Antheia or Anthea () was a town in

ancient Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (; , ''Akhaḯa'', ) is the northernmost region of the Peloponnese, occupying the coastal strip north of Arcadia. Its approximate boundaries are: to the south, Mount Erymanthus; to the south-east, Mount Cyllene; to the eas ...

, which was said to have been depopulated by the mythical

Patreus Patreus (Ancient Greek: Πατρεύς; Modern Greek: Πατρέας, ''Patreas'') was the mythical founder of the city of Patras, Greece. Family Patreus was the son of Preugenes and ninth descendant of Lacedaemon, the founder of Sparta. My ...

to populate

Patrae Patras (; ; Katharevousa and ; ) is Greece's third-largest city and the regional capital and largest city of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaikon, overlooking the Gulf ...

. During the war between the Achaeans and the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

, Patrae suffered so severely, that the greater part of the inhabitants abandoned the city and took up abodes in the surrounding villages, including Antheia. Here, Demeter Poteriophoros was worshiped. According to

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, Antheia was founded by

Eumelos Eumelus ( ''Eúmēlos'' means "rich in sheep") was the name of: Mythology *Eumelus ( Gadeirus), the younger twin brother of Atlas in Plato's myth of Atlantis, and the son of Poseidon and Cleito, daughter of the autochthon Evenor and Leucippe. ...

, the native king of Aegialis, and King of Arous.

References

Populated places in ancient Achaea Former populated places in Greece Places in Greek mythology Lost ancient cities and towns {{ancientAchaea-geo-stub