city state · Greece and the Aegean

Eretria

900 BCE – 146 BCE (approx.) · capital Eretria

Euboean city that helped found Greek colonies in Italy and the north Aegean, and whose support for the Ionian Revolt brought Persian destruction in 490 BCE.

Origins

Eretria grew on the south coast of Euboea, facing Attica, in the 8th century BCE, possibly succeeding the earlier settlement at Lefkandi. With Chalcis it was a pioneer of long-distance Greek trade, and their rivalry over the Lelantine plain became the Lelantine War.

Rule and society

Eretrians joined Chalcis in founding Pithekoussai and settled Methone in Macedonia and, by tradition, Corcyra before the Corinthians. It was ruled by aristocracies of horse-breeders. Eretria sent five ships to help Miletus in 499 BCE, sharing in the burning of Sardis. Its later theatre and gymnasium are among the best-preserved on Euboea.

Decline and legacy

Persia sacked Eretria in 490 BCE and deported its people. Rebuilt, it joined the Delian League and later hosted the philosopher Menedemus. Rome sacked it in 198 BCE, and it lost independence in 146 BCE.

Connections (3)

More states of Greece and the Aegean →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Eretria. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eretria
MLA
“Eretria.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eretria. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Eretria.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eretria.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Eretria’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eretria (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻