A region of ancient Macedonia. It included Mount Olympus and Mount Pierus, seat of the worship of Orpheus and the Muses.
Pierian Pi·e'ri·an adj.
Pieria
Dictionary:
Pi·e·ri·a (pī-îr'ē-ə)  |
A region of ancient Macedonia. It included Mount Olympus and Mount Pierus, seat of the worship of Orpheus and the Muses.
Pierian Pi·e'ri·an adj.
| Classical Literature Companion: Pīeria |
Pīeria, in Macedonia, district on the northern slopes of Mount Olympus, whence, according to tradition, a colony migrated south to Mount Helicon in Boeotia in prehistoric times. The cult of the Muses was said to have been brought from Pieria (the birthplace of the Muses and of Orpheus) to Helicon; hence they are sometimes described as Pierian (or Pierides).
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Pieria |
Pieria (pīēr'ēə), region of ancient Macedonia, W of the Thermaic Gulf (the modern Gulf of Thessaloníki). It included Mt. Pierus, an early seat of the worship of Orpheus and the Muses, and Mt. Olympus. The Muses were sometimes called the Pierides, a name given also to nine daughters of the legendary King Pierus of Macedonia. They contested with the Muses in song, were defeated, and were changed into magpies.
| Poetry Glossary: Pierian |
Of or relating to learning or poetry, after the region of Pieria in ancient Macedonia which once worshipped the Muses.
| Word Tutor: Pierian |
IN BRIEF: Adjective- Of or relating to learning or poetry.
Tutor's tip: This word was used in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals.
| Wikipedia: Pieria |
For a province of Roman Syria called Pieria, see Pieria (Syria).
| Pieria Prefecture Νομός Πιερίας |
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| Country: |  Greece |
| Capital: | Katerini |
| Periphery: | Central Macedonia  |
| Population: | 134,739 (2005)Ranked 26th |
| Area: | 1,516 km² (585 sq.mi.) Ranked 42nd |
| Density: | 89 /km² (230 /sq.mi.) |
| Number of municipalities: | 13 |
| Number of communities: | none |
| Postal codes: | 60x xx |
| Area codes: | 235x0 |
| Licence plate code: | ΚΝ |
| Website: | www.pieria.gr |
Pieria[1](Greek: Πιερία) is one of the prefectures of Greece. It is located in the southern part of Macedonia, in the Periphery of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the town of Katerini. Pieria is the smallest prefecture within Macedonia. The name Pieria originates from the ancient tribe and the ancient country of Pieris. In Pieria, there are many sites of archeological interest, such as Dion, Pydna and Platamonas. Pieria is also home to Mt. Pierus, home to Orpheus[2] and the Muses[3], as well as the Pierian Spring. Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and throne of the ancient Greek gods, is located in the southern part of Pieria. Other ancient cities included Leibethra and
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Geography
The Pieria prefecture is bordered by Larissa by Thessaly to the south and west, Kozani to the west and Imathia to the north. Until the late-20th century, it surrounded the village of Elafos in which it was part of the Imatha prefecture.
The Pierian Mountains lie to the west. The Thermian Gulf lies to the east. It also has a valley by the GR-13. Most of the population live within the Olympian Riviera. The lowest point is the Thermian Gulf and the highest point is Mount Olympus.
It combines extensive plains, high mountains and sandy beaches. The region's amazing beauty gives it a great potential for further tourist development.
Climate
Its climate is mainly of Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cool winters. Severe winter weather is common in the central and western parts of Pieria, especially in the Pierian Mountains and on Mount Olympus.
Municipalities
See also: List of settlements in the Pieria prefecture and Slavic toponyms of places in Pieria Prefecture
| Municipality | YPES code | Seat (if different) | Postal code | Area code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiginio | 4201 | 603 00 | 23530-2 | |
| Dio | 4203 | Kondariotissa | 601 00 | 23510-51 |
| East Olympos | 4202 | Leptokarya | 600 63 | 23520-3 |
| Elafina | 4204 | Palaio Keramidi | 601 00 | 23510-92 |
| Katerini | 4205 | 601 00 | 23510-2 through 7 | |
| Kolindros | 4206 | 600 61 | 23530-3 | |
| Korinos | 4207 | 600 62 | 23510-41 | |
| Litochoro | 4208 | 602 00 | 23520-8 | |
| Methoni | 4209 | 600 66 | 23530-4 | |
| Paralia | 4210 | Kallithea | 601 00 | 23510-4 |
| Petra | 4211 | Milia | 601 00 | 23510-8 |
| Pierion | 4212 | Ritini | 601 00 | 23510-82 |
| Pydna | 4213 | 600 64 | 23510-7 |
History
Main article: Macedonia (ancient kingdom)
See also: Pieres
The region (Ancient Greek,"Πιερία") or Pieris(Ancient Greek,"Πιερίς") took its name from the Pieres (Ancient Greek,"Πίερες"), Thracian[4] tribe that was expelled[5]by the Macedonians in the 8th century BC[6] from their original seats, and driven to the North beyond the Strymon river and Mount Pangaeus[7], where they formed a new settlement.
Since the before the archaic period Pieria was incorporated in the Kingdom of Macedon (808 BC,see below) whereas it was the second province of the ancient kingdom.Then Cassander the Antipatrid dynasty (302 BC - 277 BC) the Antigonid dynasty (306 BC - 168 BC), part of the Roman Empire(Macedon was conquered by the Roman Republic in the Fourth Macedonian War,146 BC) and part of the Byzantine Empire.
It was later invaded and became a part of the Ottoman Empire. During the Greek War of Independence in 1821, Pieria took up arms along with the rest of Greece, but their struggle failed and Pieria did not join the rest of Greece until the Balkan Wars in 1913. Until 1947, Pieria was part of the Thessaloniki Prefecture and at that time was the largest Greek prefecture, it was then a province. Pieria saw an economic boom in agriculture and business. During the Greco-Turkish War, it saw an influx of refugees from Asia Minor, now a part of Turkey, and several places were named after their former homelands including Nea Trapezounta from Trezibond (now Trabzon) and Nea Efesos from Ephesus (now Efes). Roads were being paved, Katerini saw electricity. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, Pieria was rebuilt and its population was emigrating. Electricity were introduced to the rest of the prefecture in the 1960s, television in the 1970s and the 1980s and also more pavement of roads.
The GR-1 was under construction in the late-1960s and was opened to traffic in 1972 with two lanes, in the 1980s, it became two-laned in the northern part, in the 1990s, it became two laned as far as the prefectural boundary with Larissa in the early-2000s.
On June 8, 2007, a low pressure weather system from Southern and Central Europe resulted in heavy rainfall that ravaged the prefecture and caused great damage in fruit and vegetable production. The worst hit area was Korinos.
Transport
Persons
According to various sources, Alexis Zorba (1867-1942), the person who inspired the Greek novelist Nikos Kazantzakis to write the famous novel Zorba the Greek, was born in the village of Katafigi, near Kolindros. His original name was Georgios Zorbas.
Sporting teams
- Pierikos - Greek Second Division (North Club)
See also
References
- ^ The name Pieria has been connected to Homeric πῖαρ "fat", πίειραν ἄρουραν "fertile land" in a metaphorical sense. See e.g. J.P. Mallory, D. Q. Adams, The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, 2006, pg. 261
- ^ Orpheus and Greek Religion (Mythos Books) by William Keith Guthrie and L. Alderlink, 1993), ISBN-10: 0691024995, page 62
- ^ E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 2,Πιερίας—between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaic Gulf, the origiual home of the muses and birth-place of Orpheus.
- ^ Orpheus and Greek Religion (Mythos Books) by William Keith Guthrie and L. Alderlink,1993,page 62: "... assigned, Pieria, was originally inhabited by a Thracian tribe, the Pieres, who according to Thucydides (ii. ..."
- ^ Archaic Eretria: A Political and Social History from the Earliest Times to 490 BC by Keith G. Walker,2004,page 154: "... 498-54)12' had incorporated coastal Pieria into Macedonia and expelled the 'Pieres', who af- terwards took up their abode in areas at Mt.Pangaion..."
- ^ An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation,ISBN 0198140991,2005,page 865
- ^ Archaic Eretria: A Political and Social History from the Earliest Times to 490 BC by Keith G. Walker,2004,page 154: "... 498-54)12' had incorporated coastal Pieria into Macedonia and expelled the 'Pieres', who af- terwards took up their abode in areas at Mt.Pangaion..."
External links
 |
Look up pieria in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- http://www.culture.gr/maps/macedon/pieria/pieria.html
- Pieria at the Open Directory Project (English)
- http://www.mpa.gr/specials/olympus/pieria.html
- http://users.pie.sch.gr/amgr1/pieria_photos.htm
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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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| 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 "Pieria". Read more |
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- Muses (in Greek Mythology)
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