Achelous River in the context of "Cape Araxos"

⭐ In the context of Cape Araxos, the Achelous River is considered a contributing factor to…

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⭐ Core Definition: Achelous River

The Achelous (Greek: Αχελώος, Ancient Greek: Ἀχελῷος Akhelôios), also Acheloos, is a river in Epirus, western Greece. It is 220 km (137 mi) long. It formed the boundary between Acarnania and Aetolia of antiquity. It empties into the Ionian Sea. In ancient times its spirit was venerated as the river god Achelous.

Herodotus, taking notice of the shoreline-transforming power of the Acheloos River, even compared it to the Nile in this respect:

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👉 Achelous River in the context of Cape Araxos

Cape Araxos (Greek: Ακρωτήριον Άραξος), also known as Cape Pappas (Άκρα Πάππα), is a cape in the northwest of the Peloponnese in Greece. It is the northwesternmost point of Peloponnese and separates the Gulf of Patras from the Ionian Sea. It lies at a distance of 30 km (19 mi) west of the city of Patras and very close to the village of Akrotirio Araxou. In 1877 a stone lighthouse was built, but it was destroyed during the Second World War and a modern lighthouse was installed after some years. The waters in the area are dangerous because of the continuous additions of sediments, eroding from the uplands of Aetolia-Acarnania via the rivers Acheloos and Evinos, The waters are quite shallow in some parts.

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Achelous River in the context of Oeniadae

Oeniadae or Oiniadai (Ancient Greek: Οἰνιάδαι), or Oeneiadae or Oineiadai (Οἰνειάδαι), was a town in ancient Acarnania, situated on the west bank of the Achelous River, about 10 miles (16 km) from its mouth. It was one of the most important of the Acarnanian towns, being strongly fortified both by nature and by art, and commanding the whole of the south of Acarnania. It was surrounded by marshes, many of them of great extent and depth, which rendered it quite inaccessible in the winter to an invading force. Its territory appears to have extended on both sides of the Achelous, and to have consisted of the district called Paracheloitis, which was very fertile. It seems to have derived its name from the mythical Oeneus, the great Aetolian hero.

The town is first mentioned about 455 BCE. The Messenians, who had been settled at Naupactus by the Athenians at the end of the Third Messenian War, shortly afterwards made an expedition against Oeniadae, which they took; but after holding it for a year, they were attacked by the Acarnanians and compelled to abandon the town. Oeniadae is represented at that time as an enemy of Athens, which is said to have been one of the reasons that induced the Messenians to attack the place. Twenty-three years before the Peloponnesian War (454 BCE) Pericles laid siege to the town, but was unable to take it. In the Peloponnesian War, Oeniadae still continued opposed to the Athenians, and was the only Acarnanian town, with the exception of Astacus, which sided with the Lacedaemonians. In the third year of the war (429 BCE) Phormion made an expedition into Acarnania to secure the Athenian ascendancy; but though he took Astacus, he did not continue to march against Oeniadae, because it was the winter, at which season the marshes secured the town from all attack. In the following year (428 BCE) his son Asopius sailed up the Achelous, and ravaged the territory of Oeniadae; but it was not till 424 BCE that Demosthenes, assisted by all the other Acarnanians, compelled the town to join the Athenian alliance.

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Achelous River in the context of Oxeia

Oxeia (Greek: Οξεία) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. As of 2011, it had no resident population. It is the chief island in the southern group (the Ouniades) of the Echinades, part of the Ionian Islands. Oxeia possesses the highest point in the Echinades, 421 metres (1,381 feet). It is situated near the mouth of the river Acheloos, off the coast of Aetolia-Acarnania. The island is around 5 kilometres (3 miles) in length and its width is approximately 2 km (1 mile). The Battle of Lepanto took place near the island in 1571.

In April 2012, it was bought by Qatar Holdings.

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Achelous River in the context of Acarnania

Acarnania (Ancient Greek: Ἀκαρνανία, romanizedAkarnanía) is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary, and north of the gulf of Calydon, which is the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. Today it forms the western part of the regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania. The capital and principal city in ancient times was Stratos.

Acarnania's foundation in Greek mythology was traditionally ascribed to Acarnan, son of Alcmaeon.

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Achelous River in the context of Pleuron (Aetolia)

Pleuron (Ancient Greek: Πλευρών, gen.: Πλευρῶνος; Greek: Πλευρώνα, Plevrona or Ασφακοβούνι, Asfakovouni) was a city in ancient Aetolia, Greece. The name refers to two settlements, the older of which was at the foot of Mount Curium between the river Acheloos and the river Evenos, and was mentioned by Homer in the Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad. The territory of Pleuron was called Pleuronia. The ruins of this more ancient city are 1.5 km to the southeast of the newer one. The circuit wall exhibits "the large roughly shaped stones and small stones in the interstices which are the characteristics of Cyclopean masonry."

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Achelous River in the context of Paracheloitis

Paracheloïtae or Paracheloitai or Paracheloitas (Greek: Παραχελωίτας - meaning "near the Achelous") was a town in ancient Aetolia. The town, near the Achelous River, gave name to the fertile plain adjoining it: Paracheloïtis (Παραχελωῖτις). Apparently, this was older than the town of the same name in Thessaly, as Strabo relates that there, too was a river named Acheolous with giving name to a town.

Although the Paracheloïtis is located as the lower flood plain of the modern Achelous River, the site of a town is not given.

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Achelous River in the context of Stratos, Greece

Stratos (Greek: Στράτος, Latin: Stratus, Aromanian: Yanica) is a settlement in central Aetolia-Acarnania, Western Greece. It is best known for its remains of the namesake ancient Greek city and capital of Acarnania, which lie on a hillside about 500m north of the modern village.

Stratos is situated on the right bank of the river Acheloos, 9 km northwest of the town of Agrinio. The area north of Stratos is mountainous, whereas the south is flat. It is now an Aromanian (Vlach) village and a municipal unit of the Agrinio municipality.

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Achelous River in the context of Achelous

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Achelous (also Acheloos or Acheloios) (/ˌækɪˈl.əs/; Ancient Greek: Ἀχελώϊος, and later Ἀχελῷος, Akhelôios) was the god associated with the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece. According to Hesiod, he was the son of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. He was also said to be the father of the Sirens, several nymphs, and other offspring.

Achelous was able to change his shape, and in the form of a bull, he wrestled Heracles for the right to marry Deianeira, but lost. He was also involved in the legend of the Argive hero Alcmaeon.

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