• 1Relating to Achaea in ancient Greece.

  Example sentencesExamples

  • The Achaean soldiers always sacrificed to Zeus.
  • Argos was an Achaean city in the Peloponnesus.
  • 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.

  1. 1.1literary (especially in Homeric contexts) Greek.
     Example sentencesExamples

     • He begged the whole Achaean army but most of all the two supreme commanders, Atreus' two sons,
     • The war had also weakened the coalition in the region which included Troy, allowing successful Achaean expansion from across the Aegean under Agememnon.
     • He kills almost a dozen Greek captains and the Achaean line begins to flee.
     • 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.
     • 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.

• 1An inhabitant of Achaea.

  Example sentencesExamples

  • 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. 1.1literary (especially in Homeric contexts) a Greek.
     Example sentencesExamples

     • Chryses approached the Achaeans ' fast ships to win his daughter back, bringing a priceless ransom.
     • The procedure is exactly the same as Chryses' in Book 1 of the Iliad, where the priest reminds Apollo of his piety on many occasions, so that the god may feel the readier to punish the Achaeans for their blasphemy.
     • 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.
     • He was the best of the Achaeans, a warrior by whom all other warriors were to be measured.
     • 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