Aetolia

Aetolia is a historical and geographic region of Greece, located in the western-central part of the country. In antiquity it occupied the inland western core of Greece, bordered by Epirus to the north and Acarnania to the west, with the Achelous River and nearby gulfs shaping its landscape. The region is the homeland of the Aetolian people and was the center of the Aetolian League, a federal association of city-states that played a significant role in Hellenistic and Roman-era politics.

In ancient times, Aetolia included several notable towns and sanctuaries. The cities of Thermon and Calydon were among its important urban centers, and the Thermon oracle and Calydonian myths are linked to the area. The Aetolian League emerged in the 4th century BCE as a coalition of poleis, opposing Sparta at times and engaging with Macedon and later Rome as power dynamics shifted across Greece.

In modern Greece, Aetolia forms part of the regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania within the Western Greece region. Its contemporary towns include Agrinio and Missolonghi, the latter known for its prominent role in the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s. The region today remains largely rural, with agriculture and small-scale industry shaping the local economy, set against a landscape of hills, rivers, and historic sites.

Etymology and legacy: The name Aetolia derives from the Greek Aitolia, reflecting its ancient inhabitants and political culture. The term remains in use to denote inland western Greece and the historical traditions associated with the Aetolian League.