Megara

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Megara (Greek: ??????; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies on the Saronic Gulf opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King Pandion, of whom Nisos was the ruler of Megara.

Related Topics:
Greek - List of traditional Greek place names - Attica - Greece - Saronic Gulf - Salamis - Pandion - Nisos

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In historical times, Megara was early a dependency of Corinth, in which capacity colonists from Megara founded Megara Hyblaea, a small polis north of Syracuse in Sicily. Megara then fought a war of independence with Corinth, and afterwards founded (c. 667 BC) Byzantium, as well as Chalcedon.

Related Topics:
Megara Hyblaea - Syracuse - 667 BC - Byzantium - Chalcedon

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In the Peloponnesian War (c. 431 BC-404 BC), Megara was an ally of Sparta.

Related Topics:
Peloponnesian War - 431 BC - 404 BC - Sparta

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The most famous citizen of Megara in antiquity was Euclid of Megara. The 6th-century poet Theognis also came from Megara. The Megarans were proverbial for their generosity in building and endowing temples. Jerome, in 409 AD (letter cxxiii.15 http://www.ccel.org/fathers/NPNF2-06/letters/lette123.htm) reports "There is a common saying about the Megarians... 'They build as if they are to live forever; they live as if they are to die tomorrow.'"

Related Topics:
Euclid of Megara - Theognis - Jerome

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Today, Megara is a suburb of Athens. 30,000 people live within the municipality. It is located 42 km WNW of Athens, and is linked by a highway connecting the Peloponnese, Western Greece, and Athens. It will now be linked by a high-speed rail line. Megara lies in the Megaris plain. Agriculture used to dominate before housing began to expand in Megara in the 1960s and the 1970s.

Related Topics:
Athens - Municipality - Highway - Megaris

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3 km south of Megara is a small community called Pachi, which is famous for its fish tavernas and is visited by people from all over Greece. Neos Peramos is the neighboring city to the east of Megara and Kakia Skala to the west of Megara. There is a military airport to the east-north-east. South of Megara is the Gulf of Megara.

Related Topics:
Pachi - Neos Peramos - Kakia Skala - Gulf of Megara

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