Lamia (city)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Lamia (disambiguation).
 Lamia (Λαμία) |
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| Coordinates | 38°54′ N 22°26′ E |
| Country | Greece |
| Periphery | Central Greece |
| Prefecture | Phthiotis |
| Population | 58,601 source (2001) |
| Area | 413.5 km² |
| Population density | 142 /km² |
| Elevation | 50 m |
| Postal code | 351 00 |
| Area code | 22310 |
| Licence plate code | ΜΙ |
| Website | lamia.gr |
Lamia (Greek: Λαμία; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a city in central Greece. It is a site of archaeological excavation (a castle dating from the pre-classical years, reconstructed in the early middle ages). Lamia is the capital of the prefecture of Phthiotis and the periphery of Central Greece (comprising 5 prefectures). It is the provincial capital of Phthiotis.
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[edit] Historical population
| Year | Communal population | Change | Municipal population | Density | Percent of Greece |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 41,846 | - | - | - | - |
| 1991 | 44,084 | -2,238/-53.48% | 55,445 | 134.09/km² | about 0.55% |
| 2001 | - | - | 58,601 | 142/km² | about 0.525% |
[edit] Name
One account says that the city was named after the mythological figure of Lamia, the daughter of Poseidon queen of the Trachineans. Another says that it is named after the Malians, the inhabitants of the surrounding area. In the middle ages (AD 869) Lamia was called Zetounion being the seat of a bishop.
Conquered by the Latins after 1204, the city was known as Zirtounion, Zitonion, Girton (during the Frankish rule), and (under the Catalan rule) El Cito. The Turks called it Iztin.
[edit] History
Although inhabited since the 5th millennium BC, the city was first mentioned after the earthquake of 424 BC, when it was an important Spartan military base. It was occupied by Alexander king of Macedonia; the Athenians rebelled at his death. His successor Antipatros after losing the fight against the Athenians and their allies, took refuge behind the substantial walls of the city (Lamian war 323 BC–322 BC). The war ended at the death of the general of the Athenian troops, Leosthenes, and the arrival of a 20,000-strong Macedonian army. Lamia afterwards prospered in the third century BC under Aetolian hegemony, which came to an end when Manius Acilius Glabrio sacked the city in 190 BC. During the Byzantine era the city was called Zitouni (Ζητουνι). Firstly the name Zitounion is met in the 8th Ecumenical synod in 869. We also meet this name in the varieties: Zitounion, Zirtounion, Zitonion, Gipton and Situn (in the frankish occupation era), Situn, El Sito (during the short Catallan occupation) and Izdin (during the Ottoman occupation) A lot of historians tried to explain the origin of the name. Some theories sustain that it might come from the arabic Zeitun (=olive), other from the slavic word sitonion (=land over the river). Still nothing is certain. Lamia became part of the modern greek state in 1829 becoming a border city (the borders where drawn until the place "Taratsa" by Lamia).
[edit] Persons
[edit] Sporting teams
- Lamia FC
[edit] See also
| Municipalities and communities of the Phthiotis Prefecture |
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| Agios Georgios Tymfristou • Agios Konstantinos • Amfikleia • Atalanti • Dafnousia • Domokos • Echinaioi • Elateia • Gorgopotamos • Kamena Vourla • Lamia • Leianokladi • Makrakomi • Malesina • Molos • Opountia • Pelasgia • Spercheiada • Stylida • Thessaliotida • Tithorea • Xyniada • Ypati |
| Pavliani • Tymfristos |
