Ancient Phocis in the context of "Phocis"

The Aetolian (or Aitolian) League (Ancient Greek: Κοινὸν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν) was a confederation of tribal communities and cities in ancient Greece centered in Aetolia in Central Greece. It was probably established during the late Classical or the early Hellenistic era. Two annual meetings were held at Thermon and Panaetolika. The league occupied Delphi and steadily gained territory after its victory there against the Gauls in 279 BC. By the end of the 3rd century BC, it controlled the whole of central Greece with the exception of Attica, Euboea, Boeotia and northwestern Acarnania. At its peak, the league's territory included Locris, Phocis, Doris, Malis, Dolopia, Achaia Phthiotis, Ainis, Oetaea, Ambracia and parts of Acarnania. In the latter part of its power, certain Greek city-states out of central Greece joined the Aetolian League such as the Arcadian cities of Mantineia, Tegea, Phigalia and Kydonia on Crete.

During the classical period the Aetolians were not highly regarded by other Greeks, who considered them to be semi-barbaric and reckless. However, during the Hellenistic period, they emerged as a dominant state in central Greece and expanded by annexing several Greek city-states to the League after their victory against the Gauls in 279 BC. Their League had a complex political and administrative structure. The Aetolian League fought against Macedon and the Achaean League in the Social War (220-217 BC), allied with Rome in the First Macedonian War and Second Macedonian War, but then fought against the Romans in an alliance with the Seleucid empire in the Aetolian War before losing its independence to Rome.

38°25′47″N 22°26′44″E / 38.4296°N 22.4455°E / 38.4296; 22.4455Cirrha or Kirra (Ancient Greek: Κίρρα) was a town in ancient Phocis on the coast, which served as the harbour of Delphi. Pausanias erroneously supposes that Cirrha was a later name of the Homeric Crissa. They were two separate towns, albeit with interlinked histories.

Crissa was more ancient than Cirrha, and was situated inland a little southwest of Delphi, at the southern end of a projecting spur of Mount Parnassus. Crissa gave name to the Crissaean Gulf, and its ruins may still be seen at a short distance from the modern village of Chrisso. Cirrha was built subsequently at the head of the gulf, and rose into a town from being the port of Crissa. This is in accordance with what we find in the history of other Grecian states. The original town is built upon a height at some distance from the sea, to secure it against hostile attacks, especially by sea; but in course of time, when property has become more secure, and the town itself has grown in power, a second place springs up on that part of the coast which had served previously as the port of the inland town. This was undoubtedly the origin of Cirrha, which was situated at the mouth of the river Pleistus, and at the foot of Mount Cirphis.

38°28′16″N 22°28′08″E / 38.4712°N 22.469°E / 38.4712; 22.469Crissa or Krissa (Ancient Greek: Κρίσσα) or Crisa or Krisa (Κρῖσα) was a town in ancient Phocis. Crissa was regarded as one of the most ancient cities in Greece. It was situated inland a little southwest of Delphi, at the southern end of a projecting spur of Mount Parnassus. It is mentioned in the Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad as the "divine Crissa" (Κρῖσα ζαθέη). According to the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, it was founded by a colony of Cretans, who were led to the spot by Apollo himself, and whom the god had chosen to be his priests in the sanctuary which he had intended to establish at Pytho. In this hymn, Crissa is described as situated under Parnassus, where no chariots rolled, and no trampling of horses was heard, a description suitable to the site of Crissa upon the rocks. In like manner, Nonnus, following the description of the ancient epic poets, speaks of Crissa as surrounded by rocks. Moreover, the statement of Pindar, that the road to Delphi from the Hippodrome on the coast led over the Crissaean hill, leaves no doubt of the true position of Crissa, since the road from the plain to Delphi must pass by the projecting spur of Parnassus on which the modern village of Chrisso stands. In the Homeric hymn to Apollo, Crissa appears as a powerful place, possessing as its territory the rich plain stretching down to the sea, and also the adjoining sanctuary of Pytho itself, which had not yet become a separate town. In fact, Crissa is in this hymn identified with Delphi. Even in Pindar, the name of Crissa is used as synonymous with Delphi, just as Pisa occurs in the poets as equivalent to Olympia. Metapontium in Magna Graecia (modern Italy) is said to have been a colony of Crissa.

Near Crissa, but established later, was a seaport named Cirrha. In the course of time the seaport town of Cirrha increased at the expense of Crissa; and the sanctuary of Pytho grew into the town of Delphi, which claimed to be independent of Crissa. Thus Crissa declined, as Cirrha and Delphi rose in importance. Cirrha was destroyed in the First Sacred War; but the fate of Crissa is uncertain. It is not improbable that Crissa had sunk into insignificance before this war, and that some of its inhabitants had settled at Delphi, and others at Cirrha.

38°27′40″N 22°38′29″E / 38.46111°N 22.64139°E / 38.46111; 22.64139

Cirphis or Kirphis or Kirfis (Ancient Greek: Κίρφις, romanized: Kírphis, Latin: Cirphis Mons) is a mountain in Greece north of the Bay of Antikyra in the Gulf of Corinth. It is separated from Mount Parnassus by the valley of the Pleistos. In antiquity, it was reckoned as part of the district of Phocis.

The Kanianitis (Greek: Κανιανίτης) is a river in Phocis, central Greece. It receives its water from the mountains Oeta and Giona. It flows through the villages Kastellia, Gravia and Mariolata, and flows into the Cephissus near the village Lilaia in the municipality of Parnassos. In antiquity, it was called Pindos or Pindus (Greek: Πίνδος). The Pindus was a river of ancient Phocis and Doris. The ancient cities Lilaea and Pindus were situated on the river.

38°42′18″N 22°32′29″E / 38.70507°N 22.54128°E / 38.70507; 22.54128

Drymaea or Drymaia (Ancient Greek: Δρυμαία) or Drymus or Drymos (Δρύμος) or Drymea or Drymia (Δρυμία) or Drymiae was a frontier town of ancient Phocis, on the side of Doris, whence it is included in the limits of Doris by Livy. Pausanias describes it as 80 stadia from Amphicleia: but this number appears to be an error of the copyists, since in the same passage he says that Amphicleia was only 15 stadia from Tithronium, and Tithronium 15 stadia from Drymaea, which would make Drymaea only 30 stadia from Amphicleia. He also speaks of an ancient temple of Demeter at Drymaea, containing an upright statue of the goddess in stone, in whose honour the annual festival of the Thesmophoria was celebrated. Its more ancient name is said to have been Nauboleis (Ναυβολεῖς), which was derived from Naubolus, an ancient Phocian hero, father of Iphitus.

38°40′31″N 22°34′52″E / 38.67517°N 22.58105°E / 38.67517; 22.58105Tithronium or Tithronion (Ancient Greek: Τιθρώνιον), or Tethronium or Tethronion (Τεθρώνιον), was a frontier town of ancient Phocis, on the side of Doris. Livy, who calls it Tritonon, describes it as a town of Doris, but all other ancient writers place it in Phocis. During the Greco-Persian Wars, it was destroyed by the army of Xerxes I together with the other Phocian towns in 480 BCE. It is placed by Pausanias in the plain at the distance of 15 stadia from Amphicleia.

Its site has been located at a place called Palaiokastro (old castle).

Amphicleia or Amphikleia (Ancient Greek: Ἀμφίκλεια) or Amphicaea or Amphikaia (Ἀμφίκαια) was a Greek town in the north of ancient Phocis, distant 60 stadia from Lilaea, and 15 stadia from Tithronium. It was destroyed by the Persian army of Xerxes in his invasion of Greece (480 BCE). Although Herodotus calls it Amphicaea, following the most ancient traditions, the Amphictyonic League gave it the name of Amphicleia in their decree respecting rebuilding the town (346 BCE). It also bore for some time the name of Ophiteia (Ὀφιτεία), in consequence of a legend, which Pausanias relates. The place was celebrated in the time of Pausanias for the worship of Dionysus, to which an inscription refers, found at the site of the ancient town.

The site of the ancient town is occupied by the cemetery of the modern town of Amfikleia. It is also the site of a medieval tower (Paliopyrgos), which has been built with extensive reuse of spolia from the acropolis of Amphicleia.