Oiniades facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oiniades Οινιάδες
The ancient shipyard
Oiniades Location in Greece
Country	Greece
Administrative region	West Greece
Regional unit	Aetolia-Acarnania
Municipality	Messolonghi
• Municipal unit	270.9 km2 (104.6 sq mi)
Elevation	10 m (30 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Municipal unit	9,373
• Municipal unit density	34.599/km2 (89.612/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	300 01
Area code(s)	2210
Vehicle registration	ME

Oiniades (pronounced Oy-nee-AH-des, and written as Greek: Οινιάδες in Greek) is a part of the Missolonghi area in Greece. This region covers about 271 square kilometers. It gets its name from the really old city called Oeniadae.

History of Oiniades

The ancient city of Oeniadae (Ancient Greek: Οἰνιάδαι) was a busy port. It was located on the west side of the Achelous River. This made it one of the most important towns in ancient Acarnania. People first wrote about Oeniadai in the 5th century BC.

Location and Protection

The city was built against a hill. This hill was surrounded by marshes. These natural features helped protect Oeniadai from invaders. Today, the modern village of Katochi is in the same area.

Changing Alliances

Oiniadai was an important port for ships traveling to Corfu. Because of its location, it often changed which side it supported in wars. At first, it was part of the Peloponnesian League. This was a group of powerful Greek city-states led by Sparta.

However, in 424 BC, Oiniadai switched sides. It joined the Delian League, which was led by Athens. Later, during the Hellenistic period (a time after Alexander the Great), Oiniadai teamed up with the Aetolians. This alliance lasted until 218 BC.

In 218 BC, Philip V of Macedon declared Oiniadai a free city. But from 211 BC to 189 BC, during the Roman-Macedonian wars, the Aetolians took control again. As the Roman Empire grew, Oiniadai became less important.

Modern Oiniades Municipality

The area of Oiniades today is part of the larger Messolonghi municipality. It includes several smaller communities.

Local Communities

Here are the communities that make up Oiniades:

• Neochori Mesolongiou (which includes Neochori, Magoula, and Marmara)
• Gouria
• Katochi
• Lesini
• Mastros (which includes Mastros and Platania)
• Pentalofo

Population Changes

The number of people living in the Oiniades municipality has changed over the years. Here is a look at the population: