Aetolia

Aetolia, district of ancient Greece on the northern coast of the Gulf of Corinth. It was named for Aetolus, son of King Endymion of Elis, who was said to have fled there after a manslaughter; the story probably reflects the southward migration of northern tribes during the 2nd millennium bc. The district is also prominent in Greek mythology as the site of the Calydonian boar hunt (see Meleager).

The Aetolians long retained their loose tribal organization, but in the 4th century bc they united in the Aetolian League. During the Middle Ages, Aetolia was part of the Byzantine Empire and later passed to the Ottoman Empire. It now forms part of the Greek department (nome) of Aetolia and Acarnania.