Abantis Islands

The banner of the Abantis Islands

The Abantis Islands is a group of Greek islands formed by Euboea and Skyros.

Mythology

In the Greek mythology, the Abantis Islands, specifically Skyros, were where the hero Achilles was hidden in order to avoid his fate in the Trojan War. The islands are also where another hero, Theseus, was said to have died.

History

In the 5th century BCE, the two most prominent cities in this region were Chalkis City and Eretria. Rivals to one another for control over trade and hegemony, they warred incessantly until around 480 BCE when Eretria was devastated by the Persians during the Second Persian invasion of Greece. Unable to recover its former strength, Eretria was attacked by Chalkis not long afterward in an attempt to enslave its people.

By the time of the Peloponnesian War, the islands had fallen under the terror of the bandit group The Dagger, led by an infamous man known only as the "Kingfisher".

Economy

By the time of the Peloponnesian War, the islands were thriving, despite Eretria still being in ruins and under reconstruction. The economy of the islands was primarily built on slave trade and copper, as well as grain and cattle.

Behind the scenes

The Abantis Island in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey are named after an ancient Ionian Greek tribe, the Abantes, that made the region their home.

The emblem of the Abantis Islands in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is a golden head of a bull. This relates to both the name of Euboea, derived from the Greek words εὖ ('good') and βοῦς ('ox'), as well as the worship of the goddess Artemis, which included oxen in her local temple. The design was taken from the silver drachmae of the Euboean League.

In Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, the Abantis Islands have the epithet "Islands of the Fall."

Gallery

A view of the Abantis Islands, with Boeotia on the right

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey