Aegira is also the older name of Lesbos

Aigira or Aegira (Greek: Αιγείρα, older: Αίγειρα), also Egira, Eyira, Aiyira is a community located about 500 m SW of the Gulf of Corinth in the northeastern part of the prefecture of Achaea. It is located in GR-8 and has an interchange connecting the new highway with GR-8A and E65. Distance from Patras is 67 km E, about 4 km NE of Akrata and 148 km W of Athens. The municipality is the easternmost in the prefecture.

Nearest places

• Akrata (west)
• Seliana (west)
• Sinevro (northwest)

Communes:

• Aigeira
• Aiges
• Ampelokipoi
• Chrysanthio
• Exochi
• Monastiri
• Oasi
• Perithori
• Seliana
• Sinevro
• Vella

Historical population:

The community has a school, a gymnasium, a church, a post office and a(plateia). It has a train station with no building connecting the railway line with Patras _ Aigio _ Aigira _ Derveni - Xylokastro - Kiato - Corinth. The origin of the name comes from the Ancient Greek word aiges for goats.

The place has 8-story buildings and hotels founded around the city and newer ones in the west. Aigeira also has a traffic light.

Mountains are founded to the south. Forests are founded to the west and east. One of the hill foundede south is named Palaiokastro.

North of Aigeira is a beach which includes spas

In the archaeological site, the city had a temple during ancient times. It has an antefix decorated with a painted palmette dating back to 500 BC. It also had a harbor.

History

The area was founded in the 3rd millennium BC. The city was known as Hyperesia (Greek: Υπερησία, Hyperesia) during Homeric times. In 688 BC, Hyperesia changed to Aegira.

The legend Hyperesia was threatened once, as Pausanias reported by a hostile army from Sicyon.

It changed its name to the present name as the defenders achieved victory and the people bounded for the goats and attacked the enemies.

The city was prosperous and was one of the twelve most important cities in the Achaean League. It was also a mmember of the Achaean league. According to Pausanias, there was a statue of Zeus and Athena as well as the temple of Artemis Agrotera.

The city was destroyed when Achaea became part of the Roman Empire. Alledgely it was destroyed by a flood. Since then, the city is 400 m above sea level. Others said it was destroyed by an earthquake.

Archaeology

The Österreichische Archäologische Institut, lit. the Austrian Archaeological Institute in 1916 made excavations in Aegira. The team along with Otto Walter (pronunciation: VAHL_tehr) founded the head of the statue of Zeus which was sculpted by Euclid. Walter also founded the left arm, the finger at the right hand later. In 1972, excavations continued by Wilhelm Alzinger and excavated the ancient theatre and a Naiskos (small temple). The soil was decorated with mosaic which showed an eagle.

Other

Its minor soccer team is Thyella Aigira, its uniform is black and white.

Southeast of Aigeira in February 2004 has a protest and were throwing rocks in support of having more money to the farmers. It also has a parking area 1 km E of the interchange.

External links:

• Aigeira archaeological site (http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21106a/e211fa09.html)
• OeAL - Aigeira (http://www.oeai.at/eng/ausland/aigeira.html) (in German)
• The Acropolis of Aigeira (http://www.oeaw.ac.at/myken/Alraminternet.pdf)
• http://www.calsky.com/lexikon/de/txt/a/ai/aigeira.php (in German)
• traveljournals.net - Aegira (http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/greece/map/m1191186/aiyira.html)
• GTP - Ancient Aegira (http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=600001)
• GTP - Aigeira (http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=3350)
• GTP - Municipality of Aigeira (http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=3351)
• Indexmundi - Aegira (http://2.35&t=p&r=480&p=aiyira&cc=gr&c=greece.htm)

See also:

• Communities of Achaia