Thessaly
Thessaly occupied a large region of north-eastern Greece. Neighbouring regions were Epeirus in the east, Aetolia and Phocis in the south, and Macedon in the north. The entire region was named after Thessalus, the son of Jason and Medea. Thessalus ruled only in Iolcus, not all of Thessaly. Thessaly was the home of two mythical tribes: the Lapiths and the Centaurs.
Below is the list of the cities in Thessaly which played a large or small role in Greek mythology.
The Lapiths, a mountain tribe, lived around the Peneius river valley, with Larisa as their capital. Another important city, west of Larisa and on the other side of the river, was Tricca. The Lapiths brought forty ships to Troy from Argissa.
Magnesia (Μαγνησία) occupied the rugged coast in Thessaly, from the north at the mouth of the river Peneius to the south, a narrow strip of land that separated the Pagasaean Gulf from the Thracian Sea. Magnesia was said to be the home of the Centaurs, a tribe of half-men, half-horses.
Magnesia was also the home of Cheiron, the immortal and wise Centaur. Cheiron was the friend and tutor of many heroes including Jason, Heracles, Asclepius, Aristaeüs, Peleus and Achilles.
The Lapiths and the Centaurs were involved in a war at the wedding of Peirithoüs and Hippodameia. Peirithoüs was the king of the Lapiths. Fighting broke out when the Centaurs tried to abduct Peirithoüs' bride. Some of Peirithoüs' guests, who fought alongside the Lapiths, included the heroes Theseus, Peleus and Nestor.
The southern part of Thessaly could be subdivided into Malis (Μαλις) and Phthiotis (and/or Achaea). In Malis, the principal city was Trachis, where king Ceÿx ruled and where Heracles made his home with Deïaneira during the last years of his life. Malis was the southernmost region of Thessaly.
North of Malis was Phthiotis, with Phthia as its capital. This was where Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha ruled, (survivors of the Deluge).
The most powerful city in Thessaly was Iolcus. Other important cities included Pagasae, Pherae and Phylace. Many of these cities were ruled by descendants of Aeolus, known as the Aeolids.
Read the Aeolids in Thessaly for the history of Thessaly.
Historically, Thessaly was divided into Perrhaebi, Hestiaeotis, Thessaliotis, Pelasgiotis and Phthiotis. The Thessalians bred the best horses in Greece. Alexander the Great (332-323 BC) relied on the Thessalian cavalry in his Persian campaign.
Related Information
Name
Thessaly, Θεσσαλία.
Founder
Thessalus (not a founder, but the region was named after the son of Jason and Medea).
By Jimmy Joe
