Leontium or Leontion () was a town and
polis
Polis (: poleis) means 'city' in Ancient Greek. The ancient word ''polis'' had socio-political connotations not possessed by modern usage. For example, Modern Greek πόλη (polē) is located within a (''khôra''), "country", which is a πατ ...
(city-state)
of
ancient Achaea. It was not originally one of the twelve Achaean cities, though it afterwards became so, succeeding to the place of
Rhypes. It is only mentioned by
Polybius
Polybius (; , ; ) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC. It covered the period of 264–146 ...
, and its position is uncertain. It must, however, have been an inland town, and was probably between
Pharae and the territory of
Aegium
Aegium or Aigion (), or Aegeium or Aigeion (Αἴγειον), was a town and polis (city-state) of ancient Achaea, and one of the twelve Achaean cities. It was situated upon the coast west of the Selinountas (river), river Selinus, 30 stadion (unit ...
, since we find that the
Eleians under the
Aetolian general
Euripidas, after marching through the territory of Pharae as far as that of Aegium, retreated to Leontium. During the
Social War, nearby was fought the
Battle of Leontion (217 BCE).
The site of Leontium is located at Kastritsi, Kato Vlasia, in the municipal unit of
Leontio.
References
Populated places in ancient Achaea
Former populated places in Greece
Achaean city-states
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