Andania

Andania

Ανδανία
Andania Ανδανία
Municipal unit
	Andania Location within the regional unit
	Coordinates: 37°17′N 21°57′E / 37.283°N 21.950°E
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Peloponnese
Regional unit	Messenia
Municipality	Oichalia
Area
• Municipal unit	88.7 km2 (34.2 sq mi)
Population (2021)
• Municipal unit	1,820
• Municipal unit density	21/km2 (53/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Vehicle registration	ΚΜ

Andania (Greek: Ανδανία) is a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been a municipal unit of the municipality of Oichalia.^[2] The municipal unit has an area of 88.694 km².^[3] Population 1,820 (2021). The seat of the municipality was in Diavolitsi.

History

Anciently, Andania (Ancient Greek: Ἀνδανία) was a town of ancient Messenia, and was the capital of the kings of the race of the Leleges. It was celebrated as the birthplace of Aristomenes, but towards the end of the Second Messenian War, it was deserted by its inhabitants, who took refuge in the strong fortress of Ira. From this time it was only a village. Livy describes it as a parvum oppidum,^[4] and Pausanias, who extols the mysteries celebrated there,^[5] saw only its ruins when he visited in the second century.^[6] It was situated on the road leading from Messene to Megalopolis. The Homeric Oechalia is identified by Strabo with Andania, but by Pausanias with Carnasium, which was only 8 stadia from Andania.^[7]^[8]^[9]

References

^ "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
^ "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
^ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-21.
^ Livy. Ab urbe condita Libri [History of Rome]. Vol. 36.31.
^ See Nadine Deshours, Les Mystères d’Andania.
^ Pausanias (1918). "33.6". Description of Greece. Vol. 4. Translated by W. H. S. Jones; H. A. Ormerod. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann – via Perseus Digital Library.
^ Pausanias (1918). "1.2". Description of Greece. Vol. 4. Translated by W. H. S. Jones; H. A. Ormerod. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann – via Perseus Digital Library., 4.3.7, 4.14.7, 4.26.6, 4.33.6.
^ Strabo. Geographica. Vol. pp. 339, 350. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
^ Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. s.v.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Andania". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.