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'{{otheruses}} {{Infobox Regions Ancient Greece |name = Elis |name_polytonic = Ἦλις |image = Olympie Temple Zeus.JPG |caption = Ruins of the [[Temple of Zeus]], [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]] |Location = [[Peloponnesus|Peloponnese]] |Major cities = [[Elis]], [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]] |Dialects = [[Doric Greek|Doric]] |Key periods = |image_map = Elis.jpg |caption_map = Map of ancient Elis }} '''Elis''', or '''Eleia''' ([[Greek language|Greek]], Modern: Ήλιδα ''Ilida'', Ancient: {{Polytonic|Ἦλις}} ''Ēlis'', [[Doric Greek|Doric]]: {{Polytonic|Ἆλις}} ''Alis'' , Elean : {{Polytonic|Ϝάλις}} ''Walis'') is an ancient district, that corresponds with the modern [[Ilia Prefecture]]. It is in southern [[Greece]] on the [[Peloponnesos]] [[peninsula]], bounded on the north by [[Achaea]], east by [[Arcadia]], south by [[Messenia]], and west by the [[Ionian Sea]]. The first [[Ancient Olympic Games|Olympic]] festival was organized in Elean land, [[Olympia, Greece]] by the authorities of Elis in the 8th century BCE - with tradition dating the first games at 776 BCE. The [[Hellanodikai]], the judges of the Games, were of Elean origin. The local form of the name was Valis, or Valeia, and its meaning, in all probability, “the lowland” (compare with the word "valley"). In its physical constitution Elis is similar to Achaea and Arcadia; its mountains are mere offshoots of the Arcadian highlands, and its principal rivers are fed by Arcadian springs. According to [[Strabo]]<ref>Strabo [[Geographica]] Book 8.3.3</ref>, the first settlement was created by [[Oxylus]] the [[Aetolian]] who invaded there and subjugated the residents. The city was built - as Strabo says - in 471 BC. The city had the authority of the [[Olympic games]] and believed to be a holy city, so was unwalled. The spirit of the games had influenced the formation of the market: beside the [[bouleuterion]] to the parliament - which was housed in one of the [[gymnasiums|gumnasium]] also - all the other buildings were relative to the games: two gymnasiums, one palaestra , the House of [[Hellanodikai]], the Hellanodicae stoa. [[Pausanias]] describes the buildings of the [[Agora]] and the Hellanodicae stoa<ref>Pausanias book 5,6 Elis</ref>. ==Districts== Elis was divided into three districts: *Hollow (''Coele'') or Lowland Elis, *Pisatis, or the territory of [[Pisa (Greece)|Pisa]], and *Triphylia, or the country of the three tribes. Coele Elis, the largest and most northern of the three, was watered by the river Peneus and its tributary the Ladon. The district was famous during antiquity for its cattle and horses. Pisatis extended south from Coele Elis to the right bank of the river [[Alfeios River|Alpheus]], and was divided into eight departments named after as many towns. Triphylia stretches south from the Alpheus to the river Neda. Nowadays Elis is a small village of 150 citizens, located 14km NE of [[Amaliada]], built over the ruins of the ancient town. It has a museum that contains treasures, discovered in various excavations. It also has one of the most well-preserved Ancient Theaters in Greece built during the 4th century BC and had a capacity of 8000 persons, where below it where found Protoelladic and sub-mycenaean graves. Elis is well known for breeding horses and its "creation" of the Olympic games. Elis was the only city that built a temple to Hades in one of its precincts. The Eleans were the only one to worship him. The construction was built after Heracles' war against Neleus in Pylos. Only once a year, the doors to the temple of Hades would open, but no one would enter the temple except the priests. ELIAS IS A FUNNY DUDE AND HE IS NOT GAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ==List of Eleans== Athletes *[[Coroebus]] of Elis, the first [[Ancient Olympic Games|Ancient Olympic gold-medalist]] In mythology *[[Salmoneus]], [[Aethlius]], [[Pelops]] mythological kings of Elis *[[Endymion (mythology)| Endymion]] *Sons of Endymion: **[[Epeius]] **[[Aetolus, son of Endymion|Aetolus]] **[[Paeon (son of Endymion)|Paeon]] *[[Augeas]], king of Elis related to the Fifth Labour of Heracles *[[Amphimachus]], king of Elis and leader of Eleans in Trojan War *Thalpius, leader of Eleans in Trojan War *[[Oxylus]], king of Elis Intellectuals *[[Alexinus]] (c. 339-265 BC), philosopher *[[Hippias]] of Elis, Greek [[sophist]] *[[Phaedo of Elis]], founder of the [[Elean School]]<ref>[http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2563.html Smith, William. ''Ancient Library''].</ref> *[[Pyrrho]], philosopher *[[Troilus of Elis|Troilus]] ([[4th century BC]]) athlete ==Eleans as barbarians== Eleans were labelled as the greatest [[barbarians]] ''barbarotatoi'' by musician [[Stratonicus of Athens]]<ref>[[Athenaeus]]. ''[[Deipnosophistae]]'', VIII 350a.</ref> {{cquote|And when he was once asked by some one who were the wickedest people, he said, “That in [[Pamphylia]], the people of [[PhasElis]] were the worst; but that the [[Side]]tae were the worst in the whole world.” And when he was asked again, according to the account given by Hegesander, which were the greatest [[barbarians]], the [[Boeotians]] or the [[Thessalians]] he said, ” The Eleans.”}} In [[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]] (s.v. {{polytonic|βαρβαρόφωνοι}}) and other ancient lexica<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3atext%3a1999.04.0092&query=section%3d%23159 Towle, James A. ''Commentary on Plato: Protagoras'', 341c].</ref> Eleans are also listed as ''barbarophones''. Indeed the [[Doric Greek|North-West Doric]] dialect of Elis is, after the [[Aeolic]] dialects, one of the most difficult for the modern reader of epigraphic texts.<ref>[http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/2007/2007-11-07.html Sophie Minon. ''Les Inscriptions Éléennes Dialectales (VI-II siècle avant J.-C.). Volume I: Textes. Volume II: Grammaire et Vocabulaire Institutionnel. École Pratique des Hautes Études Sciences historiques et philogiques III. Hautes Études du Monde Gréco-Romain 38''. Genève: Librairie Droz S.A., 2007. ISBN 978-2-600-01130-3].</ref> ==Gallery== <gallery> <center> Image:Elis_theater.JPG|The theater Image:Elis_acropolis.JPG|Ruins of the city with a view of the acropolis Image:Elis Agora.JPG|The Agora Image:Elis city.JPG|A view of the ancient city of Elis Image:Sanctuaries.JPG|Archaeological area of Elis - the Sanctuaries </center> </gallery> ==References== {{reflist}} ==Sources== *{{Wikisource1911Enc Citation|Elis (district)}} *{{Wikisource1911Enc Citation|Elis (city)}} *{{Wikisource1911Enc Citation|Elis, Philosophical School of}} ==External links== *[http://www.culture.gr/2/21/maps/pelop/ilia/ilia.html Map] from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture *[http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/Ancient-Elis.html Elis - the city of the Olympic games] [[Category:Ancient Elis| ]] [[br:Elis]] [[ca:Elis]] [[cs:Élis]] [[cy:Elis]] [[de:Elis]] [[et:Elis]] [[el:Ήλιδα]] [[es:Elis]] [[eo:Eliso]] [[fr:Élis]] [[he:אליס]] [[ko:엘리스]] [[nl:Elis]] [[ja:エーリス]] [[no:Elis]] [[pt:Élis]] [[ru:Элида]] [[sh:Elida]] [[fi:Elis]] [[sv:Elis]] [[tr:Elis]] [[uk:Еліда]]'