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PATRAS (Gr. Patrai)

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 931 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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PATRAS (Gr. Patrai) , the See also:chief fortified seaport See also:town on the See also:west See also:coast of See also:Greece, and chief town of the See also:province of See also:Achaea and Ells, on a gulf of the same name, 70 M. W.N.W. of See also:Corinth. There are two railway stations, one in the See also:north-See also:east on the See also:line to See also:Athens (via Corinth), the See also:ether on the line to See also:Pyrgos. Pop. (1889), 33,529; (1907), 37,401. It has been rebuilt since 1821 (the See also:War of See also:Independence), and is the seat of a See also:Greek See also:arch-See also:bishop and an See also:appeal See also:court. It is the chief See also:port of Greece, from which the See also:great bulk of its currants are despatched. The port, formed by a See also:mole and a See also:breakwater, begun in 188o, offers a See also:fair See also:harbour for vessels See also:drawing up to 22 ft. The exports consist of currants, sultanas, valonea, See also:tobacco, See also:olive oil, See also:olives in brine, See also:figs, citrons, See also:wine, See also:brandy, cocoons, and See also:lamb, See also:goat, and kid skins. The imports consist chiefly of colonial produce, manufactured goods and sulphate of See also:copper. The two most interesting buildings are the See also:castle, a See also:medieval structure on the site of the See also:ancient See also:acropolis, and the See also:cathedral of St See also:Andrew, which is highly popular as the reputed See also:burial-See also:place of the See also:saint.

The See also:

foundation of Patras goes back to prehistoric times, the legendary See also:account being that Eumelus, having been taught by See also:Triptolemus how to grow See also:grain in the See also:rich See also:soil of the See also:Glaucus valley, established three townships, Aroe (i.e. ploughland), Antheia (the flowery), and Mesatis (the See also:middle See also:settlement), which were See also:united by the See also:common See also:worship of See also:Artemis Triclaria at her See also:shrine on the See also:river Meilichus. The See also:Achaeans having strengthened and enlarged Aroe, called it Patrae, as the exclusive. See also:residence of the ruling families, and it was recognized as one of the twelve Achaean cities. In 419 B.C. the town was, by the See also:advice of See also:Alcibiades, connected with its harbour by See also:long walls in See also:imitation of those at Athens. The whole armed force was destroyed by See also:Metellus after the defeat of the Achaeans at Scarpheia, and many of the remaining inhabitants forsook the See also:city; but after the See also:battle of See also:Actium See also:Augustus restored the ancient name Aroe, introduced a military See also:colony of veterans from the loth and 12th legions (not, as is usually said, the 22nd), and bestowed the rights of coloni on the inhabitants of Rhypae and Dyme, and all the See also:Locri Ozolae except those of Amphissa. Colonia See also:Augusta Aroe Patrensis became one of the most populous of all the towns of Greece; its colonial coinage extends from Augustus to See also:Gordian III. That the town was the See also:scene of the martyrdom of St Andrew is purely apocryphal, but, like Corinth, it was an See also:early and effective centre of See also:Christianity; its See also:archbishop is mentioned in the lists of the See also:Council of See also:Sardica in 347• In 551 it was laid in ruins by an See also:earthquake. In 807 it was able without See also:external assistance to defeat the Slavonians (See also:Avars), though most of the See also:credit of the victory was assigned to St Andrew, whose See also:church was enriched by the imperial See also:share of the spoils, and whose archbishop was made See also:superior of the bishops of Methone, See also:Lacedaemon and Corone. Captured in 1205 by See also:William of Champlitte and See also:Villehardouin, the city became the See also:capital and its archbishop the See also:primate of the principality of Achaea. In 1387 De See also:Heredia, See also:grand See also:master of the See also:order of the See also:Hospital at See also:Rhodes, endeavoured fo make himself master of Achaea and took Patras by See also:storm. At the See also:close of the 15th See also:century the city was governed by the archbishop in the name of the See also:pope; but in 1428 See also:Constantine, son of See also:John VI., managed to get See also:possession of it for a See also:time. Patras was at length, in 1687, surrendered by the See also:Turks to the Venetians, who made it the seat of one of the seven fiscal boards into which they divided the Morea. In 1714 it again See also:fell, with the See also:rest of the Morea, into See also:Turkish hands.

It was at Patras that the Greek revolution began in 1821; but the Turks, confined to the citadel, held out till 1828.

End of Article: PATRAS (Gr. Patrai)

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