Boeotia, also spelled
Beotia and
Bœotia (pronounced
/bi?'o??i?/,
Greek ????t?a), formerly Cadmeis, was a region of
ancient Greece, north of the eastern part of the
Gulf of Corinth. It was bounded on the south by
Megaris and the
Kithairon mountain range that forms a natural barrier with
Attica, on the north by
Opuntian Locris and the
Euripus Strait at the
Gulf of Euboea, and on the west by
Phocis.
Lake Copais was a large lake in the center of Boeotia.
In Greek mythology, Boeotia plays a prominent part. Of the two great centres of legends, Thebes, with its Cadmean population, figures as a military stronghold, and Orchomenus, the home of the Minyae, as an enterprising commercial city.
Graia (G?a?a), which means ancient or old, was said to be the oldest city of Greece. The word G?a???? (Graekos, Greek) is connected to 'Graia' by some authors.[1] Aristotle said that this city was created before the deluge. The same assertion about the origins of Graia city was found also in an ancient marble, the Parian Chronicle, discovered in 1687 and dated in 267-263 BC, that is currently kept in Oxford and on Paros. Reports about this ancient city can be found also in Homer, in Pausanias, in Thucydides, etc.
The origin of Boeotians lies in the mountain Boeon[2] (Epirus-West Macedonia), where Graecus is connected with Epirus by Aristotle. They were also related to Thessalians as their aeolic dialect indicates.
