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Elis or Eleia (Greek, Modern: Ήλιδα ''Ilida'', Ancient: ''Ēlis''; Doric: ''Alis''; Elean: ''Walis'', ethnonym: Ϝαλειοι) is an ancient district that corresponds to the modern Elis regional unit. Elis is in southern Greece on the Peloponnesos peninsula, bounded on the north by Achaea, east by Arcadia, south by Messenia, and west by the Ionian Sea. Over the course of the archaic and classical periods, the ''polis'' of Elis controlled much of the region of Elis, most probably through unequal treaties with other cities, which acquired perioikic status.〔Roy, J. “The Perioikoi of Elis.” ''The Polis as an Urban Centre and as a Political Community''. Ed. M.H. Hansen. Acts of the Copenhagen Polis Centre 4. Copenhagen: Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, Historisk-filosofiske Meddelelser 75, 1997. 282-32〕 Thus the city-state of Elis was formed. Homer mentions that Elis participated in the Trojan War.〔(Iliad 2.615 )〕 The first Olympic festival was organized in Elean land, Olympia, Greece by the authorities of Elis in the 8th century BC, with tradition dating the first games at 776 BC. The Hellanodikai, the judges of the Games, were of Elean origin. The local form of the name was Valis, or Valeia, and its meaning, in all probability, “the lowland” (compare with the word "valley"). In its physical constitution Elis is similar to Achaea and Arcadia; its mountains are mere offshoots of the Arcadian highlands, and its principal rivers are fed by Arcadian springs. According to Strabo,〔Strabo ''Geographica'' Book 8.3.30〕 the first settlement was created by Oxylus the Aetolian who invaded there and subjugated the residents. The city of Elis underwent synoikism—as Strabo notes—in 471 BC. Elis held authority over the site of Olympia and the Olympic games. The spirit of the games had influenced the formation of the market: apart from the bouleuterion, which was housed in one of the gymnasia, most of the other buildings were related to the games, including two gymnasia, a palaestrum, and the House of the Hellanodikai. ==Districts== As described by Strabo, Elis was divided into three districts: * Coele (Κοίλη ''Koilē'' "hollow") or Lowland Elis, * Pisatis (Πισᾶτις ''Pīsātis''), or the territory of Pisa, and * Triphylia (Τριφυλία ''Triphūlia'' "the country of the three tribes"). Coele Elis, the largest and most northern of the three, was watered by the river Peneus and its tributary the Ladon. The district was famous during antiquity for its cattle and horses. Pisatis extended south from Coele Elis to the right bank of the river Alpheus, and was divided into eight departments named after as many towns. Triphylia stretches south from the Alpheus to the river Neda. Nowadays Elis is a small village of 150 citizens, located 14 km NE of Amaliada, built over the ruins of the ancient town. It has a museum that contains treasures, discovered in various excavations. It also has one of the most well-preserved ancient theaters in Greece. Built in the 4th century BC, the theater had a capacity of 8,000 people; below it Early Helladic, sub-Mycenaean and Protogeometric graves have been found.〔Koumouzelis M. 1980, "The Early and Middle Helladic Periods in Elis" PhDdiss. Brandeis Univ., p. 55 - 62〕〔Eder B. 2001, "Die submykenischen und protogeometrischen Graber von Elis", Athens〕 Elis is well known for breeding horses and its hosting of the Olympic games. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Elis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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