Aroanios

The Aroanios (Ancient Ἀ, Latin: Aroanius) is a river in the southern part of Achaea, Greece and a tributary of Ladon river. The water comes from the carbonate mountain range Aroania (1500-2300m). After 12 km, it meets the Ladonas (near to Pangrataika Kalyvia) in the area of "Helongospilia”.

The river has carried rock debris, soil and parts of trees and plants from the mountain range of Aroania (also known as Chelmos), to deposit it in the valley. This occurs mainly in the wet seasons of the Quaternary. In addition, the Scree (rock fragments) from the surrounding mountains formed further layers of sediment in the valley. The surface of the valley was gradually covered by layers of clayish, fertile soil. Valley and river achieved their modern form. People of the villages and small towns cultivated the ground. At the confluence of the small rivers, and Kleitoras, coming from the carbonate mountains in the west, their alluvial fan expanded the valley drastically. Here, on a hill in the widened valley, the largest town of the valley has developed: Kleitoria. The local residents turned the whole valley into a picturesque, beautiful Cultural landscape with fields, gardens and many trees. Its name is “Katsana”.

Pausanias (110-180 AD) in his book “Description of Greece” (Ancient Ἑ) already used the name “Aroanios” for the valley's river. The preserved publications of Polybios (208-125 BC, “Historíai”) and of Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79, “Naturalis historia”) confirm Pausanias’ description, but are less precise and informative. Aroanios is the river's official name. But at some point in the past the river bore the name Katzanas or Katsanas (en: Katzánas). The cited ancient book authors also report on the antique city Cleitor as predecessor of modern Kleitoria - again Pausanias is the most precise. Wall remnants are still visible in the valley only 1300m west of the modern town. At Kleitoria's position - in the middle of the broad valley - the three small river waters merge with River Aroanios. The River Aroanios must not be conf

Flows through: Greece.

River data from Wikidata (CC0); lengths normalised to a common unit.