Regions of ancient Greece

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The regions of ancient Greece were sub-divisions of the Hellenic world as conceived by the Ancient Greeks of antiquity, shown by their presence in the works of ancient historians and geographers or in surviving legends and myths.

Conceptually, there is no clear theme to the structure of these regions. Some, particularly in the Peloponnese, can be seen primarily as distinct geo-physical units, defined by physical boundaries such as mountain ranges and rivers. Conversely, the division of central Greece between Boeotia, Phocis, Doris and the three parts of Locris, seems to be attributable to ancient tribal divisions and not major geographical features. Both types of regions retained their identity throughout the Greek Dark Ages and its tumultuous changes in the local population and culture, giving them a less political and more symbolic presence.

Other geographical divisions not identified with the aforementioned areas did, however, change over time, suggesting a closer connection with tribal identity. Regardless of their rates of fluctuation, all such regions would eventually take on geo-political meanings, with regional political bodies like the Arcadian League commonly unifying its poleis under a confederation (see symmachia) in the Classical period.

These traditional sub-divisions of Greece form the basis for the modern system of regional units of Greece. However, there are important differences, with many of the smaller ancient regions not represented in the current system.