Farsala
Farsala (
Greek: Φάρσαλα), ancient times:
Pharsalus a city in
Thessaly, in central
Greece. It is one of the largest cities in its prefecture and is also a municipality as well as a province. Farsala is located in southern Thessaly as well as southern
Larissa Prefecture. Farsala is linked with
GR-3, the old highway linking
Larissa and
Lamia and is al accessed with
GR-30 linking
Karditsa and
Volos. The superhighway,
GR-1/
E65 and
E75 runs to the east. Farsala is not bypassed. The mountains that are made up of several ranges are to the south while the
Thessalian Plain lies to the north, some hills to the east and the Pharsalean Fields in the central part. Farsala is located SE of
Karditsa, S of
Larissa, W of
Volos and N of
Lamia.
The area is an economic and the agricultural centre of the province. The population are mainly rural especially with
cotton production and breeding, one of the many are in local production units in agricultural production as well as clothing and textile industries. The main production in Farsala is
halva. The population (2006) is about 13,500. The population in 1981 was 7,094, in 1991 8,413 and in 2001 9,801.
Pharsalus (Greek: Φάρσαλος) was built over a hillside of Narthakios mountains at the elevation of 160 m. In the Mycenean period, the city was treated with the Homeric
Phthia, capital city of the Kingdom of the
Myrmidons and father of
Achilles. The Cyclopeian Wall still exists today which protected the city. A vaulted tomb existed from that period.
In the historic era, the city was known as Pharsalus and was one of the main cities in Thessaly and was the capital of the Phthotian tetrarch. In the
Persian Wars, it battled with the
Atheneans. A distinctive tribe of the city were the tribes of Echecratidon. In the early-
4th century BC, the city was a part of the Thessalian Commons. Later, joined the
Macedonian Kingdom under
Philip II. The beautiful area became a theatre where the Aetolians and the Thessalians clashed against the Macedonians especially during the
Second and the
Third Macedonian Wars. After the end of the Macedonian Kingdom, Farsala and the whole area became a part of the
Roman Republic. The whole area suffered destruction over the duration of the Roman Civil War, due to the passing out of the army and to the Thracians and other income tax that serviced the soldiers in the civil war.
Pharsalus was the site of the
Battle of Pharsalus in
48 BC located near Pharsalus in the fields where
Julius Caesar defeated
Pompey.
Farsala was liberated from the Ottoman Empire in
1881 and together with the rest of
Thessaly became part of
Hellenic Kingdom. During the
first Greco-Turkish War (1897), a major battle took place in the vicinity of Pharsala.
*
Stathmos Farsalon (Farsala Train Station) - located near Farsala
Farsala has schools, lyceums, a few gymnasia, a church, banks, a post office, a train station (Athens - Lamia - Larissa - Thessaloniki) and a square (
plateia).
| Year | Population | Change | Municipal population | Change |
|---|
| 1981 | 7,211 | - | - | - |
| 1991 | 8,457 | 1,202/16.67% | 9,464 | - |
*In Greek:
**
farsala,news,forum**
The New Farsala**
about farsala and more**http://hellas.teipir.gr/prefectures/greek/Larisas/Farsala.htm
**http://users.forthnet.gr/lar/aria/farsala.htm
**
e-city.gr - Farsala directory**
Agricultural Association Union of Farsala**
Mapquest - Farsala, street map not yet available
*In English:
**
Livius,
Pharsalus by Jona Lendering (ancient history)
*Coordinates:
*
List of communities of Larissa[
1]
