Malians (Greek tribe)
Encyclopedia
The Malians were a Greek
tribe that resided at the mouth of the river Spercheios in Greece
. The Malian Gulf is named after them. In the western valley of the Spercheios, their land was adjacent to the Aenianes. Their main town was Trachis
. In the town of Anthele, the Malians had an important temple of Demeter
, an early centre of the Delphinian Amphictiony. In 426 BCE, the Malians asked Sparta
for help in their war against the Oitaians. The Spartans then founded the town Heracleia Trachinia in place of Trachis. In the following decades, the Malians were under the hegemony of Sparta until they revolted against Sparta in the Corinthian War
. In this war, they lost their land south of the Spercheios, Herakleia Trachis was given to the Oitaians, and Lamia
became the new capital of the Malians. Together with the Oitaians and the Ainians, the Malians became members of the Corinthian League and, in 235 BCE, the League of Aetolia
. In 189 BCE they were joined to Achaea Phthiotis and since that time the Malians were regarded as Thessalians
.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
tribe that resided at the mouth of the river Spercheios in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The Malian Gulf is named after them. In the western valley of the Spercheios, their land was adjacent to the Aenianes. Their main town was Trachis
Trachis
Trachis was a region in ancient Greece. Situated south of the river Spercheios, it was populated by the Malians.Its main town was also called Trachis until 426 BC, when it became Heraclea Trachinia. It is located to the west of Thermopylae. Trachis is located just west of the western-most tip of...
. In the town of Anthele, the Malians had an important temple of Demeter
Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
, an early centre of the Delphinian Amphictiony. In 426 BCE, the Malians asked 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...
for help in their war against the Oitaians. The Spartans then founded the town Heracleia Trachinia in place of Trachis. In the following decades, the Malians were under the hegemony of Sparta until they revolted against Sparta in the Corinthian War
Corinthian War
The Corinthian War was an ancient Greek conflict lasting from 395 BC until 387 BC, pitting Sparta against a coalition of four allied states; Thebes, Athens, Corinth, and Argos; which were initially backed by Persia. The immediate cause of the war was a local conflict in northwest Greece in which...
. In this war, they lost their land south of the Spercheios, Herakleia Trachis was given to the Oitaians, and Lamia
Lamia (city)
Lamia is a city in central Greece. The city has a continuous history since antiquity, and is today the capital of the regional unit of Phthiotis and of the Central Greece region .-Name:...
became the new capital of the Malians. Together with the Oitaians and the Ainians, the Malians became members of the Corinthian League and, in 235 BCE, the League of Aetolia
Aetolia
Aetolia is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania.-Geography:...
. In 189 BCE they were joined to Achaea Phthiotis and since that time the Malians were regarded as Thessalians
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
.