BOEOTIA FACT CHECK

Boeotia lies to the north of the eastern part of the

Gulf of Corinth. It also has a short coastline on the

Gulf of Euboea. It bordered on Megaris (now West

Attica) in the south, Attica in the southeast, Euboea in the northeast, Opuntian Locris (now part of

Phthiotis) in the north and Phocis in the west.

The main mountain ranges of Boeotia are

Mount Parnassus in the west, Mount Helicon in the southwest, Cithaeron in the south and Parnitha in the east. Its longest river, the Cephissus, flows in the central part, where most of the low-lying areas of Boeotia are found. Lake Copais was a large lake in the centre of Boeotia although it was drained in the 19th century.

The earliest inhabitants of Boeotia, associated with the city of Orchomenus, were called Minyans. Pausanias mentions that Minyans established the maritime Ionian city of Teos, and occupied the islands of Lemnos and Thera. The Argonauts were sometimes referred to as Minyans. Also, according to legend the citizens of Thebes paid an annual tribute to their king Erginus.

The Minyans may have been proto-Greek speakers. Although most scholars today agree that the Myceneans descended from the Minyans of the Middle Helladic period, they believe that the progenitors and founders of Minyan culture were an indigenous people.The early wealth and power of Boeotia is shown by the reputation and visible Mycenean remains of several of its cities, especially Orchomenus and Thebes.