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Lamia (city)

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Lamia (Greek: Λαμία) is a city in central Greece. It is a site of archaeological excavation (a castle dating from the pre-classical years, reconstructed in the early Middle Ages), and capital of the prefecture of Phthiotis and periphery of Central Greece (comprising 5 prefectures).

Name

One account says that the city was named after the mythological figure of Lamia, the daughter of Poseidon, and queen of the Trachineans. Another holds that it is named after the Malians, the inhabitants of the surrounding area. In the Middle Ages (AD 869) Lamia was called Zetounion, being the seat of a bishop. Conquered by the Latins after 1204, the city was known as Zirtounion, Zitonion, Girton (during the Frankish rule), (under the Catalan rule) El Cito, and the Turks Iztin; during the Byzantine era the city was known as Zitouni (Ζητουνι). The name Zitounion is first encountered in the 8th Ecumenical synod in 869, and a wide variety of possibilities have been suggested as to its origin. One of a number of theories propose it may have come from the Arabic term Zeitun (=olive), or another possibility of a slavic word sitonion (=land over the river).

History

Although inhabited since the 5th millennium BC, the city was first mentioned after the earthquake of 424 BC, when it was an important Spartan military base. It was occupied by Alexander king of Macedonia; the Athenians rebelled at his death. His successor Antipatros after losing the fight against the Athenians and their allies, took refuge behind the substantial walls of the city (Lamian war 323 BC–322 BC). The war ended at the death of the general of the Athenian troops, Leosthenes, and the arrival of a 20,000-strong Macedonian army. Lamia afterwards prospered in the third century BC under Aetolian hegemony, which came to an end when Manius Acilius Glabrio sacked the city in 190 BC. Lamia became part of the modern Greek state in 1829 becoming a border city (the borders where drawn until the place "Taratsa" by Lamia).

Historical population

Year Population Change
1981 41,846 -
1991 55,445 +13,599/+32.50%
2001 58,601 +3,156/+5.69%

Famous people

Sister city

Sporting teams

See also

References



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Last updated on Tuesday February 26, 2008 at 12:06:49 PST (GMT -0800)
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