Aetolian League: Map & History
The Aetolian League, also known as the League of the Aetolians, was an ancient Greek confederation of tribal communities and cities.
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The Aetolian League, also known as the League of the Aetolians, was an ancient Greek confederation of tribal communities and cities. Thermon served as its meeting place. At its peak in the 3rd century BC, in the aftermath of the Celtic invasion, it covered much of Central Greece and became one of the major powers of Hellenistic Greece.
Modern Countries Once Part of Aetolian League
At its mapped extent, Aetolian League covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Aetolian League's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Aetolian League in Depth
History
The Aetolians were a recognised ethnic group with a religious centre at Thermos from at least the seventh century BC. The mountain tribes of Aetolia were the Ophioneis, the Apodotoi, the Agraeis, the Aperantoi and the Eurytanians.
The primitive lifestyle of those tribes made an impression on ancient historians. Polybius doubted their Greek heritage. They worshiped Apollo as god of tame nature and Artemis as goddess of wilderness. They also worshiped Athena, not as goddess of wisdom, but emphasizing the element of war – i.e. a goddess that was a counterbalance to the god Ares. They called Apollo and Artemis "Laphrios gods," i.e. patrons of the spoils and loot of war. In addition, they worshiped Hercules, the river Achelous and Bacchus.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Aetolian League (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Aetolian League: Key Facts
| Capital | Thermos |
|---|---|
| Founded | 4th century BCE |
Facts from Wikidata Q245273 (CC0).
Aetolian League Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Aetolian League appears, with the other states of the time.
Aetolian League Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 11,781 km² in 208 BCE.
Aetolian League: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Aetolian League exist?
Aetolian League is dated to 284 BCE – 189 BCE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Aetolian League?
The capital of Aetolian League was Thermos (Aetolia) (meeting place).
How large was Aetolian League at its peak?
At its peak in 208 BC Aetolian League covered about 11,781 km².