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{{Short description|Greek city in ancient Aetolia}}
{{For|the genus of beetles|Calydon (beetle)}}
{{Distinguish|Caledon (disambiguation){{!}}Caledon}}

[[File:Calydon Aetolia 2010.JPG|thumb|250px|The Laphrion sanctuary plateau of Calydon with [[Varasova]] mountain on the background.]]
[[File:Kalydon Aetolias 01.JPG|thumb|250px|Ancient [[Theater (building)|theater]] of Calydon]]
'''Calydon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|æ|l|ɪ|d|ɒ|n}}; {{langx|grc|[[wikt:Καλυδών|Καλυδών]]}}, {{Transliteration|grc|Kalydōn}}) was a [[Greece|Greek]] city in [[ancient Aetolia]], situated on the west bank of the river [[Evinos|Evenus]], 7.5 Roman miles (approx. 11&nbsp;km) from the sea.<ref name=EB1911>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Calydon}}</ref>
Its name is most famous today for the [[Calydonian boar]] that had to be overcome by heroes of the Olympian age.

==Mythology==
According to [[Greek mythology]], Calydon was founded by [[Aetolus]] in the land of the [[Curetes (tribe)|Curetes]], and was called Calydon, after the name of his son, [[Calydon (son of Aetolus)|Calydon]]. Calydon and the neighbouring town of [[Pleuron (Aetolia)|Pleuron]] are said by [[Strabo]] to have been once the "ornament" of Greece, but by his time (late 1st century BC) had sunk into insignificance. It is frequently mentioned in the ''[[Iliad]]'' by [[Homer]], who celebrates the fertility of the plain of "lovely" Calydon.<ref>Apollod 1.7.7; {{Cite Iliad|2.640, 9.577, 13.217, 14.116}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Strabo|pp. 450 ''et seq.'', 460.}}</ref> In the earliest times the inhabitants of Calydon appear to have been engaged in incessant hostilities with the Curetes, who continued to reside in their ancient capital Pleuron, and who endeavoured to expel the invaders from their country. A vivid account of one of the battles between the Curetes and Calydonians is given in an episode of the ''Iliad.''<ref>{{Cite Iliad|9.529, ''et seq.''}}</ref>

The heroes of Calydon are among the most celebrated of the heroic age. It was the residence of [[Oeneus]], father of Tydeus and Meleager, and grandfather of Diomedes. In the time of Oeneus [[Artemis]] sent a monstrous boar (the [[Calydonian Boar]]) to lay waste the fields of Calydon, which was hunted by Meleager and numerous other heroes. The Calydonians took part in the [[Trojan War]] under their king Thoas, the son (not the grandson) of Oeneus.<ref>{{Cite Iliad|2.638}}</ref>

==History==
Calydon is not often mentioned in the historical period. In 391&nbsp;BC, it was recorded as being in the possession of the [[ancient Achaea|Achaeans]], but the means of possession are unclear; however, it is better documented that [[Naupactus]] was given to the Achaeans at the close of the [[Peloponnesian War]], and it was probably the Achaeans settled at Naupactus who gained possession of the town.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Merker |first=Irwin L. |date=1989 |title=The Achaians in Naupaktos and Kalydon in the Fourth Century |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/148220 |journal=Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens |volume=58 |issue=3 |pages=303–311 |jstor=148220 |issn=0018-098X}}</ref> In the above-mentioned year the Achaeans at Calydon, were so hard pressed by the [[ancient Acarnania|Acarnanians]] that they applied to the [[ancient Sparta|Lacedaemonians]] for help; and [[Agesilaus II]] in consequence was sent with an army into Aetolia. Calydon remained in the hands of the Achaeans till the overthrow of the Spartan supremacy by the [[Battle of Leuctra]] (371&nbsp;BC), when [[Epaminondas]] restored the town to the Aetolians. In the civil war between [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Pompey]] (in 48 BC) it still appears as a considerable place; but a few years afterwards its inhabitants were removed by [[Augustus]] to [[Nicopolis]], which he founded to commemorate his victory at the [[Battle of Actium]] in 31&nbsp;BC. It continues however to be mentioned by the later geographers.<ref>{{Cite Hellenica|4.6.1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Pausanias|3|10|2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Diodorus|15.75}}</ref><ref>[[Julius Caesar|Caes.]] ''B.C.'' 3.35; {{Cite Mela|2.3.10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Pliny|4.3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Ptolemy|3.15.14}}</ref>

Calydon was the headquarters of the worship of [[Artemis|Artemis Laphria]], and when the inhabitants of the town were removed to Nicopolis, Augustus gave to [[Patrae]] in Achaea the statue of this goddess which had belonged to Calydon.<ref>{{Cite Pausanias|4|31|7}}, 7.18.8.</ref> There was also a statue of [[Dionysus]] at Patrae which had been removed from Calydon.<ref>{{Cite Pausanias|7|21|1}}</ref> Near Calydon there was a temple of [[Apollo|Apollo Laphrius]];<ref>{{Cite Strabo|p. 459}}</ref> and in the neighbourhood of the city there was also a lake celebrated for its fish.

Its site is located north of the modern [[Evinochori]].<ref>{{Cite Barrington|55}}</ref><ref>{{Cite DARE|21986}}</ref> One of the tunnels of the [[A5 motorway (Greece)|A5 motorway]] crosses under the ruins of Calydon, and is named the '''Calydon Tunnel''' ({{langx|el|Σήραγγα Καλυδώνας}}) after it.

==Archaeology==
Previous and more recent excavations have revealed many buildings including:

* the Hellenistic theatre of an unusual square plan{{sfn|Vikatou|Frederiksen|Handberg|2014}}
* the Hellenistic Heroon (palaestra) with a rich tomb underneath the Heroon{{sfn|Dyggve|Poulsen|Rhomaios|1934}}
* the Artemis Laphria sanctuary with the temple of Artemis, smaller temple of Apollo, and remains of other buildings spanning the Geometric to the Hellenistic period{{sfn|Dyggve|Poulsen|1948}}
* the Lower Acropolis where excavations were carried out recently uncovering a house from the 2nd cent BC{{sfn|Vikatou|Handberg|2017}}
* the Lower Town where a peristyle house and kilns were found{{sfn|Dietz|Stavropoulou-Gatsi|2011}}

==Finds==
Many finds from the site including ancient terracottas from the temple of Artemis are exhibited in the [http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/gh155.jsp?obj_id=3253 Archaeological Museum ] of [[Agrinion]] and in the [[National Archaeological Museum, Athens]].

== See also ==
*[[List of ancient Greek cities]]
*[[Calydonian Boar]]
*[[Oeneus]]
*[[Meleagros]]
{{Coord|38.372423|N|21.533106|E|format=dms|display=title|source:http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21986}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
;Archaeological reports
*{{cite book |first1=Ejnar|last1=Dyggve |first2=Frederik|last2= Poulsen |first3=Konstantinos |last3=Rhomaios  |title=Das Heroon von Kalydon |date=1934 |publisher=Levin & Munksgaard |location=Copenhagen}}
*{{cite book |first1=Ejnar|last1=Dyggve |first2=Frederik|last2=Poulsen  |title=Das Laphrion, der Tempelbezirk von Kalydon |date=1948 |publisher=Kongelige danske Videnskabernes Selskab. Arkæologisk- kunsthistoriske Skrifter, Bd. 1, Nr. 2 |location=Copenhagen}}
*{{cite book |last1=Dietz|first1=S.|first2=M.|last2=Stavropoulou-Gatsi |title=Kalydon in Aitolia: reports and studies ; Danish/Greek field work 2001-2005. Vol. 1-2 |date=2011 |publisher=Aarhus University Press |location=Aarhus |isbn=9788772886282}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Vikatou|first1=O.|first2=R.|last2=Frederiksen|first3=S.|last3=Handberg |title=The Danish-Greek Excavations at Kalydon, Aitolia: The Theatre. Preliminary report from the 2011 and 2012 campaigns |journal=Proceedings of the Danish Institute at Athens |date=2014 |volume=VII |pages=221–234 |url=https://tidsskrift.dk/pdia/issue/view/3458}}
*{{cite book |last1=Vikatou|first1=O.|first2=S.|last2=Handberg |title=The Lower Acropolis of Kalydon in Aitolia. Preliminary report on the excavations carried out in 2013-15 |journal=Proceedings of the Danish Institute at Athens |date=2017 |volume=VIII |pages=191–206|doi=10.2307/j.ctv3405qph.10 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Frederiksen |first1=Rune |last2=Handberg |first2=Søren |title=The ancient theatre at Kalydon in Aitolia |date=2023 |publisher=Aarhus University Press |location=Aarhus |isbn=9788772192826}}
;Discussions
* {{DGRG|title=Calydon}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Aetolia]]
[[Category:Populated places in ancient Aetolia]]
[[Category:Cities in ancient Greece]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Greece]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Greece]]
[[Category:Populated places disestablished in the 1st century BC]]
[[Category:1st-century BC disestablishments in Greece]]
[[Category:Places in the Iliad]]