Leontio ( el, Λεόντιο, Leóntio, before 1923: el, Γουρζούμισα, Gourzoúmisa, label=none) is a mountain village and a former

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality ...

Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaïa'' ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. T ...

West Greece Western Greece Region ( el, Περιφέρεια Δυτικής Ελλάδας, translit=Periféria Dhitikís Elládhas, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It comprises the western part of continental Greece and the north ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Erymanthos, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 71.586 km². It is situated in the southern foothills of the

Panachaiko The Panachaiko ( el, Παναχαϊκό, "Panachaean"), also known as Vodias (Βοδιάς) mainly at the Middle Ages, is a mountain range in Achaea, Peloponnese, Greece. It spans about 20 km in length from north to south, and 15–20 k ...

, 13 km east of

Chalandritsa Chalandritsa ( el, Χαλανδρίτσα) is a town and a community in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Erymanthos, of which it is the seat of administration. Chalandritsa is si ...

, 22 km southeast of Patras, 20 km southwest of

Aigio Aigio, also written as ''Aeghion, Aegion, Aegio, Egio'' ( el, Αίγιο, Aígio, ; la, Aegium), is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, on the Peloponnese. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipali ...

and 19 km northwest of

Kalavryta Kalavryta ( el, Καλάβρυτα) is a town and a municipality in the mountainous east-central part of the regional unit of Achaea, Greece. The town is located on the right bank of the river Vouraikos, south of Aigio, southeast of Patras an ...

. Its population in 2011 was 246 for the village, 284 for the community and 380 for the municipal unit. The village was renamed for the ancient town of

Leontium Leontion ( la, Leontium, el, Λεόντιον; fl. 300 BC) was a Greek Epicurean philosopher. Biography Leontion was a pupil of Epicurus and his philosophy. She was the companion of Metrodorus of Lampsacus. The information we have about her ...

, the remains of which lie nearby.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit Leontio is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets): * Ano Mazaraki * Demesticha *Leontio (Leontio, Vetaiika, Golemi, Thomaiika, Katsaitaiika, Kounavaiika, Ovryokambos)

Population

History

Evidence suggests that the Achaeans settled Leontio after the Trojan Wars, at this time it was a Polis. This is supported by archeological excavations in the area by the archaeologist N. Kiparisis during the period 1931–32. Mycenean tombs from the 14th-12th century BC were found. The different artifacts excavated in a number of ancient cemeteries confirmed the Polis flourished at about 1,000 BC. Though older findings date it back to 3,000-2,000 BC. The acropolis dates back to around the 3rd century BC. It was located on the ancient border of Achaea and

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

near Vlasia where excavations uncovered a Mycenean tomb and an ancient theater from the 4th century BC. The temple of

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. ...

was located along the ancient road which led to Arcadia. Its length was 35 m and its width was 11 m. The city was destroyed at the end of the 3rd century BC by

Philip V Macedon Philip V ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 238–179 BC) was king ( Basileus) of Macedonia from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of the Roman Republic. He would lead Macedon aga ...

. Leontio controlled several places including

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greece, Greek list of islands of Greece, island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is ...

and Leontopoda.

Stefanos Thomopoulos Stefanos Thomopoulos ( el, Στέφανος Θωμόπουλος, 11 April 1859 – 31 July 1939) was a Greek writer and historian, who wrote especially on the history of Patras and its surrounding region. He was the son of the notary Nikol ...

, ''History Of The Cities In Patras From The Ancient Period Until 1821, Volume I'', Achaikes Editions, Patras 1998 The area followed the fate of the rest of Achaea.

References

External links

Leontio (community) on GTP Travel PagesLeontio (village) on GTP Travel Pages
{{Leontio Ancient Achaea Cities in ancient Peloponnese Populated places in Achaea