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Laconia, ancient region, Greece

(Encyclopedia)Laconia lăsˌədēˈmən [key], ancient region, S Peloponnesus, Greece, bounded on the W by Messenia and on the N by Arcadia and Argolis. On the Eurotas (now Evrotás), the principal river, stood Spa...

acropolis

(Encyclopedia)acropolis əkrŏpˈəlĭs [key] [Gr.,=high point of the city], elevated, fortified section of various ancient Greek cities. The Acropolis of Athens, a hill c.260 ft (80 m) high, with a flat oval top c...

Philip II, king of Macedon

(Encyclopedia)Philip II, 382–336 b.c., king of Macedon (359–336 b.c.), son of Amyntas II. While a hostage in Thebes (367–364), he gained much knowledge of Greece and its people. He was appointed regent for Am...

Parrhasius

(Encyclopedia)Parrhasius pərāˈshēəs [key], fl. c.400 b.c., Greek painter. He was born in Ephesus but settled in Athens and is classed with the Attic painters. One of the greatest painters of Greece, a contempo...

Delos

(Encyclopedia)Delos dēˈlôs [key], island, c.1 sq mi (2.6 sq km), SE Greece, in the Aegean Sea, smallest of the Cyclades. In Greek mythology, Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis on Delos; and the island was par...

Kérkira

(Encyclopedia)Kérkira kôrˈfo͞o [key], Lat. Corcyra, island (1991 pop. 104,781), 229 sq mi (593 sq km), NW Greece, in the Ionian Sea, the second largest of the Ionian Islands, separated by a narrow channel from ...

Simitis, Costas

(Encyclopedia)Simitis, Costas (Konstantinos Georgiou Simitis) kôˈstəs sĭmētˈĭs, kônˌstäntēˈnôs gāôrˈgyo͞o [key], 1936–, Greek politician and premier (1996–2004), b. Athens. Simitis studied law ...

World Heritage Site

(Encyclopedia)World Heritage Site, a place of cultural or natural importance listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. The sites, some natural, so...

Kyprianou, Spyros

(Encyclopedia)Kyprianou, Spyros kēprēäno͞o [key], 1932–2002, Greek Cypriot political leader and president of Cyprus (1977–1988). He served (1960–72) as foreign minister, and opposed efforts by Athens to u...

Náxos

(Encyclopedia)Náxos näkˈsôs, năkˈsŏs [key], island (1991 pop. 14,838), c.160 sq mi (410 sq km), SE Greece, in the Aegean Sea; largest of the Cyclades. Náxos, the chief town, is on the western shore. The fer...