Boeotia

Boeotia, district of ancient Greece with a distinctive military, artistic, and political history. It corresponds somewhat to the modern perifereiakí enótita (regional unit) of Boeotia, Central Greece (Modern Greek: Stereá Elláda) periféreia (region), northern Greece. The regional unit extends farther to the northwest, however, to include part of ancient Phocis (Fokída). It is bounded by Attica (Attikí; southeast), the Gulf of Corinth (Korinthiakós; south), Phocis (west), the Gulf of Euboea (Évvoia; east), and the regional unit of Fthiótis (north).

Boeotia has two extensive fertile plains separated by a low ridge, an offshoot of Mount Helicon (Elikónas) (5,735 feet [1,748 metres]) on which Thebes (Thíva) stands. The northern plain is a drained basin that formerly contained Lake Kopaīs, once the largest lake in Greece, and now a fertile plain growing cereals and cotton and supporting pedigreed cattle. The southern plain is watered by the Asopós River.

In Classical times the much-reorganized Boeotian defensive league figured prominently in the rivalry between Athens and Sparta. The league led an uprising against Sparta during the Corinthian War (395–387 bce) and in the Battle of Chaeronea (338) was thoroughly decimated in the struggle to preserve Greek independence from Macedonia. When Boeotia rose again (335) against Alexander the Great, it was destroyed and thereafter was of little consequence.

In spite of a harsh climate (the hills effectively block sea breezes), modern Boeotia’s fertile plains produce wheat, corn (maize), tobacco, olives, and grapes. Bauxite is mined and converted to alumina and aluminum at a large plant at Áspra Spítia, on the Gulf of Corinth. A highway and rail line enters Boeotia’s northwest–southeast-trending valley east of Delphi (Delfoí), running southeast past Thebes; the highway then swings northward to Chalkída (also called Chalcis), while the rail line passes around the hills to Attica, paralleled by the new superhighway from Athens (Athína). Area regional unit, 1,240 square miles (3,211 square km). Pop. (2001) regional unit, 123,913; (2011) regional unit, 117,920.