AKRATA
The coastal zone of Akrata had been inhabited since prehistoric times.
The first inhabitants of Aegialia were the Pelasgians, a people of Indo-European origin who around 1500 BC. mingled with the newly arrived Ionians.
Around 1100 BC the descent of the Dorians to the flourishing Achaean centers (Eliki, Hypersia, Kyrenia, Aegio, etc.) will cause the movement of the Achaeans from Mycenae, Laconia and Messinia to Aegialia, where they will eventually settle permanently.
In 800 BC approximately the First Achaean Commonwealth will be founded and in 281 BC. the Second Achaean Commonwealth, which ended with Roman rule in 146 BC.
The Romans will give way to the Byzantines (120 AD) and after the fall of Constantinople to the Franks, in 1204, the area will become part of the principality of Achaia.
From 1446 to 1687 we have the first period of the Turkish rule. The hopes of shaking off the Turkish yoke were then embodied by the gangs of "armatols" and "thieves" who operated in the main mountainous areas and caused constant concern to the Turkish authorities.
The families of the Soliotes, the Petmezai and the Lechurites emerged at that time and became known for their activities.
In 1687, the Venetians managed to take control of Eastern Achaia, while in 1715 they once again handed over sovereignty to the Turks, at which point the second period of Turkish rule began.
The area had an active participation in the Revolution of 1821. Here in 1832 3,500 men of Dramalis were besieged, of which only a thousand were saved.
After the liberation, Eastern Achaia participates in the fight for the emergence and organization of the until then enslaved country into a state.
The Second World War will mark the region, while the period of the Occupation proves to be particularly harsh as several Akratians were arrested and executed by the Germans, among them Christos Homenidis (1901-1944), first General Secretary of the Socialist Party of Greece and a witness of the National Resistance.
After the war, Akrata experienced development in many areas.
The tourist boom was rampant, especially in the seaside zone but also in the area of ​​Zarouchla. There was a great flourishing in letters, since there was an important intellectual background.
Here lived the notable playwright Spyros Peresiadis (1854 - 1918), who became known for his plays "Golfo", "Sclava" and "Esme", Ioannis Andrikopoulos, founder of the iconography school of Akrata and the multi-talented George Kanellopoulos (1834 -1923) who dealt with iconography, painting, poetry and literature.
Akrata, capital of Eastern Aegialia, is a beautiful coastal town with 5000 inhabitants at the mouth of the Krathis River. The toponym Akrata "is a variant of Krathis (Krathis - Krata - Akrata) and Krathis according to Strabo, from krinasthai (to remind, to join) because it is indeed a union - an alloy of two mainly river arms" (from the book by Tasos Georgandopoulos, " Foundation and development of Akrata").
We know that today's Akrata was created by residents of the mountainous village of Halkianika in Nonakrida, who around 1790 began to move and around 1850 settled permanently, together with residents from other villages of Nonakrida.

MUNICIPALITY OF LARISSOS
In ancient times, the Pelasgitian city of Larissa existed in the area, which today is identified with the later known city of Dymi. The small river Larisos, which flows to this day, also took its name from this city.
The 3rd BC century the region appears with two famous cities separated by the river Larisos, Dymi & Ilida. But the hostile relations that had contributed to their decline thus facilitated the dominance of the Romans in the region.
Afterwards, the place constantly changes rulers: Franks, Byzantines, Venetians, Turks. Uncertainty leads to desertification and the area turns into a dense oak forest. Thus, from the 17th century two monasteries of Achaia, the Chrysopodaritissa Monastery of Nezeron and the Mega Cave, which were prosperous found themselves owners of large lands.
During the revolution, in the Black Mountains and in the forest of Strofylia, the thieves had a refuge and from here many of the attacks against the Turks started. In 1887, the Manolada forest was donated to the successor Constantinos, as his personal estate, and the Pope's fish farm was also provided to him.
In 1923 the state donated the land to refugees and landless people from the surrounding villages.
In 1943, the Germans, in their attempt to better organize their defense, caused destruction to ancient positions such as the Dymaian Wall and the Mycenaean acropolis.
All these events unforeseen by history will mark the birth of a new settlement and will define a new historical era in the area of ​​the Larissa river, they will contribute to the creation of a municipality, the Municipality of Larissa.

Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou