Patras

Patras, or PATRÆ, a fortified seaport town and the most important in the west of Greece, climbs up a hillside and spreads out at its foot on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Patras, by rail 81 miles W. by N. of Corinth and 137 W. by N. of Athens. It is a handsome city, having been almost entirely rebuilt after the ravages of the war of liberation (1821). It is defended by a citadel, is the seat of an archbishop, and has a spacious new harbour (1880) protected by a mole. It ships great quantities of currants, chiefly to Great Britain and France, the former taking from 50,000 to 60,000 and the latter from 18,000 to 38,000 tons annually. Besides currants, olive-oil, wine, valonia, &c. are exported. The imports embrace chiefly woollen and cotton goods, iron, machinery, coal. British ships import goods to the annual value of £246,400, and carry away exports to £1,173,000. Pop. (1879) 25,494; (1889) 44,970. Patræ is the only one of the 'twelve cities' of Achaia which still exists as a town; but most of its relics have been swept away by earthquake (551, 1820) and siege (by the Spaniards in 1532 and 1595, by the Knights of St John in 1603, and by the Greeks, 1822-28). It was an early seat of Christianity, having an archbishop before 347.