Listed 8 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "EGIRA Small town ACHAIA" .
EGIRA (Ancient city) ACHAIA
Aigeira: Eth. Aigeirhates, fem. Aigeiratis. A town of Achaia, and
one of the 12 Achaean cities, situated between Aegae and Pellene, is described
by Polybius as opposite Mount Parnassus, situated upon hills strong and difficult
of approach, seven stadia from the sea, and near a river. This river was probably
the Crius, which flowed into the sea, a little to the W. of the town. According
to Pausanias the upper city was 12 stadia from its port, and 72 stadia from the
oracle of Heracles Buraicus. (Herod. i. 146; Strab. viii. p. 386; Pol. ii. 41,
iv. 57; Paus. vii. 26. § 1; Plin. iv. 6.) Pausanias (l. c.) relates that Aegeira
occupied the site of the Homeric Hyperesis (Hpspereshie, Il. ii. 573, xv. 254;
Strab. p. 383: Eth. Hupereslens), and that it changed its name during the occupation
of the country by the Ionians. He adds that the ancient name still continued in
use. Hence we find that Icarus of Hyperesia was proclaimed victor in the 23rd
Olympiad. (Paus. iv. 15. § 1.) On the decay of the neighbouring town of Aegae
its inhabitants were transferred to Aegeira. (Strab. p. 386.) In the first year
of the Social war (B.C. 220) Aegeira was surprised by a party of Aetolians, who
had set sail from the opposite town of Oeantheia in Locris, but were driven out
by the Aegiratans after they had obtained possession of the place. (Pol. iv. 57,
58.) The most important of the public buildings of Aegeira was a temple of Zeus.
It also contained a very ancient temple of Apollo, and temples of Artemis, of
Aphrodite Urania, who was worshipped in the town above all other divinities, and
of the Syrian goddess. (Pans. vii. 26.) The port of Aegeira Leake places at Mavra
Litharia, i. e., the Black Rocks, to the left of which, on the summit of a hill,
are some vestiges of an ancient city, which must have been Aegeira. At the distance
of 40 stadia from Aegeira, through the mountains, there was a fortress called
Phelloe (Ellhoe, near Zakhuli), abounding in springs of water. (Paus. vii. 26.
§ 10)
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
At the Paleokastro knoll, on the northern edge of the Mt. Eurostine, between Aigion and Sicyon, near the Arfara village.
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