Histiaeotis
Encyclopedia
Histiaeotis or Hestiaeotis was a Northwest district of ancient Thessaly
, part of the Thessalian tetrarchy, roughly coressponding to modern Trikala Prefecture
. Cities of the district: Aeginion, Trikka, Pharkadon, Gomphoi, Pelinna
, Metropolis, Phaloria and Ithome. Notable sanctuaries of the region were of Asclepius
at Tricca
, of Aphrodite
Kastnia at Metropolis and of Zeus at Pelinna
. In the Catalogue of Ships
: they that held Tricca and Ithome of the crags, and Oechalia, city of Oechalian Eurytus
, these again were led by the two sons of Asclepius, the skilled healers Podaleirius and Machaon
.
Histiaeotis is first mentioned by Herodotus
, when.. in the time of Dorus
the son of Hellen
, (Dorians) were in the territory around Mounts Ossa and Olympus
, known as Histiaeotis. Then they were evicted from Histiaeotis by the Cadmeans and settled on Mount Pindus... Strabo
also confirms that in earlier times Histiaeotis was called Doris
but when the Perrhaebians took possession of it, who had already subdued Histiaeotis in Euboea
and had forced its inhabitants to migrate to the mainland, they called the country Histiaeotis after these Histiaeans, because of the large number of these people who settled there. Strabo adds that Histiaeotis and Dolopia
comprise the Upper Thessaly, which is in a straight line with Upper Macedonia
, as is Lower Thessaly with Lower Macedonia
.
In epigraphy, the regional name occurs as Hestiōtai, ambassadors in Athens and Histiōtai in the Thessalian grain decree for Rome (see Pelasgiotis
) but most similarly written names are related to Histiaea, an Attic deme
and a city in North Euboea. The epigraphical Aeolic Greek
vocalism of Hestiaeotis is bizarre and idiomatic.
Ancient Thessaly
Ancient Thessaly or Thessalia was one of the traditional regions of Ancient Greece. During the Mycenaean period, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, a name which continued to be used for one of the major tribes of Greece, the Aeolians, and their dialect of Greek, .-History:Thessaly was home to an...
, part of the Thessalian tetrarchy, roughly coressponding to modern Trikala Prefecture
Trikala Prefecture
Trikala is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Thessaly. Its capital is the town of Trikala. The regional unit includes the town of Kalampaka and the Meteora monastery complex.-Geography:...
. Cities of the district: Aeginion, Trikka, Pharkadon, Gomphoi, Pelinna
Pelinna
Pelinna was an ancient Greek city with a celebrated temple of Zeus Pelinnaeus, in Estiaeotis, ancient Thessaly. Pelinna was situated between Tricca and Pharcadon, near modern Palaiogardiki . The city gained particular prominence in the fourth century BC through its alliance with Philip II of...
, Metropolis, Phaloria and Ithome. Notable sanctuaries of the region were of Asclepius
Asclepius
Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...
at Tricca
Tricca
Tricca was an ancient city in Thessaly, Greece. It corresponds to modern Trikala.It was an ancient city, near the Peneius River and on the Lethaeus River. It is mentioned in Homer as the Kingdom of Machaon and Podaleirius, sons of Aesculapius and physicians of the Greek army. It possessed the...
, of Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
Kastnia at Metropolis and of Zeus at Pelinna
Pelinna
Pelinna was an ancient Greek city with a celebrated temple of Zeus Pelinnaeus, in Estiaeotis, ancient Thessaly. Pelinna was situated between Tricca and Pharcadon, near modern Palaiogardiki . The city gained particular prominence in the fourth century BC through its alliance with Philip II of...
. In the Catalogue of Ships
Catalogue of Ships
The Catalogue of Ships is a passage in Book 2 of Homer's Iliad , which lists the contingents of the Achaean army that sailed to Troy...
: they that held Tricca and Ithome of the crags, and Oechalia, city of Oechalian Eurytus
Eurytus
Eurytus, Erytus , or Eurytos is the name of eleven characters in Greek mythology, and of at least one historical figure.-King of Oechalia:...
, these again were led by the two sons of Asclepius, the skilled healers Podaleirius and Machaon
Machaon
-In Entomology:*Papilio machaon, or Old World Swallowtail, a butterfly named by Carl Linnaeus...
.
Histiaeotis is first mentioned by Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, when.. in the time of Dorus
Dorus
-People:*Dorus de Vries, Dutch footballer*Dorus Rijkers, Dutch lifeboat captain*Stage name of Dutch comedian Tom Manders-Greek mythology:*Dorus, son of Hellen and founder of the Dorian nation*Dorus, son of Apollo and Phthia, and the father of Xanthippe...
the son of Hellen
Hellen
Hellen , the son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, brother of Amphictyon and father of Aeolus, Xuthus, and Dorus. His name is also another name for Greek, meaning a person of Greek descent or pertaining to Greek culture, and the source of the adjective "Hellenic".Each of his sons founded a primary tribe of...
, (Dorians) were in the territory around Mounts Ossa and Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
, known as Histiaeotis. Then they were evicted from Histiaeotis by the Cadmeans and settled on Mount Pindus... Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
also confirms that in earlier times Histiaeotis was called Doris
Doris (Greece)
Doris , is a small mountainous district in ancient Greece, bounded by Aetolia, southern Thessaly, the Ozolian Locrians, and Phocis; the original homeland of the Dorian Greeks...
but when the Perrhaebians took possession of it, who had already subdued Histiaeotis in Euboea
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
and had forced its inhabitants to migrate to the mainland, they called the country Histiaeotis after these Histiaeans, because of the large number of these people who settled there. Strabo adds that Histiaeotis and Dolopia
Dolopia
-Geography:Dolopia was located between Epirus and Thessaly. Some of their cities were, Angeia, Ctimene and Dolopeis, close to lake Xynius.-Mythology & History:...
comprise the Upper Thessaly, which is in a straight line with Upper Macedonia
Upper Macedonia
Upper Macedonia is a geographical and tribal term to describe the regions that became part of the kingdom of Macedon in the early 4th century BC. From that date, its inhabitants were politically equal to Lower Macedonians...
, as is Lower Thessaly with Lower Macedonia
Lower Macedonia
Lower Macedonia or Macedonia proper or Emathia is a geographical term to the coastal plain, watered by the rivers Haliacmon, Axius on the west and bounded by Strymon on the east. Its districts are: Pieria, Bottiaea, Amphaxitis, Crestonia, Mygdonia, Anthemous, Crousis and Bisaltia...
.
In epigraphy, the regional name occurs as Hestiōtai, ambassadors in Athens and Histiōtai in the Thessalian grain decree for Rome (see Pelasgiotis
Pelasgiotis
Pelasgiotis was an elongated district of ancient Thessaly from the Vale of Tempe to the southern city of Pherae. Pelasgiotis included the below localities: Argos Pelasgikon, Argyra, Atrax, Crannon, Cynoscephalae, Elateia, Gyrton, Mopsion, Larissa, Kondaia, Onchestos river and town, Phayttos,...
) but most similarly written names are related to Histiaea, an Attic deme
Deme
In Ancient Greece, a deme or demos was a subdivision of Attica, the region of Greece surrounding Athens. Demes as simple subdivisions of land in the countryside seem to have existed in the 6th century BC and earlier, but did not acquire particular significance until the reforms of Cleisthenes in...
and a city in North Euboea. The epigraphical Aeolic Greek
Aeolic Greek
Aeolic Greek is a linguistic term used to describe a set of dialects of Ancient Greek spoken mainly in Boeotia , Thessaly, and in the Aegean island of Lesbos and the Greek colonies of Asia Minor ....
vocalism of Hestiaeotis is bizarre and idiomatic.