Malians

The Malians ( Greek Μαλιεῖς ) were an ancient Greek tribe that lived in the mouth of the Spercheios in central Greece .

topography

The settlement area of the Malians extended over the Kallidromos Mountains, bordered on the Thermopylae in the east and was bordered in the north by the Malian Gulf ( Maliakos Kolpos ) named after them . In the western Spercheiostal their area bordered that of the Ainianen , the Thermopylae connected them with Lokrien . The main town of the Malians was Trachis near the Trachinic rocks .

history

426 BC During the war against the Oitaians , the Malians turned to Sparta for help . The Spartans then founded Herakleia Trachis near Trachis . In the following decades the Malians were completely dependent on Sparta until they rose up against the Spartans in the Corinthian War . In this war they lost the area south of the Spercheios, Herakleia Trachis fell to the Oitaians, and the new capital of the Malians became Lamia further to the northwest, the name of which was probably derived from Malis .

Together with the Oitaiern and Ainianen the Malians were members of the Corinthian League and v from about 235th They belonged to the Aitolian League . 189 BC They were connected to Achaia Phthiotis and were considered to be Thessalians ever since .

cult

In the city of Anthele on the territory of the Malians there was an important Demeter sanctuary , the earliest center of the Pylaic-Delphic amphictyony , to which the Malians also belonged.

literature

Ernst Meyer : Malians. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 3, Stuttgart 1969, column 932 f.