Elis /ls/, or Eleia /la.

/ (Greek, Modern: Ilida,

Ancient: lis; Doric: Alis; Elean: Walis, ethnonym: ) is an ancient district that
corresponds with the modern Elis regional unit. It is in southern Greece on
the Peloponnesos peninsula, bounded on the north by Achaea, east by Arcadia, south by Messenia,
and west by the Ionian Sea. Over the course of the archaic and classical periods, the polis of Elis
controlled much of the region of Elis, most probably through unequal treaties with other cities, which
will have had perioikic status.
[1]

The first Olympic festival was organized in Elean land, Olympia, Greece by the authorities of Elis in
the 8th century BC, with tradition dating the first games at 776 BC. The Hellanodikai, the judges of
the Games, were of Elean origin.
[citation needed]

The local form of the name was Valis, or Valeia, and its meaning, in all probability, the lowland
(compare with the word "valley").
[citation needed]
In its physical constitution Elis is similar to Achaea and
Arcadia; its mountains are mere offshoots of the Arcadian highlands, and its principal rivers are fed
by Arcadian springs.
[citation needed]

According to Strabo,
[2]
the first settlement was created by Oxylus the Aetolian who invaded there and
subjugated the residents. The city of Elis underwent synoikismas Strabo notesin 471 BC.
[3]
Elis
held authority over the site of Olympia and the Olympic games.
The spirit of the games had influenced the formation of the market: apart from the bouleuterion,
which was housed in one of thegymnasia, most of the other buildings were related to the games,
including two gymnasia, a palaestrum, and the House of theHellanodikai.
[citation needed]