Megara

Megara (Greek: Μέγαρα; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies on the Saronic Gulf opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King Pandion, of whom Nisos was the ruler of Megara.

In historical times, Megara was early a dependency of Corinth, in which capacity colonists from Megara founded Megara Hyblaea, a small polis north of Syracuse in Sicily. Megara then fought a war of independence with Corinth, and afterwards founded (c. 667 BC) Byzantium, as well as Chalcedon.

In the Peloponnesian War (c. 431 BC-404 BC), Megara was an ally of Sparta.

The most famous citizen of Megara in antiquity was Euclid of Megara. The 6th-century poet Theognis also came from Megara. The Megarans were proverbial for their generosity in building and endowing temples. Jerome, in 409 AD (letter cxxiii.15 [1]) reports "There is a common saying about the Megarians... 'They build as if they are to live forever; they live as if they are to die tomorrow.'"

Today, Megara is a suburb of Athens. 30,000 people live within the municipality. It is located 42 km WNW of Athens, and is linked by a highway connecting the Peloponnese, Western Greece, and Athens. It is now linked by a high-speed rail line. Megara lies in the Megaris plain. Agriculture used to dominate before housing began to expand in Megara in the 1960s and the 1970s.

3 km south of Megara is a small community called Pachi, which is famous for its fish tavernas and is visited by people from all over Greece. Nea Peramos is the neighboring city to the east of Megara and Kakia Skala to the west of Megara. There is a military airport to the south. South of Megara is the Gulf of Megara.

Alkathos Hill, Megaris

Megara 1901, Easter Festival

Nearest places

• Kineta (west)
  
• Neos Peramos (east}
  

Division of the municipality

• Megara / Δ.δ. Μεγαρέων [ 28.195 ]
  
  • Megara / τα Μέγαρα [ 23.032 ]
    
  • Agia Triada / η Αγία Τριάδα [ 173 ]
    
  • Aigeirouses / οι Αιγειρούσες [ 479 ]
    
  • Vlychada / η Βλυχάδα [ 694 ]
    
  • Kineta / η Κινέτα [ 1.972 ]
    
  • Koumintri / το Κουμίντρι [ 275 ]
    
  • Lakka Kalogirou / η Λάκκα Καλογήρου (τ. οι Λάκκοι Καλογήρου) [ 312 ]
    
  • Moni Agiou Ierotheou (Monasteri) / η Μονή Αγίου Ιεροθέου [ 72 ]
    
  • Moni Agiou Ioannou Prodromou (Monastery) / η Μονή Αγίου Ιωάννου Προδρόμου [ 80 ]
    
  • Moni Panachrantou (Monastery) / η Μονή Παναχράντου [ 39 ]
    
  • Pachaki (island) / το Παχάκι (νησίδα) [ 0 ]
    
  • Pachi / η Πάχη [ 331 ]
    
  • Sparta / η Σπάρτα [ 712 ]
    
  • Stikas / ο Στίκας [ 24 ]

Historical population

Links

Sporting teams

Vyzas - third division

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In Greek mythology Megara was the Theban wife of Heracles. There is a hexameter poem on her, usually attributed to Moschus. Megara figures prominently in most of the contemporary action hero retellings loosely based on Hercules' myths.