Home > Phocis

1 Geography

Phocis is about 1619 km² (625 mi²) in area, bounded on the west by Ozolian Locris and Doris, on the north by Opuntian Locris, on the east by Boeotia, and on the south by the Corinthian Gulf. The massive ridge of Parnassus (2459 m/8068 ft), which traverses the heart of the country, divides it into two distinct portions.

Being neither rich in material resources nor well placed for commercial enterprise, Phocis was mainly pastoral. No large cities grew up within its territory, and its chief places were mainly of strategic importance.

2 History

The early history of Phocis remains quite obscure. During the Persian invasion of 480 BCE the Phocians at first joined in the national defence, but by their irresolute conduct at the Battle of Thermopylae lost that position for the Greeks; at the Battle of Plataea they were enrolled on the Persian side. In 457 an attempt to extend their influence to the headwaters of the CephissusCephissus (Greek : Kifissos Kephissos or Kephissos or Cephisus (Greek : Kephisos the name of several rivers in Greece: Cephissus (Boeotia), a river arising in Phocis and flowing through northern Boeotia into Lake Copais. Cephissus (Athenian plain), a rive in the territory of Doris brought a SpartaThis page is about the ancient and modern Greek city of Sparta. For other uses see: Sparta (disambiguation Sparta was an ancient city in Greece, the capital of Laconia and the most powerful state of the Peloponnesus. The city lay at the northern end of thn army into Phocis in defence of the "metropolis of the Dorians". A similar enterprise against DelphiThis article is about the city of Delphi. For other meanings, see the disambiguation page on "Delphi". Delphi is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece. In ancient times it was the site of the Delphic Oracle, dedicated to the god Apollo. Delph in 448Centuries: 6th century BC 5th century BC 4th century BC Decades: 490s BC 480s BC 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC 390s BC Years: 453 BC 452 BC 451 BC 450 BC 449 BC 448 BC 447 BC 446 BC 445 BC 444 BC 443 BC Events Phidias fin was again frustrated by Sparta, but not long afterwards the Phocians recaptured the sanctuary with the help of the AtheniansAcropolis in central Athens is home to ancient monuments of Athens — a mainstay of its thriving tourism industry Athens ( Greek: Athina is the capital of Greece, and also the capital of the Attica region of Greece. A cosmopolitan modern city, Athens is al, with whom they had entered into alliance in 454Centuries: 4th century BC 5th century BC 6th century BC Decades: 500s BC 490s BC 480s BC 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC Years: 459 BC 458 BC 457 BC 456 BC 455 BC 454 BC 453 BC 452 BC 451 BC 450 BC 449 BC Events Athens lose. The subsequent decline of Athenian land power had the effect of weakening this new connection; at the time of the Peloponnesian WarThe Peloponnesian War was begun in 431 BC between the Athenian Empire and the Peloponnesian League which included Sparta and Corinth. The war was documented by Thucydides, an Athenian general, in his work History of the Peloponnesian War''. The war lasted Phocis was nominally an ally and dependent of Sparta, and had lost control of Delphi.

In the 4th century BCE5th century BC 4th century BC 3rd century BC other centuries) ( 2nd millennium BC 1st millennium BC 1st millennium AD) Events Invasion of the Celts into Ireland Kingdom of Macedon conquers Persian empire Romans build first aqueduct Chinese use bellows Sig Phocis was constantly endangered by its Boeotian neighbours. After helping the Spartans to invade Boeotia during the Corinthian War ( 395– 94), the Phocians were placed on the defensive. They received assistance from Sparta in 380, but were afterwards compelled to submit to the growing power of Thebes. The Phocian levy took part in the inroads of Epaminondas into Peloponnesus, except in the final campaign of Mantinea ( 370– 62), from which their contingent was withheld. In return for this negligence the Thebans fastened a religious quarrel upon their neighbours, and secured a penal decree against them from the Amphictyonic synod ( 356). The Phocians, led by two capable generals, Philomelus and Onomarchus , replied by seizing Delphi and using its riches to hire a mercenary army. With the help of these troops the Phocian League at first carried the war into Boeotia and Thessaly, and though driven out of the latter country by Philip of Macedon, maintained itself for ten years, until the exhaustion of the temple treasures and the treachery of its leaders placed it at Philip's mercy. The conditions which he imposed – the obligation to restore the temple funds, and the dispersion of the population into open villages – were soon disregarded. In 339 the Phocians began to rebuild their cities; in the following year they fought against Philip at Chaeronea. Again in 323 they took part in the Lamian War against Antipater, and in 279 helped to defend Thermopylae against the Gauls.

Henceforth little more is heard of Phocis. During the 3rd century BCE it passed into the power of Macedonia and of the Aetolian League, to which in 196 it was definitely annexed. Under the dominion of the Roman republic its national league was dissolved, but was revived by Augustus, who also restored to Phocis the votes in the Delphic Amphictyony which it had lost in 346 and enrolled it in the new Achaean synod. The Phocian League is last heard of under Trajan.