Aetolia Αἰτωλία | |
|---|---|
Region ofAncient Greece | |
 Ancient and modernThermon, Aetolia | |
 Map of ancient Aetolia | |
| Country | Greece |
| Location | Western Greece |
| Major cities | Thermon |
| Dialects | Northwest Greek |
| Key periods | Aetolian League (4th century BC - 188 BC) |
Aetolia (Greek:Αἰτωλία,romanized: Aitōlía) is a mountainous region ofGreece on the north coast of theGulf of Corinth, corresponding to the eastern part of the modernregional unit ofAetolia-Acarnania, as well as parts of modernEvrytania. Aetolia was the core of theAetolian League.
TheAchelous River separates Aetolia fromAcarnania to the west; on the north it had boundaries withEpirus andThessaly; on the east with theOzolian Locrians; and on the south the entrance to theCorinthian Gulf defined 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 theEvenus andCalydon; 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 mythology as the scene of the hunt for theCalydonian Boar, also called the Aetolian Boar.[1]
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 – andLeleges originally inhabited the country, but at an early periodGreeks fromElis, led by the mythicaleponymAetolus, set up colonies.Dionysius of Halicarnassus mentions 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.Polybius doubted their Greek heritage, while Livy reports that they spoke a language similar to the Macedonians. On the other hand,Thucydides claims that Eurytanians spoke a very difficult language and ate their food completely raw. They were semi-barbaric, warlike and predatory. They worshipedApollo as god of tame nature andArtemis as 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 generalLeosthenes defeatAntipater. 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 II by the cities of Aetolia for their mutual benefit and protection and became a formidable rival to theMacedonian monarchs 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 lastAmphictyonic war and even more after repulsing theGallic invasion underBrennus and rescuing the sanctuary ofDelphi. Subsequently, the Sotiria Games were established by the Aetolians, in honour ofZeus the 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 Paxos in a coalition withKorkyra and theAchaean League, and were defeated by a coalition ofIllyrians andAcarnanians; 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 War broke 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 V destroyed 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 III against 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 Achaicus in 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, andVandals several centuries later at the end of theRoman Empire.
Aetolia's reputation has suffered from a rather hostile treatment in the sources.Polybius is considered now to have a heavy anti-Aetolian bias due to his having relied on Aetolia's opponentAratus of Achaea, but mainly because of his origin inMegalopolis, a major centre of the rival Achaean League.[citation needed]
During the Middle Ages, Aetolia was part of the Byzantine Empire and its successor Despotate of Epirus, and later passed to theTurks. Aetolia was mentioned in Francisco Baltazar's Florante at Laura.[citation needed]
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.
