Tetrapolis (Kefalonia)

The Tetrapolis ("four cities") was an alliance of cities in antiquity on Kefalonia . It consisted of the cities of Pale , Krane , Same and Pronnoi . While the first two were abandoned in the 16th century in favor of the new towns of Lixouri and Argostoli , the other two still exist today.

history

The city alliance divided the island of Kefalonia into four roughly equal republican city-states. Thucydides and Pausanias mention them in their works. In Herodotus' account of the Persian Wars, only Pale is mentioned, which is also the only city-state in the Tetrapolis that did not belong to the Attic League . During the Roman Wars, the cities were hostile to each other and were eventually taken over by Marcus Fulvius. The nominal freedom of the Tetrapolis was preserved and it became a popular refuge for Roman exiles. Later, the Tetrapolis was subordinated to the province of Epirus until it finally gave to Hadrian Athens.

The importance of the Tetrapolis dwindled, especially as more places on the island of Kefalonia emerged.