Oetaea in the context of "Mount Oeta"

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⭐ Core Definition: Oetaea

Oetaea or Oitaia (Ancient Greek: Οἰταία) was a historic region of ancient Thessaly, Greece inhabited by the Oetaeans (Οἰταῖοι). It was the mountainous district around Mount Oeta in the upper valley of the Spercheius, and to the east of Dolopia. The Oetaeans appear to have been the collective name of the various predatory tribes, dwelling upon the northern declivities of Mt Oeta, who are mentioned as plundering both the Malians on the east, and the Dorians on the south. The most important of these tribes were the Aenianes (Αἰνιᾶνες - Aeniānes), called Eniēnes (Ἐνιῆνες) by Homer and Herodotus, an ancient Hellenic Amphictyonic race. They are said to have first occupied the Dotian plain in Pelasgiotis; afterwards to have wandered to the borders of Epirus, and finally to have settled in the upper valley of the Spercheius, where Hypata was their chief town. Besides Hypata, which was the only place of importance in Oetaea, we find mention of Sperchiae and Macra Come by Livy, and of Sosthenis (Σωσθενίς), Homilae (Ὅμιλαι), Cypaera (Κύπαιρα) and Phalachthia (Φαλαχθία) by Ptolemy.

Oetaea formed a political unit in antiquity. It minted silver and bronze coins with the following legends: «ΟΙΤ», «ΟΙΤΑ», «ΟΙΤΑΩΝ», and «ΟΙΤΑΙΩΝ».

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Oetaea in the context of Aetolian League

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.

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Oetaea in the context of Sosthenis

38°49′11″N 22°25′22″E / 38.819718°N 22.422726°E / 38.819718; 22.422726Sosthenis (Ancient Greek: Σωσθενίς) was a town in Oetaea in ancient Thessaly. The town's name appears in an epigraph dated to c. 272-260 BCE, as providing a treasurer on behalf of the Aetolians in making an alliance with the Acarnanians.

Modern scholars tentatively locate Sosthenis at the modern site of Vardates.

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Oetaea in the context of Homilae

38°45′54″N 22°24′14″E / 38.7651°N 22.4038°E / 38.7651; 22.4038Homilae or Homilai (Ancient Greek: Ὅμιλαι) was a town in Oetaea in ancient Thessaly. The town's name appears in an epigraph dated to 206/5 BCE as providing a hieromnemone to the Amphictyonic League on behalf of the Aetolians.

Its site is at the modern site of Kouvelo Kastro/Kastro Orias.

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Oetaea in the context of Phalachthia

Phalachthia (Ancient Greek: Φαλαχθία), also Phalachthia in Phthiotis (Φαλαχθία Φθιώτιδος), was a town of Oetaea in ancient Thessaly.

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Oetaea in the context of Pindus (city)

38°40′53″N 22°22′38″E / 38.6815°N 22.3773°E / 38.6815; 22.3773Pindos or Pindus (Greek: Πίνδος), also called Acyphas or Akyphas (Ἀκύφας), was an ancient city and polis (city-state) of Greece, one of the towns of the tetrapolis of Doris, situated upon a river of the same name, which flows into the Cephissus near Lilaea. Strabo, Theopompus, and Stephanus of Byzantium call the city Akyphas. In one passage Strabo says that Pindus lay above Erineus, and in another he places it in the district of Oetaea; it is, therefore, probable that the town stood in the upper part of the valley, near the sources of the river in the mountain.

The ancient city was situated at a site called Ano Kastelli or Pyrgos, approximately 2.1 miles (3.4 km) southwest of Kastellia, and approximately 2.8 miles (4.5 km) northwest of Gravia.

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