Acharnae

For the modern suburb of Athens see Acharnes.

Acharnae was the largest deme of ancient Attica; it was located in the northwest part of the Attic plain, south of Mt. Parnes in the general vicinity of the modern suburbs of Acharnes and Ano Liosia, about 10 km due north of Athens. The Acharnians chiefly grew cereals, grapes, and olives, although Aristophanes in his comedy The Acharnians caricatures them as charcoal-burners. Pindar characterizes them as notably brave.

A tholos tomb at Menidi suggests Acharnae was once an independent entity; a temple to Ares was later moved to the Athenian Agora.

References

• Richard Stillwell, ed. Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, 1976: "Acharnai (Menidi), Attica, Greece"

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