Tanagra
Encyclopedia
Tanagra is a town and a municipality north of Athens
in Boeotia
, Greece
. The seat of the municipality is the town Schimatari
. It is not far from Thebes
, and it was noted in antiquity for the figurines named after it. The Tanagra figurine
s were a mass-produced, mold-cast and fired type of Greek terracotta figurines
produced from the later fourth century BCE, primarily in Tanagra.
mentions in Tanagra's location the ancient city of Graea
, eponymous of the Graikoi, a Boeotia
n tribe whose name gave rise to the Latin Graecus
"Greek". Homer
, while reciting the Boeotian forces in the Iliad 's Catalogue of Ships
, provides the first known reference to the Boeotian city of Graea.
Tanagra's alternative name was Poimandria, after its founder Poimandros, who took part in the Trojan campaign.
It was the site of two Battles of Tanagra, in 457 BC
and 426 BC
.
The Boeotian League under Tanagra led forth "the Boeotians" against the Athenian invaders at Oenophyta, 62 days after the battle of Tanagra (See Battle of Oenophyta
)
in the north and by a provincial road linking Thiva (Thebes) in the west. It is located SE of Thiva and Arma, SW of Schimatari
and NW of Agios Thomas.
The town is situated between the base and the highway. Tanagra is served by two interchanges, a partial southbound exit, a northbound entrance to the northwest and an almost-full to the east, serving access to highways 44
and 77
to the island of Euboea
. Its service road lies to the south and is linked with the southeast bypass and to the military base. Farmlands surround the rest of Tanagra, and the Asopus
River along with the Parnitha
mountains to the south.
Today, Tanagra Air Force base is home to the 114 Combat Wing of the Hellenic Air Force
, and is one of Greece
's largest military bases. Its runway is about 2 km in length.
In the early 2000s, a military plane which was on a training flight crashed on the runway during bad weather. There were no survivors.
On Sunday September 18, 2005
, the Archangelos air show
, the largest ever organized in Greece, took place in Tanagra. It drew a crowd of more than 200,000.
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...
in Boeotia
Boeotia
Boeotia, also spelled Beotia and Bœotia , is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. It was also a region of ancient Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, the second largest city being Thebes.-Geography:...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The seat of the municipality is the town Schimatari
Schimatari
Schimatari is a town and a former municipality in Boeotia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Tanagra, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Population 8,095 . The Asopus River is 3 to 4 km to the south. The Greek National Road 1 passes...
. It is not far from Thebes
Thebes, Greece
Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. It played an important role in Greek myth, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and others...
, and it was noted in antiquity for the figurines named after it. The Tanagra figurine
Tanagra figurine
The Tanagra figurines were a mold-cast type of Greek terracotta figurines produced from the later fourth century BCE, primarily in the Boeotian town of Tanagra. They were coated with a liquid white slip before firing and were sometimes painted afterwards in naturalistic tints with watercolors, such...
s were a mass-produced, mold-cast and fired type of Greek terracotta figurines
Greek Terracotta Figurines
Terracotta figurines are a mode of artistic and religious expression frequently found in Ancient Greece. Cheap and easily produced, these figurines abound and provide an invaluable testimony to the everyday life and religion of the Ancient Greeks.-Modelling:...
produced from the later fourth century BCE, primarily in Tanagra.
Municipality
The municipality Tanagra was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- Dervenochoria
- OinofytaOinofytaOinofyta is a village and former municipality in eastern Boeotia, Greece. Following the local government reform of 2011 it is now part of the municipality of Tanagra, of which it is a municipal unit...
- SchimatariSchimatariSchimatari is a town and a former municipality in Boeotia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Tanagra, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Population 8,095 . The Asopus River is 3 to 4 km to the south. The Greek National Road 1 passes...
- Tanagra
Ancient Tanagra
PausaniasPausanias (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...
mentions in Tanagra's location the ancient city of Graea
Graea
Graea or Graia is a region,or a city of ancient Greece that is placed under Boeotia in Homer's Catalogue of Ships; it seems to have included the city of Oropos, though by the fifth century BC it was probably a kome of that city...
, eponymous of the Graikoi, a Boeotia
Boeotia
Boeotia, also spelled Beotia and Bœotia , is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. It was also a region of ancient Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, the second largest city being Thebes.-Geography:...
n tribe whose name gave rise to the Latin Graecus
Graecus
Graecus or Græcus was, according to Hesiod's "Eoiae" or Catalogue of Women on the origin of the Greeks, the son of Pandora II and Zeus...
"Greek". Homer
Homer
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...
, while reciting the Boeotian forces in the Iliad 's 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...
, provides the first known reference to the Boeotian city of Graea.
Tanagra's alternative name was Poimandria, after its founder Poimandros, who took part in the Trojan campaign.
It was the site of two Battles of Tanagra, in 457 BC
Battle of Tanagra (457 BC)
There was a later battle at Tanagra during the Peloponnesian War; see Battle of Tanagra .The Battle of Tanagra took place in 457 BC between Athens and Sparta during the First Peloponnesian War.-Background:...
and 426 BC
Battle of Tanagra (426 BC)
There was an earlier battle at Tanagra during the Peloponnesian War; see Battle of Tanagra .The Battle of Tanagra was a battle in the Peloponnesian War in 426 BC between Athens and Tanagra &Thebes,...
.
The Boeotian League under Tanagra led forth "the Boeotians" against the Athenian invaders at Oenophyta, 62 days after the battle of Tanagra (See Battle of Oenophyta
Battle of Oenophyta
The Battle of Oenophyta took place between Athens and the Boeotian city-states in 457 BC during the First Peloponnesian War.In this period between the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, alliances and leagues sprang up and collapsed, although there was very little prolonged warfare...
)
Modern Tanagra
Modern Tanagra can be accessed by GR-1Greek National Road 1
The Greek Motorway 1 is a motorway, partly under construction, and the 2nd longest in Greece. It is the principal north-south road connection in Greece, connecting the country's capital Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second largest city,...
in the north and by a provincial road linking Thiva (Thebes) in the west. It is located SE of Thiva and Arma, SW of Schimatari
Schimatari
Schimatari is a town and a former municipality in Boeotia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Tanagra, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Population 8,095 . The Asopus River is 3 to 4 km to the south. The Greek National Road 1 passes...
and NW of Agios Thomas.
The town is situated between the base and the highway. Tanagra is served by two interchanges, a partial southbound exit, a northbound entrance to the northwest and an almost-full to the east, serving access to highways 44
Greek National Road 44
Greek National Road 44 is a highway linking the cities of Thiva, Chalkida and Karystos. The total length is nearly 200 km. The highway passes in the prefectures of Viotia and Euboea. Much of the highway has curvy roads....
and 77
Greek National Road 77
Greek National Road 77 is a national highway of Greece. It connects Halkida with Istiaia....
to the island of 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...
. Its service road lies to the south and is linked with the southeast bypass and to the military base. Farmlands surround the rest of Tanagra, and the Asopus
Asopus
Asopus or Asôpos is the name of four different rivers in Greece and one in Turkey. In Greek mythology, it was the name of the gods of those rivers.-The rivers in Greece:...
River along with the Parnitha
Parnitha
Mount Parnitha is a densely forested mountain range north of Athens, the highest on the peninsula of Attica, with an elevation of 1,413 m and a summit known as Karavola...
mountains to the south.
Today, Tanagra Air Force base is home to the 114 Combat Wing of the Hellenic Air Force
Hellenic Air Force
The Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the...
, and is one of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
's largest military bases. Its runway is about 2 km in length.
In the early 2000s, a military plane which was on a training flight crashed on the runway during bad weather. There were no survivors.
On Sunday September 18, 2005
September 2005
-News collections and sources:* Wikipedia:News collections and sources.* Wikipedia:News sources – This has much of the same material organized in a hierarchical manner to help encourage NPOV in our news reporting....
, the Archangelos air show
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
, the largest ever organized in Greece, took place in Tanagra. It drew a crowd of more than 200,000.
Population
| Year | Settlement population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1,097 | - |
| 1991 | 847 | - |
| 2001 | 871 | 4,134 |
See also
- Communities of Viotia
- Tanagra FigurineTanagra figurineThe Tanagra figurines were a mold-cast type of Greek terracotta figurines produced from the later fourth century BCE, primarily in the Boeotian town of Tanagra. They were coated with a liquid white slip before firing and were sometimes painted afterwards in naturalistic tints with watercolors, such...
- Tanagra expositata
- BoeotiaBoeotiaBoeotia, also spelled Beotia and Bœotia , is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. It was also a region of ancient Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, the second largest city being Thebes.-Geography:...
- Graia
- GraikiGraikiGraiki was the name given by some ancient sources to the area out of ancient Attica including ancient Boeotia. The word seems to be derived from the Greek word "graia" meaning "old lady" , and the region is related with the Ogygian deluge, the first mentioned worldwide deluge in Greek...