Listed 5 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "VIOTIA Ancient area GREECE".
Total results on 14/12/2000: 871 for Boeotia.
A country of Greece proper, lying to the northwest of Attica,
and shut in by the chains of Helicon, Cithaeron, Parnassus, and, towards the sea,
Ptous; which mountains enclosed a large plain, constituting the chief part of
the country. Numerous rivers, of which the Cephissus was the most important, descending
from the heights, had probably stagnated for a long time, and formed lakes, of
which the Copais was the largest. These same rivers appear to have formed the
soil of Boeotia, which is among the most fruitful in Greece. Boeotia was also
perhaps the most thickly settled part of Greece, for no other could show an equal
number of important cities. This country, as we learn from the concurrent testimony
of Strabo, Pausanias, and other ancient writers, was first occupied by several
barbarous claus, under the various names of Aeones, Ectenes, Temmices, and Hyantes.
To these succeeded, according to the common account, Cadmus and his followers,
who, after expelling some of the indigenous tribes above mentioned, and conciliating
others, founded a city, which became afterwards so celebrated under the name of
Thebes, and to which he gave the name of Cadmea. The descendants of Cadmus were
compelled, subsequently, to evacuate Boeotia, after the capture of Thebes by the
Epigoni, and to seek refuge in the country of the Illyrian Enchelees. They regained
possession, however, of their former territory, but were once more expelled, as
we learn from Strabo, by a numerous horde of Thracians and others. On this occasion,
having withdrawn into Thessaly, they united themselves with the people of Arne,
a district of that province, and for the first time assumed the name of Boeotians.
After a lapse of some years, they were compelled to abandon Thessaly, when they
once more succeeded in re-establishing themselves in their original abode, to
which they now communicated the name of Boeotia. This event, according to Thucydides,
occurred about sixty years after the capture of Troy; but, in order to reconcile
this account with the statement of Homer, who distinctly names the Boeotians among
the Grecian forces assembled at that memorable siege, the historian admits that
a Boeotian division (apodasmos) had already settled in this province prior to
the migration of the great body of the nation. The government of Boeotia remained
under the monarchical form till the death of Xanthus, who fell in single combat
with Melanthus the Messenian, when it was determined to adopt a republican constitution.
This, though imperfectly known to us, appears to have been a compound of aristocratic
and democratic principles, the former being apparent in the appointment of thirteen
annual magistrates named Boeotarchs, who presided over the military as well as
civil departments; the latter in the establishment of four councils, which were
possessed, in fact, of the sovereign authority, since all measures of importance
were to be submitted to their deliberation. The general assembly of the Boeotian
Republic was held in the temple of the Itonian Athene. From the extent and population
of their territory the Boeotians might have played the first part in Greece, if
they had not been prevented by the bad government of the cities, by the jealousy
of Thebes, and the consequent want of union. And yet the example of Epaminondas
and Pelopidas afterwards showed that the genius of two men could outweigh all
these defects. The Boeotians were regarded by their neighbours, the Athenians,
as naturally a stupid race. Much of this, however, was wilful exaggeration, and
must be ascribed to the national enmity which seems to have existed from the earliest
times between these two nations. Moreover, this country produced, in fact, many
illustrious men, such as Hesiod, Pindar, Plutarch, Epaminondas, and Pelopidas.
In Boeotia, too, Mount Helicon was sacred to the Muses, to whom also many of the
fountains and rivers of the country were consecrated. In Boeotia are several celebrated
ancient battle-fields, the former glory of which has been increased by later events;
namely, Plataea (now the village Kokla), where Pausanias and Aristides established
the liberty of Greece by their victory over Mardonius; Leuctra, where Epaminondas
triumphed over the Spartans; Coronea, where the Spartan Agesilaus defeated the
Thebans; and Chaeronea, where Philip founded Macedonian supremacy on the ruins
of Grecian freedom. Near Tanagra, the birthplace of Corinna, the best wine was
produced; here also cocks were bred, of remarkable size, beauty, and courage,
with which the Grecian cities, passionately fond of cock-fighting, were supplied.
The best-known towns of Boeotia were Orchomenus, Tegyra, Haliartus,
Coronea, and Chaeronea, near Lake Copais; Larymna, Phocae, Aulis, Delium, and
Oropus, near the Euripus; Thisbe, Ascra, Thespiae, and Leuctra, near the Gulf
of Corinth; Thebae, in the plain between Lake Hylica and Mount Teumessus; Potniae
and Therapnae, south of Thebes; and Plataeae, Erethrae, Eleum, Tanagra, and Pherae,
in the valley of the Asopus.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
A region of central Greece,
north-west of Attica, between
the Gulf of Corinth west
and the Aegean coast facing the Island of Euboea
east.
Boeotia remained split between several cities that shared the same
dialect during classical times. The most important of these cities was Thebes,
the largest and richest of them all, in no small part due to the fertility of
its territory.
The Boeotian cities joined in a confederacy under the leadership of
Thebes toward the later part
of the VIth century B. C. and, from then on, the history of Boeotia is mostly
that of Thebes and of the
ups and downs of this confederacy, at times strong, at times dissolved by neighbouring
victors such as Athens. Another
Boeotian city worthy of mention is Plataea,
wich remained a faithful ally of Athens
even when Thebes and the
rest of Boeotia was against it, until it was finally razed by the Lacedemonians
upon request by their Theban allies at the beginning of the Peloponesian war,
in 427.
Bernard Suzanne (page last updated 1998), ed.
This text is cited July 2003 from the Plato and his dialogues URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks.
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