Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "NAFPAKTOS Ancient city ETOLOAKARNANIA".
Total results on 4/5/2001: 195 for Naupactus, 23 for Naupaktos.
(Naupaktos). The modern Lepanto; an ancient town of the Locri Ozolae, near the promontory Antirrhium, possessing the best harbor on the northern coast of the Corinthian Gulf. It is said to have derived its name from the Heraclidae having here built the fleet with which they crossed over to the Peloponnesus (from naus + pegnumi). After the Persian Wars it fell into the power of the Athenians, who settled here the Messenians who had been compelled to leave their country at the end of the Third Messenian War, B.C. 455. During the Peloponnesian War it was the military base of the Athenians in their operations against Western Greece. In later times, Philip of Macedon assigned it to Aetolia, and the Romans to Locris.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Naupaktos: Eth. Naupaktios (Epakto by the Greek peasants, Lepanto
by the Italians). An important town of the Locri Ozolae, and the best harbour
on the northern coast of the Corinthian gulf, was situated just within the entrance
of this gulf, a little east of the promontory Antirrhium. It is said to have derived
its name from the Heracleidae having here built the fleet with which they crossed
over to Peloponnesus. (Strab. ix. p. 426; Paus. x. 38. § 10; Apollod. ii. 8. §
2.) Though Naupactus was indebted for its historical importance to its harbour
at the entrance of the Corinthian gulf, it was probably originally chosen as a
site for a city on account of its strong hill, fertile plains, and copious supply
of running water. (Leake, Northern Greece, vol. ii. p. 608.) After the Persian
wars it fell into the power of the Athenians, who settled there the Messenians,
who had been compelled to leave their country at the end of the Third
Messenian War, B.C. 455 ; and during the Peloponnesian War it was the head-quarters
of the Athenians in all their operations in Western Greece. (Paus. iv. 24. § 7;
Thuc. i. 103, ii. 83, seq.) After the battle of Aegospotami the Messenians were
expelled from Naupactus, and the Locrians regained possession of the town. (Paus.
x. 38. § 10.) It afterwards passed into the hands of the Achaeans, from whom,
however, it was wrested by Epaminondas. (Diod. xv. 75.) Philip gave it to the
Aetolians (Strab. ix. p. 427; Dem. Phil. iii. p. 120), and hence it is frequently
called a town of Aetolia. (Scylax, p. 14; Mela, ii. 3 ; Plin. iv. 2. s. 3.) The
Aetolians vigorously defended Naupactus against the Romans for two months in B.C.
191. (Liv. xxxvi. 30, seq.; Polyb. v. 103.) Ptolemy (iii. 15. § 3) calls it a
town of the Locri Ozolae, to whom it must therefore have been assigned by the
Romans after Pliny's time.
Pausanias saw at Naupactus a temple of Poseidon near the sea, a temple
of Artemis, a cave sacred to Aphrodite, and the ruins of a temple of Asclepius
(x. 38. §§ 12, 13). Naupactus is mentioned by Hierocles; but it was destroyed
by an earth-quake in the reign of Justinian. (Procop. B. Goth. iv. 25.) The situation
and present appearance of the town are thus described by Leake: - The fortress
and town occupy the south-eastern and southern sides of a hill, which is one of
the roots of Mount Rigasni, and reaches down to the sea. The place is fortified
in the manner which was common among the ancients in positions similar to that
of Epakto,--that is to say, it occupies a triangular slope with a citadel at the
apex, and one or more cross walls on the slope, dividing it into subordinate enclosures.
At Epakto there are no less than five enclosures between the summit and the sea,
with gates of communication from the one to the other, and a side gate on the
west leading out of the fortress from the second enclosure on the descent. It
is not improbable that the modern walls follow exactly the ancient plan of the
fortress, for in many parts they stand upon Hellenic foundations, and even retain
large pieces of the ancient masonry amidst the modern work. The present town occupies
only the lowest enclosure; in the middle of which is the small harbour which made
so great a figure in ancient history: it is now choked with rubbish, and is incapable
of receiving even the larger sort of boats which navigate the gulf. (Northern
Greece, vol. ii. p. 608.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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