EPIRUS
(MOLOSSIANS)
Incorporating
the Amantes, Chaonians, Eordaei, Lyncestae, Molossians, Orestae,
& Thesprotians :
North-western
Greece has been occupied since the Neolithic period by hunters and
shepherds in the mountainous inland regions, and by fishermen along
the coast. Then came the Yamnaya horizon and the arrival of a vast
influx of Indo-European peoples from the Pontic steppe. Initially
they were limited to the banks of the Danube but then they quickly
expanded across what is now Romania and the northern Balkans region.
A climate-induced drought around 1200 BC saw these Balkans tribes
forced into a further migration southwards across the rest of the
Balkans. It was a group which became identified as the Epirotes
which claimed the western coast below the Illyrians and above the
Mycenaeans.
The
peoples of Epirus were of the same general South-West Indo-European
stock as the Mycenaeans and their own eastern neighbours, the Macedonians.
The kingdom they formed in Epirus spanned the modern border between
Greece and Albania. It was separated from the Macedonians by the
Pindus Mountains and, as may be guessed, the region is mountainous
and rugged. The ancient Epirotes probably resembled their Macedonian
neighbours in their rough-and-ready style of living - and seem to
have been similarly regarded as barbarians by their counterparts
in southern Greece. Modern Greek Epirus is divided between the administrative
divisions of the Periphery of Epirus and Thessaly (the easternmost
section).
Epirus
was dominated by three primary tribes. The Molossians were said
to be descended from Molossos (tentatively dated to the twelfth
century BC), and were classed by Strabo as the most famous of the
total of fourteen tribes of Epirus. To their north were the Chaonians,
who appear to have been dominant prior to the arrival of Neoptolemus,
and to the south-west was the state of the Thesprotians, on the
coast. All three tribes formed the most powerful elements of previous
smaller tribes in the region. However, the so-called kingdom of
Epirus seems to have predated the arrival of the Epirotes themselves
- Mycenaean-era rulers are ascribed to it - and if the name predated
the climate-induced migration of Indo-Europeans of the Danubian
region then those arrivals must have adopted that name when they
got there.
That
(semi-legendary) early kingdom of Epirus which was formed by Mycenaeans
(or even Trojans!) probably equated only to the central regions
of the later Epirote kingdom, the region held by the Molossians
themselves. Others of the fourteen tribes - the more minor units
in the region - included the Amantes of the most northern area of
Epirus, on the coast at the Gulf of Oricos into which empties the
River Chaonia (not to be confused with the Illyrian Amantini), the
Eordaei and Orestae immediately to the north-west of Mount Olympus,
and the Lyncestae of Upper Macedonia. John Wilkes also considered
the Dassaretii to have been a tribe of the Chaonians. Could the
Molossians have remained the Mycenaean core population even after
the arrival of the 'barbarians' from the north? It is entirely possible,
although they would have gained a layer of Epirote nobility and
control over the top of their own social structure.
The
Lyncestae of the region of Lynkestis (Lyncestis) are especially
interesting in this context. Crossland and Birchall Duckworth state:
'Proto Greek... Lynkos, Lynkai, from "lunx" (gen. "lunkos"),
"lynx"... in the region defined just above, roughly northern
and north-western Greece... Since Greek place-names are very dense
in that region and they have a very archaic appearance, one may
suppose that the proto-Greeks were settled in it during many centuries
and even millennia". That seems to suggest an early settlement
of proto-Greeks here, but does not offer an opinion on whether they
may be Mycenaeans, Dorians, or any other form of South-West Indo-European
group.
Intriguingly,
the Chaonian name is remarkably similar to that of the Chaones,
or Chones, of Iron Age Italy. The dominant Chaonians seem to have
been usurped in the lower Balkans by the arrival of Greeks (Mycenaeans)
in the twelfth century BC. This makes an already confusing situation
even more so, as the Mycenaeans were hardly in a state in the 1100s
BC to expand northwards along the Adriatic coast. Could it instead
have been Dorians, diverted in part from their entry into Mycenaean
Greece and virtually the same in terms of language and customs?
Or the Epirotes themselves, chasing out a tribe which refused to
cooperate? The Dorians at least would become the driving force behind
the creation of Classical Greece anyway, so perhaps whatever oral
tradition existed that produced this information could have been
amended by later generations to state that it was generalised Greeks
who were responsible. The Illyrians to the near north enjoyed a
degree of migration across the Adriatic and into south-eastern Italy,
probably in the eleventh and tenth centuries BC. Later Greek authors
thought these Illyrians had a Greek origin (echoes of that shared
Danubian heritage again), so the possibility is suggested that the
Italic Chones may have been Epirote Chaonians who migrated out of
the lower Balkans in the eleventh or tenth century, after losing
their place due to newcomer or rival tribal interference.
(Information
by Peter Kessler and Edward Dawson, with additional information
from Europe Before History, Kristian Kristiansen, from The Iliad,
Homer (Translated by E V Rieu, Penguin Books, 1963), from A Dictionary
of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, William Smith (Ed),
from An Historical Geography of Europe, Norman J G Pounds (Abridged
Version), from The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age
Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, David
W Anthony, from Researches into the Physical History of Mankind,
Vol 3, Issue 1, James Cowles Prichard, from History of Humanity
- Scientific and Cultural Development: From the Third Millennium
to the Seventh Century BC (Vol II), Ahmad Hasan Dani, Jean-Pierre
Mohen, J L Lorenzo, & V M Masson (Unesco 1996), from Bronze
Age Migrations in the Aegean; Archaeological and Linguistic Problems
in Greek Prehistory, R A Crossland & Ann Birchall Duckworth
(Proceedings of the First International Colloquium on Aegean Prehistory,
Sheffield, 1973), from The Illyrians, John Wilkes (Blackwell Publishers
Inc, 1995 & 1996), and from External Links: Geography, Strabo
(H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition),
and Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European
languages in Europe (Nature), and Indo-European Etymological Dictionary,
J Pokorny, and DNA clue to origins of early Greek civilization (BBC
News), and The Greeks really do have near-mythical origins, ancient
DNA reveals (Science).)
?-
c.1183 BC :
Echetos
: Renowned for his brutality. Overthrown by Neoptolemus?
c.1183
BC :
Following the conclusion of the Trojan War and the sack of
Troy, Neoptolemus and his Phthian followers settle in Epirus, seemingly
away from the growing chaos caused by the Dorian invasion of Greece
and the collapse of Mycenaean civilisation. There they found the
city of Buthrotum and interbreed with the local inhabitants, becoming
part of the population. Neoptolemus brings with him Andromache,
the widow of Hector of Troy and now his own concubine, and Elenos,
a brother of Hector, as a slave.
![Map of Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Greece 1200 BC](Map_EasternEurope1200BC_full.jpg)
Climate-induced
drought in the thirteenth century BC created great instability in
the entire eastern Mediterranean region, resulting in mass migration
in the Balkans, as well as the fall of city states and kingdoms
further east
Archaeologists
have found large tumuli containing shaft graves and remains that
are almost certainly the bodies of former leaders. These graves
are similar to those of the Mycenaeans, clearly indicating a link
between the two if only a cultural one, but whether it is the arrival
of Mycenaean refugees at the end of the Trojan War that introduces
these practises, or they existed because of a shared cultural background
beforehand is unknown.
c.1183
- ? BC :
Neoptolemus
/ Neoptolemos : Son of Achilles of Phthia. Murdered at
Delphi.
After the death of Neoptolemus, Elenos marries Andromache and rules
the kingdom with her alongside him. His friend or brother from Troy,
Chaon, is probably an invention by later Greeks to give the neighbouring
Chaonians an air of legitimacy in their claim to be a Greek
or even Trojan people. Chaon gives his own life to save his followers
so, when Elenos gains the kingdom, he names part of it in honour
of Chaon.
Elenos
: Son of Priam of Troy.
Chaon
: Friend or brother of Elenos. Eponymous founder of Chaonians.
After
the death of Elenos, Andromache retires to Pergamum to live with
her son, King Pergamus. Her other son, Molossos, the eponymous founder
of the tribe into which the Mycenaean contingent under Neoptolemus
has already settled, gains the Epirote throne.
Molossos
: Son of Neoptolemus and Andromache.
Driantos
: Relationship unknown.
fl
c.1125 BC :
Pandrasus
: Legendary king who fought Brutus of Latium.
Geoffrey of Monmouth expands on a story recorded by Nennius for
his twelfth century AD work, History of the Kings of Britain.
He covers the founding of Celtic Britain by reciting the story of
Brutus, who is exiled from Latium and finds his way to Greece. There,
he finds the descendants of fellow Trojans who are slaves under
Pandrasus, 'King of the Greeks'. The two go to war to decide the
fate of the slaves and Brutus wins. He marries the king's daughter,
Imogen and takes his new followers to Britain, which they occupy
as their own.
![Epirote mountains](Epirus_Mountains01_full.jpg)
The
mountainous landscape of all but coastal Epirus required a hardy
inhabitant, and the region's remoteness may have had a bearing on
its poorly recorded history in the ancient world
Munichos
: Son of Driantos?
Alkander
: Son?
11th
century BC
:
Epirus
fades from view as far as oral tradition is concerned. Nothing more
is known of the kingdom until the fifth century BC, at which point
it appears to have continued to survive, possibly continuously since
there are no competing foundation legends.
Epirus
(Greeks) :
The origins of Greek-dominated Epirus are highly uncertain, especially
as most of the available evidence comes from Greek myth and legend.
It seems likely that it was already occupied by Neolithic descendants
of the farmer cultures of 'Old Europe' before being taken over by
a warrior-based aristocracy in the early twelfth century BC. A climate-induced
drought around 1200 BC saw the South-West Indo-European tribes of
the Balkans forced into a southwards migration into Greece.
At the same time, Troy had fallen and a group of Trojans is claimed
to have sought refuge in Epirus, founding its own dynasty of rulers
there. The truth of the matter is impossible to deduce, but Epirus
is Greek, so its people were almost certainly Mycenaeans, or of
closely-related South-West Indo-European stock, or perhaps one or
both with a thin layer of refugee Trojan nobility added.
(Information by Peter Kessler and Edward Dawson, with additional
information from Europe Before History, Kristian Kristiansen,
from The Iliad, Homer (Translated by E V Rieu, Penguin Books,
1963), from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology,
William Smith (Ed), from An Historical Geography of Europe,
Norman J G Pounds (Abridged Version), and from External Links:
Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London,
1903, Perseus Online Edition), and Massive migration from the steppe
was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe (Nature), and
Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, J Pokorny, and DNA clue to
origins of early Greek civilization (BBC News), and The Greeks really
do have near-mythical origins, ancient DNA reveals (Science).)
c.770
BC :
According
to the Chronicon by Eusebius, Caranus takes his followers
north from Argos to aid the king of the Orestae, who is at war with
his neighbours, the Eordaei. The Orestae (a sub-tribe of the Molossians)
occupy a location in central-northern Greece, to the north-east
of Epirus itself and immediately north-west of Mount Olympus.
The
king promises Caranus half his territory in return for his successful
aid. The Orestae are indeed successful and the king keeps his promise,
probably giving Caranus the eastern half of the territory where
he founds the Macedonian kingdom. The Macedonians appear to enjoy
close and friendly relations with the Epirotes from the very beginning.
fl
c.560 BC :
Alcon
: King? A suitor for Agariste of Sicyon.
5th
century BC
:
By
this time, the Molossians of Epirus appear to have largely absorbed
or merged with the Chaonians to the north and the Thesprotians to
the south. This absorption probably serves to form the territory
that is ruled as part of Epirus as it is known to the emerging Classical
Greeks. It seems to be little more than a political absorption,
however, as all three tribes are able to separately dictate their
fate at the formation of the Epirote League in 325 or 320 BC.
![The city of Amantia in Albania](Epirus_Amantia01_full.jpg)
One
of the gates of the city of Amantia show very clearly how the tribe
of the Amantes was 'civilised' during the course of Classical Greece's
progression towards dominating the ancient world (reproduced with
permission by Carole Raddato at External Link: Amantia, Albania)
The
Epirotes live a less advanced life than do their Hellenic cousins
further south. The city or polis is unknown here, with most people
living in small villages instead. The region remains a frontier
territory, forever fending off the Illyrians to the north, but the
existence of the oracle at Dodona makes Epirus a much more important
state that it might otherwise be, as the oracle is second only to
Delphi in its importance.
Sibilynthos
c.469
- 450 BC :
Admitos / Admetos
468
- 459 BC :
Admitos opposes Themistocles, who is in effective control of Athens,
but the two do not come to blows over the issue. Admitos' successor
seems to be unknown but, during that period, the reign of Arrhabaeus
is especially strong as king of the Lyncestae tribe in Upper
Macedonia which is usually seen as a Molossian sub-tribe.
c.450
- 423 BC :
?
: Name unknown.
fl
424 - 423 BC :
Arrhabaeus
: King of the Lyncestae.
424
- 423 BC :
The Lyncestae have been increasingly of late drawn into the Macedonian
sphere of influence. Claiming descent from Corinthian exiles of
the Bacchiades ruling family of the seventh century BC, Arrhabaeus
revolts against Perdiccas II of Macedonia. Things come to a head
at the Battle of Lyncestis in 423 BC, part of the Peloponnesian
Wars. The Macedonians are forced into a humiliating retreat
after having seen the strength of the joint Lyncestae and Illyrian
army opposing them.
c.423
- 395 BC :
Tharypas
fl
423 - 393 BC :
Sirras
/ Sirrhas : Son-in-law of Arrhabaeus. King of the Lyncestae.
c.395
- 370 BC :
Alcetas
I : First Aeacid king.
c.393
BC :
While
Bardylis of the Illyrian tribe of the Dardani does not conquer the
Lyncestae directly, it does seem to be a fact that he gains control
of them from around this date, as part of his growing kingdom which
soon abuts the borders of Macedonia.
385
BC :
The
Molossians are attacked by Illyrians, part of a plot which has been
instigated and supported by Dionysius of Syracuse. He wants to place
Alcetas on the Epirote throne as part of his plan to control the
entire Ionian Sea. Sparta intervenes and expels the Illyrians after
defeating them in battle, although the Illyrians are reputed to
kill 15,000 Molossians and ravage the region before this happens.
c.370
- 360 BC :
Neoptelemus
I : Son. Numbering seems to ignore Neoptolemus of c.1183
BC.
370
BC :
Neoptelemus
begins the consolidation of the Epirote kingdom at the expense of
neighbouring tribes, although just how centralised his kingdom becomes
is open to debate given the apparently semi-independent nature of
the three main Epirote tribes in later years. Some sources claim
that Neoptelemus and his brother, Arybbas, agree to divide the kingdom
upon the death of their father and the two are able to rule their
respective territories in peace. The kingdom is reunited under Arybbas
following the death of his brother.
360
- 342 BC :
Arybbas
/ Arymbas : Brother. Deposed by Philip II of Macedonia.
360
BC :
A
further attack by Illyrians sees Arybbas pull all non-combatants
out of the region, evacuating them to Aetolia. The Illyrians, freely
looting Epirus, are surprised by the Epirote troops while weighed
down with their booty and are easily defeated.
359
BC :
Olympias,
the niece of Arybbas, marries Philip II of Macedonia. The union
is partly to combine resources to ward off the dangerous Illyrian
tribes to the north-west, but it also cements an alliance between
the two kingdoms that helps to forge an empire, as Olympias gives
birth to Alexander the Great in 356 BC.
342
- 331 BC :
Alexander
I Molossus : Son of Neoptelemus. Killed in battle by Rome
on Sicily.
334
- 331 BC :
At
the request of the embattled Greek colony of Taras, Alexander embarks
with a force of Epirotes, Macedonians and Tarantines to Italy. He
fights the Italic tribes of the Brutii and Lucani, and in 332 defeats
an alliance of Lucani and Samnites near Paestum. In the same year
he concludes a treaty with the Romans and continues battling against
the other Italic peoples. He captures Heraclea from the Lucani and
then Sipontum and Terina from the Brutii but, having been forced
to accept battle at Pandosia (in Calabria), he is killed by a Lucani
exile. The defeat is a significant one as it marks the end of any
new Greek colonisation in Italy and teaches the Italians how to
defeat the phalanx, which is completely outmanoeuvred on rocky ground
by the fast-moving Italics.
331
- 323 BC :
Neoptelemus
II : Son.
325/320
BC :
The
Epirote League is formed. All three Epirote tribes, the Chaonians
(in north-western Epirus), Molossians (in the centre of Epirus),
and Thesprotians (in the south-west of Epirus, along the coast),
elect to join the league, suggesting that although they might be
united politically within the Epirote kingdom, they are still in
charge of their individual fates. The three are now united in a
loosely federated state under the control of the Molossian king
that subsequently becomes a major regional power, and therefore
marks itself as an obstacle to the growing power of republican Rome.
323
- 322 BC :
Arybbas
: Restored.
322
- 317 BC :
Aeacides
: Son. Deposed and took refuge with the Illyrians.
319
- 315 BC :
Polyperchon,
regent of Macedonia, allies himself to Eumenes during the Second
War of the Diadochi, but is driven from Macedonia by Cassander,
and flees to Epirus with the infant king Alexander IV and his mother
Roxana. The new regent, Cassander, captures Alexander IV and Roxana,
and Eumenes is defeated in Asia and murdered by his own troops.
317
- 313 BC :
Neoptelemus
II : Restored, but apparently dominated by Macedonia.
313
BC :
Aeacides
: Restored by the people after Neoptelemus is deposed.
313
BC :
In response to the restoration of Aeacides at the expense of his
own compliant king in Epirus, Cassander of Macedonia sends an army
into Epirus during the Third War of the Diadochi. Aeacides
is defeated twice, and is killed during the second defeat. His infant
son, Pyrrhus, is granted asylum in the court of the Illyrian King
Glaucias of the Taulantii, despite an invasion by Cassander to try
and get the prince back.
313
- 307 BC :
Alcetas
II
307
BC :
At the death of Alcetas, Glaucias of the Taulantii takes the opportunity
to invade Epirus and place the now-twelve year-old Pyrrhus on the
throne. Initially supported by guardians, one he is of age he proves
to be a militarily-proficient ruler.
Pyrrhus
I : Son of Aeacides. Aided by the Taulantii.
307
- 302 BC :
Deidamia
I : Sister. m Demetrius I Poliorcetes of Macedonia.
302
BC :
While attending the wedding of a son of Glaucias of the Taulantii,
Pyrrhus is dethroned by his enemy, Cassander of Macedonia, and the
far more obedient Neoptelemus II is restored to the throne. However,
having been the legitimate king since he had been an infant, Pyrrhus
seems to have developed a cast iron will not to be defeated. He
wins the support of Ptolemy I of Egypt and regains the throne in
297 BC.
302
- 297 BC :
Neoptelemus
II : Restored for the second time and murdered by Pyrrhus.
297
- 272 BC :
Pyrrhus
I : Restored. Also co-ruler of Macedonia (288-285 &
274-272 BC).
295
- 286 BC :
Pyrrhus moves his capital to Ambrakia (now Arta) in 295 BC, and
subsequently goes to war against his former ally and brother-in-law,
Demetrius I Poliorcetes of Macedonia. By 286 BC he has conquered
Macedonia for himself, although he is expelled by his former ally,
Lysimachus, in 285 BC. At some point he also attacks the Illyrians,
capturing the then-capital, presumably the capital of the Dardani
as they currently seem to hold the Illyrian high kingship.
![Pyrrhus I](Epirus_PyrrhusI_01_full.jpg)
Pyrrhus
I was arguably the greatest king of Epirus, creating a new capital
and leading his troops to conquer Macedonia and Syracuse - although
he was ultimately defeated by an old woman
282
BC :
The growing power of Rome has saved the Greek colony of Thurii from
being overwhelmed by the Italics, but the colony of Tarentum intervenes,
sinking some of the Roman ships. Rome declares war on Tarentum,
and Pyrrhus declares for Tarentum, as do many of the southern Italic
peoples, including the Brutii, Lucani, and Samnites. Pyrrhus also
has Illyrian allies in the form of the powerful Dardani.
277
- 275 BC :
Pyrrhus conquers Syracuse in 277 BC, and holds it for two years,
with support being given by the Italian tribe, the Messapii. His
hard but costly fighting against Rome on the island brings the kingdom
a brief sense of importance. It is also his costly victories which
inspire the term 'pyrrhic victory', as a victory with such high
loses is no real victory at all. When Pyrrhus leaves Sicily, one
of his former generals, Hieron, is appointed commander-in-chief
of the Syracusan armed forces and is made king in 270 BC.
272
BC :
Pyrrhus goes to war against Antigonus of Macedonia for his lack
of support during the war against Rome, but Pyrrhus finds himself
trapped inside the walls of Argos with Antigonus surrounding him
with superior forces. Trying to extricate himself, his unit of elephants
is thrown into confusion and causes further chaos. During this Pyrrhus
is struck by a tile thrown by an old woman. Zopyrus, one of Antigonus'
soldiers, which kills him. His entire veteran army goes over to
the victorious Macedonian king, greatly increasing his power.
272
- c.260 BC :
Alexander
II : Son. m his sister, Olympias II.
c.260
- c.240 BC :
Olympias
II : Wife, and regent for her two sons, Pyrrhus II and
Ptolemy.
c.260
- 237? BC :
Pyrrhus
II : Son. Gained his independence about 255 BC.
c.240s
BC :
With Epirus now pegged back as a major regional power following
the death of Pyrrhus in 272 BC, it is the turn of the Ardiaei, once
subjects of Epirus, to expand and dominate. Agron captures part
of Epirus and also Corcyra (home of the Corcyreni), the former Corinthian
port of Epidamnus, and Pharos in succession. New garrisons are established
at each location.
237?
- 235 BC :
Ptolemy
: Brother.
248
- 233 BC :
Deidamia
II / Deidameia / Laodamia : Daughter of Pyrrhus II. Murdered
in the Temple of Artemis.
235 - 234 BC :
Pyrrhus
III
235
- 165 BC :
Determined
to rule themselves rather than remain under the rule of kings, the
people of Epirus are governed by the republic which is formed about
235 BC, retaining the title of the Epirote League. The Aeacids (descendants
of Aeacides) are exterminated between 235 and about 233 BC. Perhaps
the only survivor is Nereis, sister of Deidamia, who is married
to Gelon II of Syracuse. The reasons for this sudden extermination
are unclear, and may involve a possible unpopularity with the Macedonian
alliance and pressure by the Aetolians. It certainly serves to gravely
weaken Macedonia.
Epirus
is somewhat reduced in territory, with the region of Acarnania in
south-eastern Epirus declaring its independence, and the Aetolians
seize Ambracia, Amphilochia, and the remaining territory to the
north of the Ambracian Gulf. A new Epirote capital has to be quickly
established, at Phoenice, to the north of Epirus.
232/231
BC :
The Acarnanians have found themselves under increasing pressure
by the Aetolians. Now besieged at Medion they seek assistance from
Demetrius II of Macedonia who, for much of his reign, has been at
war with the Aetolians and the Achaean League. In response he brings
in Agron and his Ardiaei Illyrians. In what amounts to a lighting
raid the Illyrians sail up to Medion, launch their attack with great
success, eventually aided by the Medionites as they sally forth
from the city, and then pack up their baggage and sail back home.
The sudden defeat of the Aetolians sends a shockwave through Greece.
228
BC :
The Chaonian city of Bouthroton to the north of Epirus (now in the
far south-west of Albania) becomes a Roman protectorate along with
the island of Corfu which lays opposite it. Scerdilaidas of the
Ardiaei also enjoys considerable success against the Epirotes.
200
- 196 BC :
The Epirote League remains uneasily neutral during the Second
Macedonian War (as it had during the first war), in which Philip
V of Macedonia is defeated at the Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197
BC, while his general, Androsthenes, is defeated near Corinth.
172
- 168 BC :
Perseus of Macedonia and Rome renew fighting in the Third Macedonian
War. Epirus is split, with the Chaonians and Thesprotians siding
with Rome and the Molossians allying themselves to Macedonia. The
result is a disaster for Epirus, with the Chaonians being annexed
by Rome in 170 BC. The sudden loss of a large portion of territory
probably allows Harops to seize control as tyrant.
167
BC :
The Roman army of Aemilius Paulus destroys the temple of Zeus at
Dodona in Epirus. Presumably the temple is subsequently rebuilt
by the Greeks, only for it to be destroyed again by the great Scordisci-led
attack on Roman control in 88 BC.
165
- 159 BC :
Harops
: Tyrant.
159
BC :
The
kingdom is conquered by Rome, with thousands of its inhabitants
being enslaved and the region being plundered so thoroughly that
it takes centuries to recover. Epirus remains within the Roman empire
and its subsequent eastern division for the next seven hundred and
fifty years or so. In 146 BC it is incorporated into the new province
of Macedonia.
3rd
century AD :
Following
reforms by Roman Emperor Diocletian at the end of the third century,
Epirus Vetus is removed from the province of Macedonia. This area
covers modern north-western Greece and a small part of southern
Albania. Epirus Nova (Illyria Graeca) lies to its north (now forming
much of the territory of Albania except the northernmost districts).
AD
c.600 - 1204 :
Epirus
is taken from the Eastern Roman empire by Slavic migrant settlers.
It is retaken by Byzantium in 916 and lost again, to Bulgaria, in
988. Once again regained by Byzantium in 1014 it is held until the
Fourth Crusade's invasion of the empire in 1204. Claimants to the
Byzantine throne set up rival powerbases, including one centred
on Epirus.
Source
:
https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/
KingListsEurope/GreeceEpirus.htm