BCEO'TIA (Gk. Botcerta, Boiol ia) . In ancient geography, next to Attica. the most important political division of Central Greece, bounded on the north by Locris and the Eubman Gulf, on the cast by the narrow strait of the Enripus, on the south by Attica, Megaris. and the Corinthian Gulf, and on the west by Phocis. Bceotia had it surface estimated at 1000 square miles. The plains inclosed on the south by Mounts Citlife ron and Parries, on the west by Mount Helicon, on the north by the slopes of Mount Parnassus and the Mountains, fall naturally into two divisions—the basin of Luke Copais, now called Topolias, and that of the Asopus, together with the coast district on the Corinthian Gulf. The principal stream anciently called the Cephissus. It entered the country from Phocis at Clueronea: and in the spring. when it was swollen by innumerable torrents. converted the Copaie plain into a shallow lake. There were un derground channels for the outlet of the waters that congregated in this plain, but only four were active at the time the French engineers began work. To recover this valuable region to agricul ture and remove the malarial nmrshes, extensive drainage operations were begun by a French com pany in 1353 and carried to a successful comple tion. The draining of the bed showed that similar works had been carried out by the Minyve of Orehomenus in the Mycenaean period; a large dike ran along the north shore, collecting the waters of the Cephissus and Melas, and emptying them through a great natural subter ranean passage. Another dike kept back the waters from the south shore, and brought them to the same outlet. A dike near the centre seems to have been connected with a system of irrigation. Forts secured the outlets against hostile attack. With the fall of the Mycemean kingdom at Orchomenus, the works seem to have been neglected, and a change in the sea-level seems to have rendered the outlets useless, so that the region became again flooded. An at tempt to clear out the old passages and open new 0 Ileti was made during the reign of Alex ander the Great, and there are traces of similar attempts later, but none with success. Bmotia in ancient times was a productive region, abound ing in corn and fruits: marble, potters' clay, and iron were obtained, and it was also celebrated for flute-reeds. The inhabitants in the legendary age
were the Minyfe of Orchomenus and the Cad means of Thebes, both Greek races and hostile to one another. Later, the country was occupied by the Ikeotians, an :Eolian people, who were driven from Thessaiy. The Bceotians excelled as cultivators of the soil, and were gallant soldiers, both on foot and on horseback. but they were rude and unsociable, and took little part in the gradual refinement of manners and intellectual development of the rest of Greece, so that the name became proverbial for illiterate dullness. This was usually ascribed to their thick damp atmosphere. 'Vet there were not wanting among them eminent generals, as Epaminondas and Pelo pidas ; and poets and historians, as llesiod, Pin dar. Corinna, and Plutarch. The greater cities, of which the number was about fourteen, Thebes, Ilaliartus. Thespke, etc.. with their territories, formed the Bmotian League. At the head of this were seven Bceotarchs, who held office for one year, commanded the army of the league and con ducted its diplomacy, though the final decision in matters of policy seems to have rested with the four councils, concerning whose composition we are not informed. The internal history of Bo‘otia is largely concerned with the efforts of Thebes to maintain her leadership through this league against the efforts of Thesphe, Orehomenus, and other cities for autonomy. The power of Thebes and the league was at its height in the years suc ceeding the battle of Leuctra (n.c. 371), when Eparninondas (qx.) placed Thebes at the bead of Greece. After the battle of Chill-one:1, in which Philip established the :\lacedonian throne on the ruins of Grecian liberty. the political importance of the country declined so rapidly that about ic.c. 30 only two cities. Tanagra and Thespife, had any prominence. Theotia now forms one of the manes of the Kingdom of Greece. The capital is Livadia. Area. about 1550 square miles. Population, in 1896, 57,001. Consult: W. Rhys Roberts, The xtneient Throtians (Cam bridge, 1895) ; for the works in Lake Copais. E. Curtius, Die Deiehbauten der .11inycr (Berlin, i892) ; and for topography, Ulrichs, Reiscn and Forschungcn in Griechenlund (Bremen, 1840).