tribal confederation · Greece and the Aegean

Ozolian Locris

700 BCE – 146 BCE (approx.) · capital Amphissa

Confederation of the western Locrians on the Gulf of Corinth, centred on Amphissa, whose clash with the Amphictyony brought Philip II into central Greece.

Origins

The western or Ozolian Locrians lived on the northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth, west of Delphi, in small hill towns such as Amphissa, Chaleion and Oeanthea. They were related to the Locrians of Opuntian Locris but separated by Phocis and Doris. Naupactus was theirs until Athens gave it to Messenian refugees c. 456 BCE.

Rule and society

Thucydides described the western Locrians as still carrying arms in daily life, a sign of archaic customs. Their towns were loosely confederated, with Amphissa the most important. A bronze tablet from Chaleion of the 5th century BCE regulates disputes between towns, a rare early example of Greek inter-state law.

Decline and legacy

When Amphissa farmed the sacred plain of Delphi, the Amphictyony declared the Fourth Sacred War; Philip II destroyed Amphissa in 338 BCE. Western Locris later joined the Aetolian League and came under Rome in 146 BCE.

Connections (1)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻