Pelasgiotis
Encyclopedia
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, Pherae
, Skotoussa
and Sykourion.
Phthiotis, Thessaliotis, Histiaeotis and Pelasgiotis comprised the Thessalian tetrarchy, governed under the title of tagus
, when occasion required.
The territory is mentioned by Strabo
but not by Herodotus
, who seems to include it in the district of Thessaliotis .In epigraphy, Pelasgiotes are mentioned among other Thessalian ambassadors in Athens ca.353 BC. A fragment of a marble stele at Larissa
in Thessaly
records that on request of the consul
Quintus Caecilius Metellus
, son of Quintus, "friend and benefactor of our country (ethnei hēmōn)" in return for services rendered by him, his family and the S.P.Q.R., the Thessalian League
decreed to send 43,000 coffers of wheat to Rome
, to be taxed from different regions under the league. The Pelasgiōtai and the Phthiōtai
are to provide 32,000 while the Histiōtai and Thessaliōtai must provide the remaining 11,000, with 25% going to the army, all in different months..
The regional and not ethnic toponym is a reminiscent Pelasgian element from the Thessalian mythological past . As in other parts of Thessaly, Aeolic Greek
inscriptions are attested and after 2nd century BC, Koine Greek
.
During the Thessalian Games at Larissa
to Zeus
Eleuthereus of 1st century BC, several winner athletes are named Thessalian from Larissa of Pelasgis or the Pelasgid . The 3rd century BC funerary epigram for Erilaos of Kalchedon mentions also Larisa tai Pelasgidi.
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...
from the Vale of Tempe
Vale of Tempe
The Vale of Tempe is a gorge in northern Thessaly, Greece, located between Olympus to the north and Ossa to the south. The valley is 10 kilometers long and as narrow as 25 meters in places, with cliffs nearly 500 meters high, and through it flows the Pineios River on its way to the Aegean Sea...
to the southern city of Pherae
Pherae
Pherae was an ancient Greek town in southeastern Thessaly. It bordered Lake Boebeïs. In mythology, it was the home of King Admetus, whose wife, Alcestis, Heracles went into Hades to rescue. In history, it was more famous as the home of the fourth-century B.C...
. Pelasgiotis included the below localities: Argos Pelasgikon
Argos Pelasgikon
Argos Pelasgikon is a Homeric location of Thessaly mentioned in the "Catalogue of Ships" passage: It has been interpreted to be a city in the Pelasgiotis district or an alternative name of Phthia, the kingdom of Peleus and Achilles or pertaining to the whole Thessaly...
, Argyra
Argyra
Argyra is a genus of fly in the family Dolichopodidae.-Species:*Argyra abdominalis *Argyra albicans Loew, 1861*Argyra albicoxa Van Duzee, 1925*Argyra albiventris Loew, 1864*Argyra aldrichi Johnson, 1904...
, Atrax, Crannon, Cynoscephalae, Elateia
Elateia
Elateia was an ancient Greek city of Phocis, and the most important place in that region after Delphi. It is also a modern-day town that is a former municipality in the southeastern part of Phthiotis. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is a municipal unit of the municipality...
, Gyrton, Mopsion, Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
, Kondaia, Onchestos river and town, Phayttos, Pherae
Pherae
Pherae was an ancient Greek town in southeastern Thessaly. It bordered Lake Boebeïs. In mythology, it was the home of King Admetus, whose wife, Alcestis, Heracles went into Hades to rescue. In history, it was more famous as the home of the fourth-century B.C...
, Skotoussa
Skotoussa
Skotoussa is a village and a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Population 5,389 . Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Irakleia, of which it is a municipal unit....
and Sykourion.
Phthiotis, Thessaliotis, Histiaeotis and Pelasgiotis comprised the Thessalian tetrarchy, governed under the title of tagus
Tagus (title)
Tagus was a Thessalian title for a leader or general, especially the military leader of the Thessalian League. When occasion required, a chief magistrate was elected under the name of Tagus, whose commands were obeyed by all the four districts of Thessaly...
, when occasion required.
The territory is mentioned by 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...
but not 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...
, who seems to include it in the district of Thessaliotis .In epigraphy, Pelasgiotes are mentioned among other Thessalian ambassadors in Athens ca.353 BC. A fragment of a marble stele at Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
in Thessaly
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....
records that on request of the consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
Quintus Caecilius Metellus
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus was a Praetor in 148 BC, Consul in 143 BC, Proconsul of Hispania Citerior in 142 BC and Censor in 131 BC. He was the oldest son of Quintus Caecilius Metellus and grandson of Lucius Caecilius Metellus.A brilliant general, he fought in the Third Macedonian War...
, son of Quintus, "friend and benefactor of our country (ethnei hēmōn)" in return for services rendered by him, his family and the S.P.Q.R., the Thessalian League
Thessalian League
The Thessalian League was a loose confederacy of feudal-like city-states and tribes in the Thessalian valley in Northern Greece and was run by a few aristocratic Thessalian families . The seat of the Thessalian diet was Larissa....
decreed to send 43,000 coffers of wheat to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, to be taxed from different regions under the league. The Pelasgiōtai and the Phthiōtai
Phthia
Phthia , Phthíē ) in ancient Greece was the southernmost region of ancient Thessaly, on both sides of Othrys Mountain. It was the homeland of the Myrmidones tribe, who took part in the Trojan War under Achilles....
are to provide 32,000 while the Histiōtai and Thessaliōtai must provide the remaining 11,000, with 25% going to the army, all in different months..
The regional and not ethnic toponym is a reminiscent Pelasgian element from the Thessalian mythological past . As in other parts of Thessaly, 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 ....
inscriptions are attested and after 2nd century BC, Koine Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
.
During the Thessalian Games at Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
to Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
Eleuthereus of 1st century BC, several winner athletes are named Thessalian from Larissa of Pelasgis or the Pelasgid . The 3rd century BC funerary epigram for Erilaos of Kalchedon mentions also Larisa tai Pelasgidi.