Achaea (ancient region)

Achaea
Ἀχαΐα
Region
Roman odeon, Patras
Roman odeon, Patras
Map of ancient Achaea
Map of ancient Achaea
CountryGreece
LocationPeloponesse
Major citiesPatras, Dyme
DialectsDoric
Key periodsAchaean League
(ca. 260–146 BC)

Achaea (/əˈkə/) or Achaia (/əˈkə/; Greek: Ἀχαΐα, Akhaḯa, Ancient Greek: [akʰaía]) is the northernmost region of the Peloponnese, occupying the coastal strip north of Arcadia. Its approximate boundaries are: to the south, Mount Erymanthus; to the south-east, Mount Cyllene; to the east, Sicyon; and to the west, the Larissos river. Apart from the plain around Dyme in the west, Achaea is generally a mountainous region.