Ancient Achaea in the context of "Larissos (river)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Ancient Achaea

Achaea (/əˈkə/) or Achaia (/əˈkə/; Greek: Ἀχαΐα, Akhaḯa, Ancient Greek: [akʰaía]) is the northernmost region of the Peloponnese, occupying the coastal strip north of Arcadia. Its approximate boundaries are: to the south, Mount Erymanthus; to the south-east, Mount Cyllene; to the east, Sicyon; and to the west, the Larissos river. Apart from the plain around Dyme in the west, Achaea is generally a mountainous region.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Dyme

Dyme (Ancient Greek: Δύμη), or Dymae, was a town and polis (city-state) of ancient Achaea, and the most westerly of the 12 Achaean cities, from which circumstance it is said to have derived its name. The location of Dyme is near the modern Kato Achaia.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Buprasium

Buprasium or Bouprasion (Ancient Greek: Βουπράσιον) was a town of ancient Elis, and the ancient capital of the Epeii, frequently mentioned by Homer. The town first occurs as providing ships, commanded together with three other zones by captains that are mentioned separately of Nestor in the Iliad in the Catalogue of Ships. The town also features in other passages in the Iliad. In the story in which Nestor narrates a past confrontation between Pylos and the Eleans, the town is described as rich in wheat. In another story, Nestor tells that he participated in the funeral games at Buprasium after the burial of king Amarynceus. It situated near the left bank of the Larissus, and consequently upon the confines of Achaea. The town was no longer extant in the time of Strabo, but its name was still attached to a district on the road from the city of Elis to Dyme on the left bank of the Larissus, which appears from Stephanus of Byzantium to have borne also the name of Buprasius.

Its site is unlocated.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Aegium

Aegium or Aigion (Ancient Greek: Αἴγιον), or Aegeium or Aigeion (Αἴγειον), was a town and polis (city-state) of ancient Achaea, and one of the twelve Achaean cities. It was situated upon the coast west of the river Selinus, 30 stadia from Rhypae, and 40 stadia from Helice.

The city stood between two promontories in the corner of a bay, which formed the best harbour in Achaea next to that of Patrae. It is said to have been formed out of a union of seven or eight villages. It was already mentioned in the Homeric Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad. When the neighbouring city of Helice sank into the sea following an earthquake in 373 BCE, Aegium annexed its territory and became the chief city of the Achaean League. When the League dissolved later in the same century, however, Aegium came for some time under Macedonian rule.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Hyrmine (Elis)

37°53′11″N 21°08′08″E / 37.886492°N 21.135668°E / 37.886492; 21.135668Hyrmine (Ancient Greek: Ὑρμίνη) or Hyrmina (Ὕρμινα) or Hormina (Ὅρμινα) was a town of ancient Elis upon the coast. It is mentioned by Homer in the Catalogue of Ships of the Iliad as one of the towns of the Epeii. It appears to have been regarded as one of the most ancient of the Epeian towns, since Pausanias repeats the legend that it had been founded by Actor, the son of Hyrmine, who was a daughter of Epeius, and describes the town as between the cape of Cyllene near Araxus, near the frontier with Achaea. In the time of Strabo the town had disappeared, but its site was marked by a rocky promontory near Cyllene, called Hormina or Hyrmina.

Hyrmine is located near the castle of Chlemoutsi.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Pellene

Pellene (/pəˈln/; Ancient Greek: Πελλήνη; Doric Greek: Πελλάνα / Πελλίνα) was a city and polis (city-state) of ancient Achaea, the most easterly of the twelve Achaean cities (the Achaean League). Its territory bordered upon that of Sicyon on the east and upon that of Aegeira on the west. Pellene was situated 60 stadia from the sea, upon a strongly fortified hill, the summit of which rose into an inaccessible peak, dividing the city into two parts. Its port was at Aristonautae.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Oeantheia

Oeantheia or Oiantheia (Ancient Greek: Οἰάνθεια) or Oeanthe (Οἰάνθη) or Euanthis (Εὐανθίς) or Euanthia (Εὐανθία) was an important town of the Ozolian Locrians, situated at the western entrance of the Crissaean Gulf. Polybius says that it is opposite to Aegeira in Achaea. Thucydides relates that during the Peloponnesian War, the Oeanthians are among several towns of the Locri Ozolae that were forced to provide hostages to the Lacedaemonian army in 426 BCE. The Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax calls the town Euanthis; and since Strabo says that Epizephyrian Locris in Italy was founded by the Ozolian Locrians, under a leader named Euanthes, it has been conjectured that Oeantheia or Euantheia was the place where the emigrants embarked. Oeantheia appears to have been the only maritime city in Locris remaining in the time of Pausanias (2nd century), with the exception of Naupactus. The only objects at Oeantheia mentioned by Pausanias were a temple of Aphrodite, and one of Artemis, situated in a grove above the town. The town is mentioned in the Tabula Peutingeriana as situated 20 miles (32 km) from Naupactus and 15 (24) from Anticyra.

The site of Oeantheia is located near modern Tolofon, although others still contend the site is near Glyfada.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Ceryneia

Ceryneia or Keryneia (Ancient Greek: Κερύνεια, also Cerynia or Kerynia (Κερυνία), Ceraunia or Keraunia (Κεραυνία), Cerauneia or Kerauneia (Κεραύνεια), Caryneia or Karyneia (Καρύνεια), was a town and polis (city-state) of ancient Achaea. It was not originally one of the 12 Achaean cities, though it afterwards became so, succeeding to the place of Aegae. Its population was increased by a large body of Mycenaeans, when the latter abandoned their city to the Argives in 468 BCE. Ceryneia is mentioned as a member of the Achaean League on its revival in c. 280 BCE; and one of its citizens, Marcus, was chosen in 255 BCE as the first sole General of the League. In the time of Strabo, Ceryneia was dependent upon Aegium. It was situated inland upon a lofty height, west of the river Cerynites (Bokhusia), and a little south of Helice. Theophrastus stated that the wine of Ceryneia produced abortion.

The place is celebrated in Greek mythology as the location of the Ceryneian Hind, the capture of which was one of the Labours of Hercules.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Amyclae

Amyclae or Amyklai (Ancient Greek: Ἀμύκλαι) was a city of ancient Laconia, situated on the right or western bank of the Eurotas, 20 stadia south of Sparta, in a district remarkable for the abundance of its trees and its fertility. Amyclae was one of the most celebrated cities of Peloponnesus in the Greek Heroic Age. It is said to have been founded by the Lacedaemonian king Amyclas, the father of Hyacinthus, and to have been the abode of Tyndarus, and of Castor and Pollux, who are hence called Amyclaei Fratres. Amyclae is mentioned by Homer, and it continued to maintain its independence as an Achaean town long after the conquest of Peloponnesus by the Dorians.

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Ancient Achaea in the context of Pheneus

Pheneus or Pheneos (Ancient Greek: Φένεος or Φενεός) was a town in the northeast of ancient Arcadia. Its territory, called Pheniatis (ἡ Φενεατική or ἡ Φενεᾶτις or η Φενική), was bounded on the north by that of the Achaean towns of Aegeira and Pellene, east by the Stymphalia, west by the Cleitoria, and south by the Caphyatis and Orchomenia. This territory is shut in on every side by lofty mountains, offshoots of Mount Cyllene and the Aroanian chain; and it is about 7 miles (12 km) in length and the same in breadth. Two streams descend from the northern mountains, and unite their waters about the middle of the valley; the united river bore in ancient times the name of Olbius and Aroanius. There is no opening through the mountains on the south; but the waters of the united river are carried off by subterranean channels (katavóthra) in the limestone rocks, and, after flowing underground, reappear as the sources of the river Ladon. In order to convey the waters of this river in a single channel to the katavóthra, the inhabitants at an early period constructed a canal, 50 stadia in length, and 30 feet (9 m) in breadth.

This great work, which was attributed to Heracles, had become useless in the time of Pausanias, and the river had resumed its ancient and irregular course; but traces of the canal of Heracles are still visible, and one bank of it was a conspicuous object in the valley when it was visited by William Martin Leake in 1806. The canal of Heracles, however, could not protect the valley from the danger to which it was exposed, in consequence of the katavóthra becoming obstructed, and the river finding no outlet for its waters. The Pheneatae related that their city was once destroyed by such an inundation, and in proof of it they pointed out upon the mountains the marks of the height to which the water was said to have ascended. Pausanias evidently refers to the yellow border which is still visible upon the mountains and around the plain: but in consequence of the great height of this line upon the rocks, it is difficult to believe it to be the mark of the ancient depth of water in the plain, and it is more probably caused by evaporation; the lower parts of the rock being constantly moistened, while the upper are in a state of comparative dryness, thus producing a difference of colour in process of time. It is, however, certain that the Pheneatic plain has been exposed more than once to such inundations. Pliny the Elder says that the calamity had occurred five times; and Eratosthenes related a memorable instance of such an inundation through the obstruction of the katavóthra, when, after they were again opened, the water rushing into the Ladon and the Alpheius overflowed the banks of those rivers at Olympia. The account of Eratosthenes has been confirmed by a similar occurrence in modern times. In 1821 the katavóthra became obstructed, and the water continued to rise in the plain till it had destroyed 7 to 8 square miles (18 to 21 km) of cultivated country. Such was its condition till 1832, when the subterraneous channels again opened, the Ladon and Alpheius overflowed, and the plain of Olympia was inundated. Other ancient writers allude to the katavóthra and subterraneous course of the river of Pheneus.

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