Calydon was ancient city located in Greece roughly seven miles west of the Evenus river and east of modern Mesolóngion. It is famous for hosting the Calydonian Boar, a beast from Greek mythology sent by Artemis to capture the land of Calydon because the king failed to honor the gods. The Calydonian Boar was quickly defeated by heroes of the Olympian age.
Greek mythology says that the city got its name from its founder Calydon, son of Aetolus. The terrain in ancient Calydon included steep hills and buildings. Archeasoligsts were able to recover remains of a theater, the Heroon, the temple of Artemis, the temple of Apollo, and a fancy tomb buried underneath the Heroon. Behind the city was the Varasova mountain. Just outside the town stood Mount Arakynthos, the slopes were used by the Calydonian Boar to sneak up on prey. Within the ancient city, a famous Aetolian Sanctuary called Laphrion was built in honor of Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto, stood tall for all civilians to cherish.
Ancient Calydon was a flourishing city until first century BC. The Achaeans owned the old town of Calydon until 389 BC, but following the conclusion of the Battle of Leuctra (371 BC), the Aetolians took back control of the city. In 31 BC, the Roman Emperor Octavian told the people of Calydon to leave their current residence and start a new life in the colony of Nicpolis. Nicopolis was located on the west coast of the modern state of Greece. It was founded in 29 BC by Caesar Augustus. The colony was created to honor Octavian’s victory at the Battle of Actium.
One of the four tunnels on the Ionia Odos motorway travels perpendicular to the ruins of ancient Calydon. Several materials collected at the ruins of ancient Calydon are up for display in the Archaeological Museum of Agrinion.
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