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It is part of the region of
Western Greece and is located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese
peninsula, occupying the coastal strip north of Arcadia. It is generally a
mountainous region.
The twelve cities of Achaea were grouped into an early
Achaean League which
had an important position in general Greek politial and military events.
Iin 688 the city of Hyperesia was threatened by an army from Sicyon. The locals
defended their city by placing burning torches on their goats' horns. The
Sicyonians retreated. During the 5th century the cities of Achaea were neutral
in the Persian Wars and were usually neutral in the struggles between Athens
and Sparta. . In 373 the Achaean city of Helice was destroyed in a great
earthquake. In 367, during Epaminondas’ third
invasion of the Peloponnese, the Achaean cities agreed to an alliance with
Thebes. But oligarchs gained power in the cities of Achaea and allied with
Sparta against Epaminondas. At the Battle of
Mantinea in 362
the Achaeans were allied to Sparta, Athens and Mantinea against Thebes. The
Achaeans were part of the Greek alliance led by Thebes and Athens which was
defeated by King Philip
II of Macedon at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338.
Subsequently, Achaea was part of the Macedonian dominated Corinthian League.
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