Ainianas

Location of Ainiania
(left, south of Thessaly)

The Ainianen ( Greek Αἰνιᾶνες Ainianes or Αἰνιῆνες Ainienes , ionic Ἐνιῆνες Enienes ) were a Hellenic tribe in ancient Greece , closely related to the Myrmidon and Phthiotis Achaeans .

geography

The Ainianen originally settled in Thessaly , on the Titaresios river and in the Dotion plain . Driven by peoples invading from the north, part of the tribe moved west to Epirus and later to Kirrha . However, the majority of the Ainianas turned south and founded a state in the Spercheiostal region between Dolopia , Phthiotis , Malis and Oitaien . Ainiania's capital was Hypata .

politics

As a small state, they joined changing alliances, including the Amphictyonic and Corinthian covenants . The Ainianen took part in the holy war against the Phocians as well as in the Lamic war . They also fought several times against the Lacedaemonians , for example in the Battle of Koroneia .

Ainiania's later membership in the Aetolian League may not have been entirely voluntary. Contrary to Strabon's report, however, the Ainians were not wiped out by the Aitolians and Athamans , as the state was still called a separate Koinon until the beginning of the first century BC after the collapse of the Aitolian covenant on coins and inscriptions .

mythology

According to tradition, it was the Lapiths who drove the Ainianas from Thessaly. In the stories about the Trojan War , Guneus is mentioned as the leader of the Ainianas and suitors of Helen .

literature

Gustav Hirschfeld : Ainianes . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume I, 1, Stuttgart 1893, Col. 1027 f.

Individual evidence

^ Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher : Lapiths . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 2.2, Leipzig 1897, column 1851 ( digitized version ).
^ Heinrich Wilhelm Stoll : Guneus 1 . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1,2, Leipzig 1890, Sp. 1777 ( digitized version ).

[1] Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher : Lapiths . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 2.2, Leipzig 1897, column 1851 ( digitized version ).

[2] Heinrich Wilhelm Stoll : Guneus 1 . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1,2, Leipzig 1890, Sp. 1777 ( digitized version ).