Epirus

• Epirus was a Roman Province which today includes Albania and Western Greece.

1. History

• Pre-Roman history:
• Timeline of Ancient Greece
  • 8th century BCE, Home of the Oracle of Dodona and the Oracle of the Dead on the River Acheron.
  • The Aeacidae, a Greek Tribe claiming descent from Achilles and related to the Molossian Royal Family.
  • 370 BCE, the Aeacidae expanded their control over the neighbouring Tribes, partly to oppose the Illyrians to the North. Phillip II of Macedon married Princess Olympias of Epirus, who became the Mother of Alexander the Great.
  • 334 BCE, Whilst Alexander the Great invaded the East, his uncle, Alexander the Mollosian King, invaded Italy but was repulsed by Rome in 331 BCE.
  • 294 BCE , the appearance of King Pyrrhus, cousin of Alexander the Great. He attacked Demetrius of Macedonia,
  • 290-275 BCE Pyrrhic War during which he won a Pyrrhic victory where he admitted that one more victory at such a high cost in men, would ruin his army.
  • 284 BCE, Repulsed by his son, Lysimachus
  • 281 BCE, Invaded Italy at the request of Tarentum, with 25,000 men and took War Elephants. He then went on to conquer Punic Sicily, but was forced to return to Epirus. He then conducted wars to take over the whole of Greece but was finally defeated and killed by a combined Macedonian and Spartan army.
  • 171-168 BCE Third Macedonian War. Rome sacked the country and took 150,000 slaves.
• Acquisition by Rome:
  • 146 BCE Became Epirus Vetus, part of Macedonia and to the North Epirus Nova.
• Timeline of this Province:
  • 31 BCE Battle of Actium between the Egyptian fleet of Mark Anthony and Queen Cleopatra VII and the Italian fleet of Octavian.
• After Augustus’ reconstituted the Republic into an Empire (27 BCE):
  • 110 CE Epirus became a separate Province under Trajan with the capital at Nicopolis.
• After Diocletion’s Reforms (297 CE):
• After the death of Theodosius (395 CE) and the final split into Eastern Empire and Western Empire:
  • Epirus became part of the Byzantine Empire after 395 CE.
• Famous Persons from this Province:
  • King Pyrrhus 294 BCE (before the Roman occupation)
• Chief Archeological Finds:
  • Ruins of the City of Buthrotam, Butrint, Nicopolis, Preveza.
• Historic Battle Sites:
  • Battle of Actium (2 Sept 31 BCE) naval battle opposite Preveza between Queen Cleopatra VII and Octavian.

2. Geography

• Capital City:
  • Preveza (Nicopolis)
• Chief Cities:
  • Butrint (Buthrotum), Corfu (Chersoupolis)
• Location Today:
  • Albania and Western Greece.
• Neighbouring Roman Provinces:
  • Macedonia (Northeast), Achaea (Southeast)
• Climate and Temperature Today:
  • Coastal Region:
    • Mediterranean Climate, warm and moist.
  • Mountainous Inland Region:
    • Mediterranean Continetal Climate, cooler.
  • Rainfall:
    • As the Mediterranean Air rises into the mountains it meets the cooler Eastern European Air Mass causing heavy rainfall in the Central Uplands producing frequent heavy thunderstorms.
  • Winter:
    • Mountains: Cold, Northerly or Northeasterly winds blow predominantly, compounding the cold due to Altitude.
  • Summer:
    • High daytime temperatures which fall dramatically at night.
• Main Geographical features:
  • Predominantly Mountainous.
• Main Rivers:
• Mountain Ranges:
  • Southern Albanian Highlands: no Plains or valleys.
  • The Pindus Mountain Range: (Southern Albania and Northern Greece) 99 miles (160km) long, highest peak is Mt. Smolikas 8,651 ft (2,637m)
  • Panaitoliko Mountains: near the southern coast running Northwest-Southeast, highest peak is Kyra Vgena 6,312 ft (1,924m)
• Islands:
  • Corfu, Paxos, Lefkas.
    • (Ithaca, Kefalonia, & Zante were possibly ruled by Achaea)

3. Political Organisation

• Province Type
  • Imperial Procuratorial
• Governor:
  • Procurator
• Tribes and Population:
  • Aeacidae Tribe
• Language:
  • Greek

4. Military Organisation

• Legions: None
• Navy: Unknown
• Defensive Works:
• Main Threats:
  • None. It had previously been a powerful Western Greek Kingdom.

5. Economy

• Chief Exports:
• Agriculture and Fishing:
• Manufacturing:
• Mines:
• Mints:
  • Butrint

6. Transport

• Roads:
  • Coastal Road
    • Butrint-Dyrrachium
• Waterways:
• Ports:
  • Butrint (Buthrotum Ruins)
  • Preveza (Nicopolis) (Ruins), Corfu (Chersoupolis)
• Ancient Trade Routes:
  • Butrint to Corfu, then on to Italy or Greece.
• Number of Days taken to travel from this Province to Rome:

7. Relationship with Rome

• The Province overlooked the Straits of Corfu, and the sea lanes into the Adriatic from Greece.

8. History of Christianity in this Province

9. Roman Authors describing this Province

Epirus