Oropos

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Oropos
Ωρωπός
Location
Oropos
Coordinates 38°18′N 23°45′E / 38.300°N 23.750°E / 38.300; 23.750Coordinates: 38°18′N 23°45′E / 38.300°N 23.750°E / 38.300; 23.750
Government
Country:Greece
Administrative region: Attica
Regional unit: East Attica
Population statistics (as of 2011)[1]
Municipality
 - Population: 33,769
 - Area: 317.5 km2 (123 sq mi)
 - Density: 106 /km2 (275 /sq mi)
Community
 - Population: 1,504
 - Area: 12.0 km2 (5 sq mi)
 - Density: 125 /km2 (325 /sq mi)
Other
Time zone: EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation: 45 m ­(148 ft)
Postal code: 190 15
Telephone: 22950
Auto: Z

Oropos (Greek: Ωρωπός), or (referring to the ancient town) Oropus, is a small town and a municipality in East Attica, Greece.

Geography

The municipality Oropos stretches between the Parnitha mountains and the South Euboean Gulf, opposite Eretria (on the island Euboea). The town Oropos, the seat of the municipality, is situated on the lower course of the river Asopos, 4 km south of the coast. It lies 4 km southwest of Nea Palatia and 36 km north of Athens. The community Oropos consists of the town Oropos and the nearby villages Kampos and Platania.

Municipality

The present municipality Oropos was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 9 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):[2]

History

The sanctuary for the oracle of Amphiaraus at Oropos is east of Delphi, northeast of Athens

Oropos was founded by colonists from Eretria; it was either located in or identical with Graea.[3] In ancient times, it was a border city between Boeotia and Attica, and its possession was a continual cause of dispute between the two states; but ultimately it came into possession of Athens, and was always an Attic town, even during the Roman Empire. The actual harbour, which was called Delphinium, was at the mouth of the Asopus, about a mile (1.6 km) north of the city.

The famous oracle of Amphiaraus was situated in the territory of Oropus, 12 stadia from the city. The site has been excavated by the Greek Archaeological Society;[4] it contained a temple, a sacred spring, into which coins were thrown by worshippers, altars and porticoes, and a small theatre, of which the proskenion is well preserved. Worshippers used to consult the oracle of Amphiaraus by sleeping on the skin of a slaughtered ram within the sacred building.

Historical population

Year Town Community Municipality
1981 672 - -
1991 784 924 -
2001 860 1,252 -
2011 1,111 1,504 33,769
the automobile museum "O Phaeton"

See also

References

  1. Detailed census results 2011 (Greek)
  2. Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
  3. Robin Lane Fox, Travelling Heroes: In the Epic Age of Homer (Random House, 2008: ISBN 0-679-44431-9), p. 161.
  4. A. Mazzarakis Ainian, "Oropos in the Early Iron Age", in M. Bats and d'Agostino, eds. Euboica: l'Eubea e la presenza euboica in Calcidia e in occidente 1998:197-215.

External links

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