Dictionary:
A·chae·a (ə-kē'ə)  also A·cha·ia
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| Bible Guide: Achaia |
Region of Greece on the north coast of the Peloponnesus. Originally, the name referred to a small zone stretching across the Gulf of Corinth. Conquered by Rome in 146 B.C., it was administered as part of the Roman province of Macedonia. In 27 B.C. it became a separate province and the name "Achaia" was applied to all of the Peloponnesus and part of continental Greece. The province of Achaia came under senatorial administration and was ruled by a proconsul from its capital Corinth. Other towns in the province were Athens and Cenchrae. For some time Achaia and Macedonia were placed under imperial control and governed from the province of Moesia. In A.D. 44 Claudius restored it to the rank of a senatorial province. Achaia and macedonia are often mentioned together in the NT when referring to all of Greece.
Gallio was the proconsul at the time of Paul's stay in Achaia. Paul was brought before him by the Jews of Corinth to be judged because he preached "to worship God contrary to the law" (Acts 18:12-16). In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul mentions the generosity of the Christians of the province who had helped their needy brothers in Jerusalem (Rom 15:26). The apostle spent much time there and expressed his love for the churches of Achaia (II Cor 11:10-11). Paul mentions Epaenetus and Stephanas whom he had baptized and who were "the firstfruits of Achaia" (Rom 16:5; I Cor 16:15).
Concordance
Acts 18:12, 27; 19:21. Rom 15:26; 16:5. I Cor 16:15. II Cor 1:1; 9:2; 11:10. I Thes 1:7-8
| Classical Literature Companion: Achaea |
Achaea, Achaeans (Achaioi). In historical times these denoted two regions and peoples, one in south-east Thessaly (Phthiotan Achaea), the other a narrow strip in the north of the Peloponnese between Elis and Sicyon, a territory comprising twelve small towns forming a loose confederacy. In Homer the names are used both in a restricted and in a general sense. They may denote the region and people in south Thessaly where Achilles lived, and also the people in the north-east Peloponnese (Argolis), the followers of Agamemnon who ruled Mycenae and the surrounding area. But they may also denote, by extension, Greece and the Greeks in general. Modern scholars sometimes use the name ‘Achaeans’ to refer to the Greeks of the Mycenaean period. Peloponnesian Achaea plays little part in Greek history until the third and second centuries BC when the Achaean Confederacy became the chief power in Greece. From 146 BC this area was attached to the Roman province of Macedonia, but in 27 BC the name Achaea was given to the senatorial province which included a large part of Greece.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Achaea |
| Wikipedia: Achaea |
| Achaea Prefecture Νομός Αχαΐας |
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| Country: |  Greece |
| Capital: | Patras |
| Periphery: | West Greece |
| Population: | 331,316 (2005)Ranked 5th |
| Area: | 3,271.507 km² (1,263 sq.mi.) Ranked 14th |
| Density: | 101 /km² (262 /sq.mi.) |
| Number of municipalities: | 21 |
| Number of communities: | 2 |
| Postal codes: | 25x xx - 26x xx |
| Area codes: | 2610, 269x0 |
| Licence plate code: | ΑΖ |
| ISO 3166-2 code: | GR-13 |
| Website: | http://www.achaia.gr/ |
Achaea (Greek: Αχαΐα Achaïa, IPA: [axaˈia]; Ἀχαΐα in polytonic orthography) is an ancient province and a present prefecture of Greece, on the northern coast of the Peloponnese, stretching from the mountain ranges of Erymanthus and Cyllene on the south to a narrow strip of fertile land on the north, bordering the Gulf of Corinth, into which the mountain Panachaicus (1,902 m, the northernmost mountain range in the Peloponnese) projects.
Achaea is bounded on the west by the territory of Elis, on the east by that of Sicyon, which, however, was sometimes included in it. The population in 2001 had reached over 300,000.
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Its geography features the Omblos and Marathia mountains to the east, Erymanthos to the centre, Chelmos or Aroania in the southeast, Skollis in the southwest, Movri and Mavros Oros to the west. Rivers ordered from west to east include the Larissos, Tytheos, Parapeiros and Charadros to the northwest and Selinountas, Vouraikos and several others to the east. Most of the forests are in the mountain ranges, though several are in the plains including the extreme west. There are grasslands around the mid-elevation areas and barren lands in the highest areas.
Achaea has hot summers and mild winters. Sunny days dominate during the summer months in areas near the coast, while the summer can be cloudy and rainy in the mountains. Snow is very common during the winter in the mountains of Erymanthus, Panachaicus and Aroania. Winter high temperatures are around the 10°C mark throughout the low lying areas.
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.
| Municipality | YPES code | Seat (if different) | First existence | Refounded |
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| Aigeira | 0701 | Aigeira | - | - |
| Aigio | 0702 | Aigio | - | - |
| Akrata | 0703 | Akrata | - | 1997 |
| Aroania | 0704 | Psofida | - | - |
| Diakopto | 0706 | Diakopto | - | 1997 |
| Dymi | 0707 | Kato Achaïa | - | 1997 |
| Erineos | 0708 | Kamares | - | 1994 |
| Farres | 0722 | Chalandritsa | - | 1997 |
| Kalavryta | 0709 | Kalavryta | - | 1997 |
| Larissos | 0711 | Metóchi | - | 1997 |
| Lefkasio | 0713 | Kleitoria | - | 1997 |
| Messatida | 0714 | Ovrya | - | 1997 |
| Movri | 0715 | Sageika | - | 1997 |
| Olenia | 0723 | Lousika | - | 1997 |
| Paion | 0716 | Dafni | - | 1997 |
| Paralia | 0717 | Paralia | - | - |
| Patras | 0718 | Patras | 1830 | not refounded |
| Rio | 0719 | Rio | - | - |
| Sympoliteia | 0720 | Rododafni | - | - |
| Tritaia | 0721 | Stavrodromi | 1830s-1910s | 1997 |
| Vrachnaiika | 0705 | Vrachnaiika | - | - |
| Community | YPES code | Seat (if different) | ||
| Kalentzi | 0710 | Ágios Geórgios | - | - |
| Leontio | 0712 | Leontio | - | - |
Here are the cities ranked by the largest, as of 2003.
The origin of the name has given rise to much speculation; Achaean is a common term for the Greek troops in Homer. Possibly corresponding are the Ahhiyawa of 13th century BC Hittite texts. The Achaeans proper in the Catalogue of Ships are from Argos and Tiryns. However, one theory is that the Achaeans were driven to this region by the Dorian invaders of the Peloponnese. Another Achaea, in the south of Thessaly, called sometimes Achaea Phthiotis, has been suggested to be the cradle of the original tribe.
In Ancient Roman times the name of the province of Achaea was given to the whole of Greece, except Thessaly, most of Epirus, and Acarnania. It is in this latter enlarged meaning that the name is always used in the New Testament (e.g., Acts 18:12, 27; 19:21; Romans 15: 26; 16:5). It was conquered and incorporated into the Roman Empire in the year 146 BC. Emperor Augustus established Achaea as a senatorial province; generally speaking, the region benefited from the enlightened attitude of Roman emperors such as Augustus. This was because Achaea was geographically closer to Rome than other provinces, and so it was given political advantages and greater status in order for the Roman court to maintain a political equilibrium within the empire.[1]
The rule of Achaea in Roman times was placed under the Senate while a preconsul of Praetorian rank was appointed as its governor with the administrative seat in Corinth.[1] However, Rome exercised fairly light control over Achaea: no Roman garrisons were posted there, native religious and social groups were widely tolerated by the Romans, and a general sense of free determination amongst the Greeks was commonplace.
After the reign of Augustus the province of Achaea was combined with Macedonia from the years 15 until 44, coinciding with the frontier troubles. This combined imperial province was overseen by a governor placed at Moesia along the Danube River.
In the year 67, Emperor Nero declared Greece to be politically free from the Roman Empire, and the Greeks began their own autonomous rule. However, Roman authority over Greece was reestablished soon after with Emperor Vespasian, who placed the province once again in the hands of the Roman Senate.
Roman control over Achaea was firm until the reign of Diocletian in the late 3rd century, yet it remained a Roman province and later a Byzantine one.
In the 13th century the Principality of Achaea was founded in Greece after the Fourth Crusade.
The Principality of Achaea fell to the Ottoman Empire in the mid-15th century. The area was later invaded by the Venetians in the late-16th and the 17th centuries and later invaded by the Ottomans again.
In 1821, it became part of Greece. During the Greek War of Independence, Aigio was the first city to be liberated by the Greeks and several villages days after as well as the city of Patras. Achaea or Achaia later produced several heroes including Kanaris, Zaimis and Roufos and prime ministers of Greece including Andreas Michalakopoulos as well as some head of states.
In the first years of the country, the prefecture amalgamated to form the prefecture of Achaea-Elis of Achaea and Elis until 1899 and covered an area of around 6,000 km², the older enlarged again in 1909 and did not finally split again until 1936. The area of Mataragka remained historically Ilia until the 1990s along with the area of Vouprasi.
Georgios Mavrommatis (ran in 1828) was the first prefectural head in modern Achaea and Georgios Glarakis was the first leader that ran in the 1830s.
Achaea saw an influx of refugees that arrived from Asia Minor during the Greco Turkish War of 1919-1922. Tens of thousands were relocated to their camps in the suburbs of Patras and a few villages mainly within the coastline. One of the camps was named Prosfygika
After World War II and the Greek Civil War, many of its buildings were rebuilt and this work took several years.
In the 20th century, the area which excluded Metochi reverted from Ilia as the municipality of Kalotychia became Vouprasias. That part had been a part of Ilia, then Elis during the ancient times. Another reorganization reverted Mataranga and Spata into the prefecture of Achaia and the municipality of Larissos.
A mid-1994 late-night (around 3 AM local time) earthquake rumbled the area with a magnitude around 5 on the Richter scale. This was a minor one. It was after another earthquake. A forest fire consumed the northern part of the Panachaicus in the mid-1990s. Many municipalities were recreated between 1994, several more and 1997 and several others in 1998 which revived Tritaia, Movri, Erymanthos, Kalavryta and many more. Every administrative community became municipal and communal districts.
Achaea today has about one-third of its peninsula's inhabitants and two-thirds of Achaia living in the Patra area which is the capital of Achaea and the Peloponnese, and more than half of the population live in the city (municipality). It is also the third largest city in Greece excluding Piraeus. The main industrial area is 20 km south of the city near Fares, and Tsoukoulaiíka and Vrachnaiíka.
Aigion is a seaside city with a city hall and a city square is in its heart. The population is around 30,000.
Kalavrita is a town situated more than 70 km to the east via the road from Achaea's capital. A few kilometres to its west is a monastery situated on the peak of the hill. Its name is Aghía Lávra. 12 to 20 km east, is Cave Lakes where lakes are inside this brilliant cave. It is open to tourists, and the length is around 300 to 500 m. The mountain hosts the most modern Greek telescope, named Aristarchus (after the ancient Greek astronomer - Aristarchus of Samos) and operated by the National Observatory of Athens A narrow gauge railway track runs for 30 km, mainly as a tourist attraction. The track begins near Kalavrita and ends off Diakopton.
Patras is one of the main industrial and commerce centers in Greece.
Temeni is a place where the famous spring water Avra (Άυρα) or Aúra is manufactured. It is owned by Tria Epsilon, a division of Coca-Cola Company and a parent.
There are no oil refineries except for a small refinery near Rio.
There are two main bus terminals in the cities of Patras and Aigio.
The main highways are:
Pavement began in the 1960s, the 1970s and the 1980s
A bypass which bypasses Patras begun construction in 1990, and extended construction to GR-33 in 1992, Savalia in 1993, East Patra or Patras in 1995, and in 1998 into GR-8. Lights were installed in the early 2000s on the beltway, and opened to traffic on late 2003. It starts from near Roitika and ends just south of Rhion.
GR-8 was the first superhighway, along with GR-5 in the prefecture. The beltway is the second, and the bridge will be the third. Its length now has almost 100 km of superhighway. Its length was only 70 to 75 km until 2003.
The Rio-Antirrio bridge, which started construction in 2000 (though plans had been made throughout the 1990s, and was supposed to begin in those years), opened in mid-2004, connecting the mainland and the Peloponnese. This eliminated much of the ferry service which has been used for about half a century for automobiles. Since then, there is only the rare ferry service in the city of Aigio(n), which is the ferry route to Aghios Nikolaos in Phocis.
A future superhighway between Patras and Pyrgos was announced in the winter of 2003 and will be in plan, but no date has been set.
There are two skiing resorts, one on the Panachaicus west of the mountain top (elevation around 1700 m) east of Patras, it will be Nafpaktos's closest because of the new bridge (mid-2004) and the other on Aroania, sometimes still called Chelmos, near Kalavrita. It is Kalavrita's closest resort.
Division rankings were as of the 2005-06 season for most teams, for football (soccer), they are run by the Achaia Football Clubs Association:
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Coordinates: 38°05′12.52″N 21°51′35.42″E / 38.0868111°N 21.8598389°E
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Bible Guide. Illustrated Dictionary & Concordance of the Bible. Copyright © 1986 by G.G. The Jerusalem Publishing House, Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Classical Literature Companion. The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Copyright © 1993, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Achaea". Read more |
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