AEtolia

AEtolia, a mountainous and woody country of ancient Greece, having the Gulf of Corinth as its S. boundary, and separated on the W. by the river Achelous from Acarnania. Fertile plains stretch along the coast and the banks of the Achelous. The population was wild, treacherous, and uncivilised, but courageous and patriotic. During the palmy days of Greece they played no important part, but the AEtolian League held out long against Philip of Macedon and the Achaean League. The AEtolians joined the Romans against Macedon, but subsequently turned against their allies, and were completely subdued by AEmilius Paullus. Ultimately their country was merged in the province of Achaia. Before the disruption of the Greek Empire, Theodorus Angelus established a dynasty in AEtolia and Epirus, which lasted till 1432, when the Turks put an end to it. George Castriot, known as Scanderbeg, struggled for a time against Mohammedan supremacy, but the country was reduced by Mohammed II. It now forms part of the kingdom of Greece.