city state · Greece and the Aegean
Phlius
Origins
Phlius occupied an upland valley south-west of Corinth, at the head of the Asopus river. Dorian settlers from Argos formed the city in the early Iron Age. It was a small agricultural state known for its wine.
Rule and society
Phlius was usually an oligarchy and a loyal member of the Peloponnesian League. A democratic faction took power in the 380s BCE, and Agesilaus II of Sparta besieged the city from 381 to 379 BCE to restore the exiles. Xenophon praised the Phliasians for their faithfulness to Sparta during Theban invasions in the 360s BCE. The dramatist Pratinas, credited with the satyr play, was a citizen.
Decline and legacy
Phlius joined the Achaean League in 229 BCE, after its tyrant stepped down, and passed under Roman control in 146 BCE.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Phlius was part of Peloponnesian League550 BCE – 366 BCE
- Phlius was part of Achaean League229 BCE – 146 BCE
More states of Greece and the Aegean →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Phlius. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/phlius
- MLA
- “Phlius.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/phlius. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Phlius.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/phlius.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Phlius’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/phlius (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻