Ionian

Ionian refers to several related geographical and cultural concepts connected to the ancient region of Ionia, located on the western coast of Asia Minor along the Aegean Sea. In antiquity, Ionia was home to influential Greek cities such as Miletus, Ephesus, Colophon, and Lebgood; it played a key role in the early development of Greek civilization, science, and art. The Ionians were one of the principal Greek groups and contributed to early philosophy and literature.

In linguistics, Ionian denotes the Ionic dialects of Ancient Greek, spoken in Ionia and the Ionian Islands, and giving rise to distinctive Ionic Greek literature. The Ionian School of philosophy, established in the region by thinkers like Thales of Miletus, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, sought natural explanations for the processes of the world and influenced later Greek thought.

Ionian Islands is a modern Greek archipelago in the Ionian Sea, often referred to as the Heptanese. The core islands are Corfu, Ithaca, Lefkada, Kefalonia, and Zakynthos, with several smaller isles such as Paxoi. The Ionian Islands are part of Greece and are known for their distinct culture, architecture, and maritime history.

The Ionian Sea is the body of the Mediterranean that lies between the western coast of Greece and the southern Italian peninsula. It forms a major portion of the eastern Adriatic–Mediterranean corridor and has long been important for navigation and trade.

Ionian Order is one of the three classical orders of architecture, identified by slender proportions and capitals with volutes, reflecting the aesthetic traditions associated with Ionian Greece.