Mythologies of the Boeotian Tribes

Boeotia (/biˈoʊʃ(i)ə/ bee-OH-sh(ee-)ə), sometimes Latinised as Boiotia or Beotia (Greek: Βοιωτία; modern: Viotía; ancient: Boiōtía), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, and its largest city is Thebes. Boeotia was also a region of ancient Greece, from before the 6th century BC. Boeotia lies to the north of the eastern part of the Gulf of Corinth. It also has a short coastline on the Gulf of Euboea. It bordered on Megaris (now West Attica) in the south, Attica in the southeast, Euboea in the northeast, Opuntian Locris (now part of Phthiotis) in the north and Phocis in the west. The main mountain ranges of Boeotia are Mount Parnassus in the west, Mount Helicon in the southwest, Cithaeron in the south and Parnitha in the east. Its longest river, the Cephissus, flows in the central part, where most of the low-lying areas of Boeotia are found. Lake Copais was a large lake in the centre of Boeotia. It was drained in the 19th century. Lake Yliki is a large lake near Thebes. The origin of the name "Boeotians" may lie in the mountain Boeon in Epirus. The earliest inhabitants of Boeotia, associated with the city of Orchomenus, were called Minyans. Pausanias mentions that Minyans established the maritime Ionian city of Teos,^[4] and occupied the islands of Lemnos and Thera. The Argonauts were sometimes referred to as Minyans. Also, according to legend the citizens of Thebes paid an annual tribute to their king Erginus.^[5] The Minyans may have been proto-Greek speakers. Although most scholars today agree that the Myceneans descended from the Minyans of the Middle Helladic period, they believe that the progenitors and founders of Minyan culture were an indigenous people.^[6] The early wealth and power of Boeotia is shown by the reputation and visible Mycenean remains of several of its cities, especially Orchomenus and Thebes. Some toponyms and the common Aeolic dialect indicate that the Boeotians were related to the Thessalians. Traditionally, the Boeotians are said to have originally occupied Thessaly, the largest fertile plain in Greece, and to have been dispossessed by the north-western Thessalians two generations after the Fall of Troy (1200 BC). They moved south and settled in another rich plain, while others filtered across the Aegean and settled on Lesbos and in Aeolis in Asia Minor. Others are said to have stayed in Thessaly, withdrawing into the hill country and becoming the perioikoi ("dwellers around"). Boeotia was an early member of the oldest Amphictyonic League (Anthelian), a religious confederacy of related tribes, despite its distance from the League's original home in Anthela.Although they included great men such as Pindar, Hesiod, Epaminondas, Pelopidas, and Plutarch, the Boeotian people were portrayed as proverbially dull by the Athenians (cf. Boeotian ears incapable of appreciating music or poetry and Hog-Boeotians, Cratinus.

The government of Boeotia remained under the monarchical form till the death of Xanthus, who fell in single combat with Melanthus the Messenian, when it was determined to adopt a republican constitution. This, though imperfectly known to us, appears to have been a compound of aristocratic and democratic principles, the former being apparent in the appointment of thirteen annual magistrates named Boeotarchs (see Boeotarches), who presided over the military as well as civil departments; the latter in the establishment of four councils, which were possessed, in fact, of the sovereign authority, since all measures of importance were to be submitted to their deliberation. The general assembly of the Boeotian Republic was held in the temple of the Itonian Athené. From the extent and population of their territory the Boeotians might have played the first part in Greece, if they had not been prevented by the bad government of the cities, by the jealousy of Thebes, and the consequent want of union. And yet the example of Epaminondas (q.v.) and Pelopidas (q.v.) afterwards showed that the genius of two men could outweigh all these defects. The Boeotians were regarded by their neighbours, the Athenians, as naturally a stupid race. Much of this, however, was wilful exaggeration, and must be ascribed to the national enmity which seems to have existed from the earliest times between these two nations. Moreover, this country produced, in fact, many illustrious men, such as Hesiod, Pindar, Plutarch, Epaminondas, and Pelopidas. In Boeotia, too, Mount Helicon was sacred to the Muses, to whom also many of the fountains and rivers of the country were consecrated. In Boeotia are several celebrated ancient battle-fields, the former glory of which has been increased by later events; namely, Plataeae (now the village Kokla), where Pausanias and Aristides established the liberty of Greece by their victory over Mardonius; Leuctra, where Epaminondas triumphed over the Spartans; Coronea, where the Spartan Agesilaüs defeated the Thebans; and Chaeronea, where Philip founded Macedonian supremacy on the ruins of Grecian freedom. Near Tanagra, the birthplace of Corinna, the best wine was produced; here also cocks were bred, of remarkable size, beauty, and courage, with which the Grecian cities, passionately fond of cock-fighting, were supplied. The best-known towns of Boeotia were Orchomenus, Tegyra, Haliartus, Coronea, and Chaeronea, near Lake Copais; Larymna, Phocae, Aulis, Delium, and Oropus, near the Euripus; Thisbé, Ascra, Thespiae, and Leuctra, near the Gulf of Corinth; Thebae, in the plain between Lake Hylica and Mount Teumessus; Potniae and Therapnae, south of Thebes; and Plataeae, Erethrae, Eleum, Tanagra, and Pherae, in the valley of the Asopus.

Boeotia (in ancient Greek, Βοιωτία, Boiotia) is a region of Western Greece that corresponds to a historical region of Ancient Greece. It stretches along the northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth, to the east of the historical regions of Aetolia and to the west of Attica. Today it forms the western part of the Boeotia peripheral unit. The capital and main city in ancient times was Thebes. The Latin demonym was aonius. Ancient Boeotia was bordered to the north by Locris, to the northeast by the Euboean channel, to the west by Phocis, to the south by the Gulf of Corinth, the Megaride, and Attica. The southeastern part of Boeotia was mountainous, and the other areas were rather flat. In the center of the flat area was Lake Copaide, dried up in the early 1900s, whose floods were very favorable for agricultural productivity, although they made the area a swampy territory affected by malaria. Unlike other regions of ancient Greece, Boeotia's economy was almost exclusively agricultural. The main mountains that surround Boeotia are the Parnaso, Helicón and Citerón mounts; and, among the rivers, the Cefiso River stands out, which fed Lake Copaide. The main cities were Thebes, Orchomenus, Haliarto, Thespias, Acrefias, Coronea, Plataea, Eutresis and Tanagra. Although Boeotia was home to eminent people (for example, Hesiod, Pindar, Corina, Epaminondas or Plutarch), for the Athenians "boeotia" was synonymous with small and stupid person. The contempt was based on the economic structure of the two societies: Boeotia was an agricultural region, and rural dwellers were often scorned by merchants and burghers. The language spoken in Boeotia was a particular Aeolian dialect, and Corina's poetry was written in Aeolian; Pindar adopted, however, the Doric dialect.

Boeotia, district of ancient Greece with a distinctive military, artistic, and political history. It corresponds somewhat to the modern perifereiakí enótita (regional unit) of Boeotia, Central Greece (Modern Greek: Stereá Elláda) periféreia (region), northern Greece. The regional unit extends farther to the northwest, however, to include part of ancient Phocis (Fokída). It is bounded by Attica (Attikí; southeast), the Gulf of Corinth (Korinthiakós; south), Phocis (west), the Gulf of Euboea (Évvoia; east), and the regional unit of Fthiótis (north). Boeotia has two extensive fertile plains separated by a low ridge, an offshoot of Mount Helicon (Elikónas) (5,735 feet [1,748 metres]) on which Thebes (Thíva) stands. The northern plain is a drained basin that formerly contained Lake Kopaīs, once the largest lake in Greece, and now a fertile plain growing cereals and cotton and supporting pedigreed cattle. The southern plain is watered by the Asopós River. In Classical times the much-reorganized Boeotian defensive league figured prominently in the rivalry between Athens and Sparta. The league led an uprising against Sparta during the Corinthian War (395–387 bce) and in the Battle of Chaeronea (338) was thoroughly decimated in the struggle to preserve Greek independence from Macedonia. When Boeotia rose again (335) against Alexander the Great, it was destroyed and thereafter was of little consequence. In spite of a harsh climate (the hills effectively block sea breezes), modern Boeotia’s fertile plains produce wheat, corn (maize), tobacco, olives, and grapes. Bauxite is mined and converted to alumina and aluminum at a large plant at Áspra Spítia, on the Gulf of Corinth. A highway and rail line enters Boeotia’s northwest–southeast-trending valley east of Delphi (Delfoí), running southeast past Thebes; the highway then swings northward to Chalkída (also called Chalcis), while the rail line passes around the hills to Attica, paralleled by the new superhighway from Athens (Athína). Area regional unit, 1,240 square miles (3,211 square km). Pop. (2001) regional unit, 123,913; (2011) regional unit, 117,920.