Echinus (Acarnania)

Image:Map of ancient Epirus and environs (English).svg

Echinus or Echinos ({{langx|el|Εχῖνος}}) was an ancient Greek town of Acarnania.{{harvnb|Hansen|Nielsen|2004|p=359}}. Legend has it that it was founded by a Greek mythological figure named Echinus.{{Cite Stephanus|s.v}}: "Ἐχῖνος, πόλις Ἀκαρνανἰας, Ἐχίνου κτίσμα. Ῥιανὸς Ἐχίονος ἄστυ ταύτην εἶπεν. ὁ πολίτης Ἐχιναῖος ὡς χέρσος χερσαῖος καὶ Ἄπειρος Ἀπειραῖος Κύφος Κυφαῖος. καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἐχιναῖος Ἐχιναιεύς ὡς Κρηταῖος Κρηταιεύς. τίνες δὲ Ἐχινοῦντα φασὶ τὴν αὐτήν." It is mentioned by the poet Rhianus, and appears in the list of cities of Acarnania transmitted by Pliny the Elder, who places it between Heraclea and Actium.{{Cite Pliny|4.1.5}}: "Acarnaniae, quae antea Curetis vocabatur, oppida: Heraclia, Echinus et in ore ipso colony Augusti Actium cum temple Apollinis nobili ac civitate libera Nicopolitana." The site of Echinus is near the modern town of Vonitsa, probably the kastro (or castle) of Profitis Elias.{{Cite Barrington|54}}{{harvnb|Perlman|2000|p=119}}.