Acarnania (Stratus)
Acarnania is a region of west Central Greece bounded by the Ionian Sea to the west, the Gulf of Ambracia to the north, and by Aetolia beyond the Achelous River to the east. Its most populous region was the plain of Achelous, commanded by the town of Stratus. There was a settlement at Oeniadae before Corinthian settlers in the seventh century BC occupied the best sites on the seaboard. Although Acarnania generally did not play an active part in Greek events, at least until the fourth century BC, it was involved in many wars because of its strategic position along the sailing route to Italy. The Acarnanians formed a confederacy in the fifth century BC (if not earlier), fortified their cities, and asked the Athenians for help against the Corinthian colonists, and later against the Ambracians and the Peloponnesians in 429-426 BC.
Aetolia (Thermum)
Aetolia is a region in west Central Greece east of Acarnania, north of the Corinthian Gulf and bordered on the east by Mount Parnassus. A country of rugged mountains and remote villages, it remained a tribal state until the fourth century BC. It was, however, sufficiently united to repel the invasion by Demosthenes (c.450-413 BC) in 426 BC. In 370 BC Macedonian intrigues prompted the alliance of Thebes and Aetolia, which was formalised as the Aetolian League in 367 BC, with its centre at Thermum in central Aetolia.
Doris
To the east of Aetolis is the small mountainous district of Doris, enclosing the headwaters of the Cephissus River. It lies between Mount Oeta and Mount Parnassus. Its small plain, containing the tetrapolis Boium, Cytinium, Erineus and Pindus, is traversed by the route from Malis to Phocis which turns the defences of Thermopylae. The Dorians of the Peloponnese claimed Doris as their metropolis: possibly during the invasion period the Dorians halted there. In the fourth century it fell into the power of Onomarchus of Phocis (d.352 BC) and later of Philip II of Macedon (46; r.359-336 BC).
Malis (Lamia)
To the north of Doris but on the opposite side of the range of Oeta was Malis in the valley of the Spercheus River. Lamia, the principal city of Malis, became increasingly important towards the end of the fifth century BC. During the Lamian War (323-322 BC) – the Greek rebellion following the death of Alexander III of Macedon (32; r.336-323 BC) – Lamia’s strong fortifications helped Antipater (397-319 BC) resist the Greeks throughout the winter of 323/2 BC.
Locris
The territory of the Locrians was a divided region, probably due to an early invasion of an early Locrian state. This separation, combined with the region’s infertility, meant that the Locrians tended to be dominated by their stronger neighbours and played little part in Greek history. Ozolian (west) Locris was on the north shore of the Corinthian Gulf, between Naupactus and Crisa; Opuntian (east) Locris (divided into Opuntian and Epicnemedian (northeast) Locris, though Opuntian is sometimes used to include both), named after its main city, Opus, was on the west shore of the Euboean coast. Between the two regions lay Doris and Phocis.
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