called the Aetolian Boar.[1]
History[edit]
Ancient era[edit]
Tribes known asCuretes– named after the nearby mountain Kourion, or just to stand out from the Acarnanians, who were called so because they were unshorn – andLelegesoriginally inhabited the country, but at an early periodGreeksfromElis,led by the mythicaleponymAetolus,set up colonies.Dionysius of Halicarnassusmentions that Curetes was the old name of the Aetolians and Leleges the old name of theLocrians.[2]The Aetolians took part in theTrojan War,under their kingThoas.
The mountain tribes of Aetolia were the Ophioneis,[3]the Apodotoi,[3]the Agraeis, the Aperantoi[4]and the Eurytanians.[3][5]
The primitive lifestyle of those tribes made an impression on ancient historians.Polybiusdoubted their Greek heritage, while Livy reports that they spoke a language similar to the Macedonians. On the other hand,Thucydidesclaims that Eurytanians spoke a very difficult language and ate their food completely raw. They were semi-barbaric, warlike and predatory. They worshipedApolloas god of tame nature andArtemisas goddess of wilderness. They also worshipedAthena,not as goddess of wisdom, but emphasizing the element of war – i.e. a goddess that was a counterbalance to the godAres.They called Apollo and Artemis "Laphrios gods," i.e. patrons of the spoils and loot of war. In addition, they worshiped Hercules, the river Achelous and Bacchus. In Thermos, an area north of Trichonis lake, there was after the 7th century a shrine of Apollo “Thermios,” which became a significant religious center during the time of theAetolian League.
The Aetolians refused to participate in thePersian Wars.In 426 BC, led by Aegitios, they defeated the Athenians and their allies, who had turned against Apodotia and Ophioneia under the general command of Demosthenes.[6]However, they failed to regainNaupaktos,which had meanwhile been conquered by the Corinthians with the aid of the Athenians. At the end of theArchidamian War,the Aetolians took part as mercenaries of the Athenians in the expedition against Syracuse. Then the Achaeans occupiedCalydon,but the Aetolians recovered it in 361 BC. In 338 BC, Naupaktos was again taken by the Aetolians, with the help of Philip II. During theLamian War,the Aetolians helped the Athenian generalLeosthenesdefeatAntipater.As a result, they came into conflict with Antipater andCraterus,taking great risks, but were eventually saved by the disagreement between the two Macedonian generals and Perdiccas. The Acarnanians then attempted to invade their land, but the Aetolians were able to force them to flee.[citation needed]
The Aetolians set up a united league, theAetolian League,in early times. It soon became a powerful confederation (sympoliteia) and by c. 340 BC it became one of the leading military powers in ancient Greece.[7]It had originally been organized during the reign ofPhilip IIby the cities of Aetolia for their mutual benefit and protection and became a formidable rival to theMacedonianmonarchs and theAchaean League.
The great courage shown by the Aetolians during the fighting against the Macedonians increased their glamour and fame, especially after winning the lastAmphictyonicwar and even more after repulsing theGallic invasionunderBrennusand rescuing the sanctuary ofDelphi.Subsequently, the Sotiria Games were established by the Aetolians, in honour ofZeusthe Saviour.[7][8]
In 232 BC, the Illyrians under Agron attacked the Aetolians, and managed to take many prisoners and booty.[9]
In 229 BC, the Aetolians participated in anaval battle off the island of Paxosin a coalition withKorkyraand theAchaean League,and were defeated by a coalition ofIllyriansandAcarnanians;as a result, the Korkyreans were forced to accept an Illyrian garrison in their city, which was put under the command of Demetrius of Pharos.[10]
The Aetolians’ power increasingly magnified with the occupation of the lands of Ozoloi, Locrians and Phocians, as well as Boeotia. They then united under the power of their League in the areas of Tegea, Mantinea, Orchomenus, Psophida and Phigaleia. Between 220 and 217 BC, theSocial Warbroke out between the Achaean and Aetolian Leagues. The war was first started by the Aetolians with the help of the Spartans and Eleans. Allies of the Achaeans were the Macedonians, the Boeotians, the Phocians, the Epirotes, the Acarnanians and the Messenians.
The Aetolians allied with the Romans, whilePhilip Vdestroyed the temple of Apollo Thermios and allied with the Carthaginians. The Aetolians continued to fight on the side of the Romans even in theBattle of Cynoscephalae(196 BC), ignoring the great dangers looming for Greece as a result of this alliance. The Aetolians took the side ofAntiochus IIIagainst theRoman Republic,and on the defeat of that monarch in 189 BC, they became virtually the subjects ofRome.Following the conquest of the Achaeans byLucius Mummius Achaicusin 146 BC, Aetolia became part of the Roman province ofAchaea.When the Roman garrisons were withdrawn because of the civil wars in Rome, the Aetolians, too, began to fight each other. Following Octavius’ victory at theBattle of Actium,the Aetolians who had sided with Antony disbanded completely. Octavius handed Calydon over to the Achaeans, who devastated it entirely and moved the statue of Artemis Laphria toPatras.There were subsequent invasions byGoths,Huns,andVandalsseveral centuries later at the end of theRoman Empire.
Aetolia's reputation has suffered from a rather hostile treatment in the sources.Polybiusis considered now to have a heavy anti-Aetolian bias due to his having relied on Aetolia's opponentAratusof Achaea, but mainly because of his origin inMegalopolis,a major centre of the rival Achaean League.[citation needed]
Middle Ages[edit]
During the Middle Ages, Aetolia was part of the Byzantine Empire and later passed to theTurks.Aetolia was mentioned in Francisco Baltazar's Florante at Laura.[citation needed]
List of Aetolians[edit]
- Agetas,general[11]
- Aitolos,mythological hero
- Leda,Queen of Sparta and mother ofHelen,Clytemnestra,and theDioscuribyZeusandTyndareus
- Andraemon,father ofThoas
- Thoas,hero of theTrojan War
- Titormus,wrestler
- Alexander Aetolus,poet
- Damocritus, general
- Dorimachus, general[12]
- Nicolaus of Aetolia,general
- Theodotus of Aetolia,general
- Pyrrhias,stadionOlympic racer in 200 BC[13]
- Pyrrhias of Aetolia,general[14]
- Agelaus of Naupactus,leading man of theAetolian League
- Cosmas of Aetolia,(1714–1779) monk
- Dimitrios Makris,fighter of theGreek War of Independence(1821)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Rose, Carol, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth, W. W. Norton, 2001. ISBN 9780393322118, p. 66.
- ^Dionysius of Halicarnassus,Roman Antiquities, Book 1, 1,LacusCurtius
- ^abcJohn D. Grainger, The League of the Aitolians, 1999, p. 33.
- ^John D. Grainger, The League of the Aitolians, 1999, p. 40.
- ^"Technological Educational Institute of Piraeus - Γενικά Στοιχεία".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-04-03.Retrieved2015-04-02.
- ^Istoriai, Thoucydides pages 243-246.
- ^ab"Aetolian League".www.britannica.com.Retrieved2010-09-10.
Aetolian League, federal state or "sympolity" of Aetolia, in ancient Greece. Probably based on a looser tribal community, it was well-enough organized to conduct negotiations with Athens in 367 BC. It became by c. 340 one of the leading military powers in Greece. Having successfully resisted invasions by Macedonia in 322 and 314–311, the league rapidly grew in strength during the ensuing period of Macedonian weakness, expanding into Delphi (centre of the Amphictyonic Council) and allying with Boeotia (c. 300). It was mainly responsible for driving out a major Gallic invasion of Greece in 279.
- ^John D. Grainger, The League of the Aitolians, 1999, p. 103 - 104.
- ^Polybius 2.3
- ^Polybius,2.10;Wilkes, p. 160.
- ^Smith, William(1867)."Agetas".In Smith, William (ed.).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.Vol. 1. Boston:Little, Brown and Company.p. 71.
- ^"Smith Bio".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-10-18.Retrieved2007-10-25.
- ^Chronicon (Eusebius)145th Olympiad
- ^Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and MythologyPyrrhiasArchivedMay 15, 2008, at theWayback Machine
- This article incorporates material from Harry Thurston Peck'sHarper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities(1898).