Evrytania

There are two possible explanations for the origin of the name "Evrytania". The first is that is formed from the Greek word "ev" for "well" and the verb "chreo", for "flow" so that altogether the word "Evrytania" means the place where there is plenty of fresh and "well flown" water. The second explanation for the names origins comes from the verb "evryo", meaning "stretching the cord of the bow", hence the name of the first king of the area, Evrytos, who was an excellent archer.

Evrytania dates to ancient times, the area was first settled around 6000 to 5000 BC. In classical antiquity, the Greek Eurytanes resided in the region. In the 2nd century BC it fell into Roman hands, and became part of the Roman province of Macedonia (Roman province). At the division of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century it joined the eastern part, which became the Byzantine Empire. In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 it became part of the Despotate of Epirus, which was conquered by the Ottoman Empire around 1450. Unlike other parts of Greece at the time, while the Ottomans definitively ruled the eastern and the southern parts, the area around Agrafa managed to sustain complete autonomy due to the difficulties experienced in conquest of the region. After 400 years, Evrytania finally became part of Greece following the Greek War of Independence. As in all of Greece, the area was affected by World War II, and later the Greek Civil War. Peace finally returned to Evrytania at the end of the 1940s and its economy expanded, though there was significant migration from the villages to cities.