Achaea (ancient region)
Encyclopedia
Geographically, Achaea was (and is) the northernmost region of the Peloponnese, occupying the coastal strip north of Arcadia. Its approximate boundaries were to the south the mountain range of Erymanthus
, to the south-east the range of Cyllene
, to the east Sicyon
, and to the west the Larissos river. Apart from the plain around Dyme, to the west, Achaea was generally a mountainous region.
uses the term Achaeans as a generic term for Greeks throughout the Iliad
; conversely, a distinct region of Achaea is not mentioned. The region later known as Achaea is instead referred to as Aegialus. Both Herodotus and Pausanias recount the legend that the Achaean tribe was forced out of their lands in the Argolis by the Dorians, during the legendary Dorian invasion
of the Peloponnese. As a consequence, the Achaeans went to Aegialus and forced the Aegialians (now known as the Ionians
) out of their land. The Ionians took temporary refuge in Athens, and Aegialus became known as Achaea. It was supposedly for this reason that the region known as Achaea in Classical Greece
did not correspond to the Homeric usage.
Under the Romans, Achaea was a province covering much of central and southern Greece. This is the Achaea referred to in the New Testament
(e.g., Acts
18:12 and 19:21; Romans
15:26 and 16:5). However, Pausanias, writing in the 2nd century AD, devotes one of the books of Description of Greece to the ancient region of Achaea, showing that the name, locally at least, still preserved the use from the Classical period. The name Achaea was later used in the crusader state, the Principality of Achaea
(1205–1432), which consisted of the whole Peloponnese, thus more closely following Roman usage. The modern Greek prefecture of Achaea
is largely based on the ancient region.
which had important cultural and religious functions. In its later 3rd century BC incarnation the Achaean League would play an important role in Greek politics.
According to Pausanias
, in 688 BC the city of Hyperesia was threatened by an army from Sicyon
. The locals defended their city by placing burning torches on their goats' (aiges in Greek) antlers. The Sicyonians retreated and the Hyperesians renamed their town Aigeira
(Greek: Aίγειρα) to honor the goats.
During the 5th century BC the cities of Achaea were neutral in the Persian Wars and were usually neutral in the struggles between Athens
and Sparta
. We begin to hear more of Achaea in the following centuries.
In 373 BC the Achaean city of Helice was destroyed in a great cataclysm. “Immense columns of flame”, the first record in history of the phenomenon of earthquake lights, were seen in the days leading up to the earthquake. The quake hit at night causing Helice to subside and then a massive tsunami
rushed in from the Corinthian Gulf to inundate the city. All the inhabitants perished. The city of Boura, further inland, was also destroyed in the earthquake.
In 367 BC during Epaminondas’
third invasion of the Peloponnesus the Achaean cities agreed to an alliance with Thebes
. But soon when oligarchs retook the cities of Achaea they allied with Sparta against Epaminondas. At the Battle of Mantinea
in 362 BC the Achaeans were allied to Sparta, Athens and Mantinea against Thebes.
The Achaeans were part of the Greek alliance led by Thebes and Athens which was defeated by King Philip II of Macedon
at the Battle of Chaeronea
in 338 BC. Subsequently Achaea was part of the Macedonian dominated Corinthian League.
established Achaea as a senatorial province; generally speaking, the region benefited from the enlightened attitude of Roman emperors such as Augustus. This was because Achaea was geographically closer to Rome than other provinces, and so it was given political advantages and greater status in order for the Roman court to maintain a political equilibrium within the empire.
The rule of Achaea in Roman times was placed under the Senate while a preconsul of Praetor
ian rank was appointed as its governor with the administrative seat in Corinth
. However, Rome exercised fairly light control over Achaea: no Roman garrisons were posted there, native religious and social groups were widely tolerated by the Romans, and a general sense of free determination amongst the Greeks was commonplace. After the reign of Augustus the province of Achaea was combined with Macedonia
from the years 15 until 44, coinciding with the frontier troubles. This combined imperial province was overseen by a governor placed at Moesia
along the Danube River. In the year 67, Emperor Nero
declared Greece
to be politically free from the Roman Empire, and the Greeks began their own autonomous rule. However, Roman authority over Greece was reestablished soon after with Emperor Vespasian
, who placed the province once again in the hands of the Roman Senate.
Mount Erymanthos
Mount Erymanthos is a dense mountain range south of Patras in the middle of Achaia prefecture. The mountains is also called Olonos . Historically it was in northwestern Arcadia and was the second tallest in the historic Arcadia, the northern portion belonged to the historic Achaea...
, to the south-east the range of Cyllene
Mount Kyllini
Mount Kyllini or Mount Cyllene , is a mountain on the Peloponnesus peninsula in Greece, famous for its association with the god Hermes. It rises to above sea level, making it the second highest point on the peninsula. It is located near the border between the historic regions of Arcadia and...
, to the east Sicyon
Sicyon
Sikyon was an ancient Greek city situated in the northern Peloponnesus between Corinth and Achaea on the territory of the present-day prefecture of Corinthia...
, and to the west the Larissos river. Apart from the plain around Dyme, to the west, Achaea was generally a mountainous region.
Name
The name of Achaea has a slightly convoluted history. HomerHomer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
uses the term Achaeans as a generic term for Greeks throughout the Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
; conversely, a distinct region of Achaea is not mentioned. The region later known as Achaea is instead referred to as Aegialus. Both Herodotus and Pausanias recount the legend that the Achaean tribe was forced out of their lands in the Argolis by the Dorians, during the legendary Dorian invasion
Dorian invasion
The Dorian invasion is a concept devised by historians of Ancient Greece to explain the replacement of pre-classical dialects and traditions in southern Greece by the ones that prevailed in Classical Greece...
of the Peloponnese. As a consequence, the Achaeans went to Aegialus and forced the Aegialians (now known as the Ionians
Ionians
The Ionians were one of the four major tribes into which the Classical Greeks considered the population of Hellenes to have been divided...
) out of their land. The Ionians took temporary refuge in Athens, and Aegialus became known as Achaea. It was supposedly for this reason that the region known as Achaea in Classical Greece
Classical Greece
Classical Greece was a 200 year period in Greek culture lasting from the 5th through 4th centuries BC. This classical period had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire and greatly influenced the foundation of Western civilizations. Much of modern Western politics, artistic thought, such as...
did not correspond to the Homeric usage.
Under the Romans, Achaea was a province covering much of central and southern Greece. This is the Achaea referred to in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
(e.g., Acts
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
18:12 and 19:21; Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
15:26 and 16:5). However, Pausanias, writing in the 2nd century AD, devotes one of the books of Description of Greece to the ancient region of Achaea, showing that the name, locally at least, still preserved the use from the Classical period. The name Achaea was later used in the crusader state, the Principality of Achaea
Principality of Achaea
The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...
(1205–1432), which consisted of the whole Peloponnese, thus more closely following Roman usage. The modern Greek prefecture of Achaea
Achaea
Achaea is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The capital is Patras. The population exceeds 300,000 since 2001.-Geography:...
is largely based on the ancient region.
History
Archaic and Classical Greece
The twelve cities of Achaea were grouped into an early Achaean LeagueAchaean League
The Achaean League was a Hellenistic era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese, which existed between 280 BC and 146 BC...
which had important cultural and religious functions. In its later 3rd century BC incarnation the Achaean League would play an important role in Greek politics.
According to Pausanias
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
, in 688 BC the city of Hyperesia was threatened by an army from Sicyon
Sicyon
Sikyon was an ancient Greek city situated in the northern Peloponnesus between Corinth and Achaea on the territory of the present-day prefecture of Corinthia...
. The locals defended their city by placing burning torches on their goats' (aiges in Greek) antlers. The Sicyonians retreated and the Hyperesians renamed their town Aigeira
Aigeira
Aigeira or Aegira is a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aigialeia, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located about 500 m SW of the Gulf of Corinth in the northeastern part of Achaea. It is located on...
(Greek: Aίγειρα) to honor the goats.
During the 5th century BC the cities of Achaea were neutral in the Persian Wars and were usually neutral in the struggles between Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
. We begin to hear more of Achaea in the following centuries.
In 373 BC the Achaean city of Helice was destroyed in a great cataclysm. “Immense columns of flame”, the first record in history of the phenomenon of earthquake lights, were seen in the days leading up to the earthquake. The quake hit at night causing Helice to subside and then a massive tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
rushed in from the Corinthian Gulf to inundate the city. All the inhabitants perished. The city of Boura, further inland, was also destroyed in the earthquake.
In 367 BC during Epaminondas’
Epaminondas
Epaminondas , or Epameinondas, was a Theban general and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek city-state of Thebes, leading it out of Spartan subjugation into a preeminent position in Greek politics...
third invasion of the Peloponnesus the Achaean cities agreed to an alliance with Thebes
Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)
See Thebes, Greece for the modern city built on the ancient ruins.Ancient Thebes was a Boeotian city-state , situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain...
. But soon when oligarchs retook the cities of Achaea they allied with Sparta against Epaminondas. At the Battle of Mantinea
Battle of Mantinea (362 BC)
The Battle of Mantinea was fought on July 4 362 BC between the Thebans, led by Epaminondas and supported by the Arcadians and the Boeotian league against the Spartans, led by King Agesilaus II and supported by the Eleans, Athenians, and Mantineans...
in 362 BC the Achaeans were allied to Sparta, Athens and Mantinea against Thebes.
The Achaeans were part of the Greek alliance led by Thebes and Athens which was defeated by King Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
at the Battle of Chaeronea
Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC)
The Battle of Chaeronea was fought in 338 BC, near the city of Chaeronea in Boeotia, between the forces of Philip II of Macedon and an alliance of Greek city-states...
in 338 BC. Subsequently Achaea was part of the Macedonian dominated Corinthian League.
Roman period
Achaea was conquered by the Romans in the year 146 BC. Emperor AugustusAugustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
established Achaea as a senatorial province; generally speaking, the region benefited from the enlightened attitude of Roman emperors such as Augustus. This was because Achaea was geographically closer to Rome than other provinces, and so it was given political advantages and greater status in order for the Roman court to maintain a political equilibrium within the empire.
The rule of Achaea in Roman times was placed under the Senate while a preconsul of Praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
ian rank was appointed as its governor with the administrative seat in Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
. However, Rome exercised fairly light control over Achaea: no Roman garrisons were posted there, native religious and social groups were widely tolerated by the Romans, and a general sense of free determination amongst the Greeks was commonplace. After the reign of Augustus the province of Achaea was combined with Macedonia
Macedonia (Roman province)
The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon, the last Ancient King of Macedon in 148 BC, and after the four client republics established by Rome in the region were dissolved...
from the years 15 until 44, coinciding with the frontier troubles. This combined imperial province was overseen by a governor placed at Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
along the Danube River. In the year 67, Emperor Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
declared Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
to be politically free from the Roman Empire, and the Greeks began their own autonomous rule. However, Roman authority over Greece was reestablished soon after with Emperor Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
, who placed the province once again in the hands of the Roman Senate.