ACHAEA. (I) A district on the north coast of the Pelopon nese, between the mountains of Erymanthus and Cyllene and the Corinthian Gulf ; bounded on the west by Elis, east by Sicyon, sometimes included in Achaea. The 12 cities in its narrow fer tile coastland formed a religious confederacy, meeting in Posei don's sanctuary at Helice : from this developed the political ACHAEAN LEAGUE (q.v.) of Hellenistic times.
(2) Achaea Phthiotis is a district south of Thessaly and west of the Gulf of Pagasae (Volo). For the origin of the name, and relations between north and south Achaea, see ACHAEANS.
(3) "Achaea" was the name given by the Romans to the prov ince formed in 140 B.C. for the mainland of Greece south of Thessaly, Epirus and Acarnania, which were included in "Mace donia." Its administrative capital was Corinth.
(4) Achaea in the middle ages was a principality, formed within the same region after the Latin conquest of the Eastern empire (A.D. 1204) : the first prince being William de Champlitte (d. 1209). It survived, with various dismemberments, until 1430, when the last prince, Centurione Zaccaria, ceded the remnant to his son-in-law, Theodorus II., despot of Mistra. In 1460 it was conquered, with the rest of the Morea, by the Turks.
(5) Achaea in modern Greece is the Peloponnesian district (I), mainly engaged in currant growing, the crop being shipped from Patras and Aegion (Vostitza).