Quick Facts
- Modern Greek:
- Kithairón
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Cithaeron
mountains, Greece
Also known as: Kithairón
Cithaeron, mountain range in Greece, separating Boeotia from Megaris and Attica (Modern Greek: Attikí). Its western end reaches the Gulf of Corinth (Korinthiakós). The range has a maximum elevation of 4,623 feet (1,409 meters). In ancient times, the road from Athens to Thebes crossed the range via the pass of Dryoscephalae (modern Dhríos Kefáli). On the north slope of Mount Cithaeron is Plataea, site of one of the major battles of the Greco-Persian Wars (479 bce). Cithaeron is famous in Greek mythology. There Actaeon was changed into a stag, Pentheus was torn into pieces by the Bacchantes, and the infant Oedipus was left to die. It was the scene of the mystic rites of Dionysus and of the festival of the Daedala in honor of Hera.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.