Aetolian League

The Aetolian League, also known as the League of the Aetolians (Ancient Greek: Κοινὸν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν), was an ancient Greekconfederation of tribal communities and cities. Thermon served as its meeting place. At its peak in the 3rd century BC, in the aftermath of the Celtic invasion, it covered much of Central Greece and became one of the major powers of Hellenistic Greece.

It was probably established during the late Classical or the early Hellenistic era in Aetolia. Two annual meetings were held, during the Panaetolika and the Thermica festivals. The League had a complex political and administrative structure. During the classical period the Aetolians were not highly regarded by other Greeks, who considered them to be semi-barbaric and reckless. However, after their victory against the Gauls in 279 BC, they emerged as a dominant state in central Greece and expanded by annexing several Greek city-states to their League. The league occupied Delphi and steadily gained territory during the 3rd century BC. At its peak, the league's territory included Ozolian Locris, Ainis, Oetaea, Malis, Doris, Phocis, Dolopia, Opuntian Locris, Achaia Phthiotis, parts of Acarnania, Cephalonia and Ambracia.

In the latter part of its power, certain Greek city-states out of central Greece joined the Aetolian League such as Lysimachia in Thrace, the Arcadian cities of Mantineia, Tegea, Phigalia and Kydonia on Crete. The Aetolian League fought against Macedon and the Achaean League in the Social War (220-217 BC). It allied with Rome in the First and Second Macedonian War, but then, it fought against the Romans in an alliance with the Seleucid empire in the Aetolian War. It became a Roman client state in 188 BC.