PREFECTURE OF ETOLOKARNANIA

The district borders with the districts Fthiotida, Fokida and Evritania in the east, with the districts Karditsa and Arta in the north and with the Amvrakikos gulf in the north-east, with the Ionian Sea in the west and with the Korinthian gulf in the south.
The opposition between Akarnans and Etolians is historical. They had separate religions and administrative centres (Thermos for the Etolians, Stratos and Olpe for the Akarnans), they were always in opposing sides and they fought repeatedly each other until Oktavios subjected them to the Roman Empire. Thus both cities became Roman provinces. From that time they had had a common evolution. The Akarnan cities were organized and they constituted the "Koinon" (Stratos, Amphilohikon, Argos, Limnea, Olpes, Iniades, Anaktorion, Aktion etc.).
The Akarnans were friend and allies with the Athenian and they cooperated in the Persian Wars and in the Peloponnesian War, whereas the Etolias abstained. In 391 they subjected to Sparta, later to Thiva, in 255 to the Macedonians and after the battle at Kinos Kefales (197 BC.) they surrounded to the Romans. The Etolians were united in 426 when they defeated the Athenian. Etolia started having an important role in Greece when the Etolian Union was created in which all the Etolian cities participated. Their prestige was reinforced when they made Delphous participate in their Union (298) and they defeated the Galates. Thus they gained the right to participate in the Amphiktionies. Later they intruded Peloponnisos, they created an Association of the Arcadian cities and they "inaugurated" their naval policy which was based on piracy and on tax release. Its decline started when Philip B' allied with the Achaic Union and he led the two Unions in war (220 - 217 BC.). As a result the Etolians were subjected to the Romans who took many territories and, what is more, Emilios Pavlos exterminated all the anti - Roman opposing elements.
From the 3rd century AD Aitoloakarnania had been invaded by many barbarian tribes. During the Byzantine period, Etolia and Akarnania belonged to differed administrative centers. New barbarian tribes invaded the two territories. After the occupation of Constantinouple by the Francs (1204), Aitoloakarnania became a province of Despotato of Ipeiros. Later the Albanians invaded the area but Karolos A' Tokkos, the lord of Kefallinias and Zakinthos, defeated them and then he intruded Aitoloakarnania with the wish to reorganize the Despotato. Then there was the Turkish penetration. They subjugated all those areas apart from Nafpaktos which was ruled by the Venetian. Afterwards, Akarnania would become the main centre of the Greek Liberation. As it is mountainous and isolated, it never was totally subjugated. Many people from other areas went there and they had lived armed for four centuries either as guerrillas or as thieves. Before the Revolution in 1821 there had been many groups of guerrillas entrusted with police duties in Aitoloakarnania. Especially Xiromero became the center of the thieve. In general, Aitoloakarnania was one of the centers where the Greek spirit was molded and developed during the Turkish rule. Evgenios the Etolian, Kosmas the Etolian and others are some of the representatives of that spirit. Also Mesologi's resistance to the Turkish invasion has been a unique landmark. Aitoloakarnania liberated and became part of the Greek state in 1829.