Achaean
/əˈkiːən
/adjective
1Relating to Achaea in ancient Greece.In 224 Antigonus marched south, organized his allies into a Hellenic League under Macedonian presidency, restored Achaean influence in Arcadia and in 222 invaded Laconia....
- Argos was an Achaean city in the Peloponnesus.
- The Achaean soldiers always sacrificed to Zeus.
1.1 literary (Especially in Homeric contexts) Greek.He kills almost a dozen Greek captains and the Achaean line begins to flee....
- Apparently particularly prominent in this respect is the North Aegean region, the home of Maron and Euneos's special gift-worthy wines and of the Thracian wine brought daily to Troy for the Achaean army.
- The entire Achaean army is kept well supplied at Troy; Eumaios has plenty of wine in his humble hut; and even plowmen drink wine to refresh themselves in the course of their work.
noun
1An inhabitant of Achaea.In Thessaly, the original revolt of the slaves occurred because the Thessalians were still at war with the neighbouring Achaeans and Magnesians....
- Philopoemen, the ancient leader of the Achaeans, is the embodiment of a prince who is constantly engaged in military affairs.
- The island's Greek heritage dates back to the Achaeans from southern Greece, who settled there between 2000 and 1600 BC.
1.1 literary (Especially in Homeric contexts) a Greek.In terms of simple military success, Achilles is 'the best of the Achaeans', or Greeks, but he takes the heroic code of honour to extremes....
- Chryses approached the Achaeans ' fast ships to win his daughter back, bringing a priceless ransom.
- Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.
The Achaeans were among the earliest Greek-speaking inhabitants of Greece, being established there well before the 12th century bc. Some scholars identify them with the Mycenaeans of the 14th-13th centuries bc. The Greek protagonists in the Trojan War are regularly called Achaeans in the Iliad, though this may have referred only to the leaders.