Boeotia has significant political importance, owing to its position on the north shore of the Gulf of Corinth, the strategic strength of its frontiers, and the ease of communication within its extensive area.

On the other hand, the lack of good harbors hinders its maritime development.

The Boeotian people, although they include great men like Pindar, Hesiod, Epaminondas, Pelopidas and Plutarch, are portrayed as proverbially dull by the Athenians.The importance of the legendary Minyae has been confirmed by archaeological remains (notably the "Treasury of Minyas").

The Boeotian population seems to have entered the land from the north possibly before the Dorian invasion.

With the exception of the Minyae, the original peoples are soon absorbed by these immigrants, and the Boeotians henceforth appear as a homogeneous nation.

Aeolic Greek is spoken in Boeotia.In historical times, the leading city of Boeotia is Thebes, whose central position and military strength make it a suitable capital; other major towns are Orchomenus, Plataea, and Thespiae.

It is the constant ambition of the Thebans to absorb the other townships into a single state, just as Athens has annexed the Attic communities.

But the outlying cities successfully resist this policy, and only allow the formation of a loose federation which, initially, is merely religious.