Historical region in Divided between Greece and Albania
Epirus
Greek: Ήπειρος Albanian: Epiri Aromanian: Epiru
Historical region
Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich Kiepert, 1902
Present status
Divided between Greece and Albania
Demonym
Epirote
Time zones
Central European Time
Eastern European Time
Epirus (/ɪˈpaɪrəs/) is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë and the Acroceraunian Mountains in the north to the Ambracian Gulf and the ruined Roman city of Nicopolis in the south.[1][2] It is currently divided between the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece and the counties of Gjirokastër and Vlorë in southern Albania. The largest city in Epirus is Ioannina, seat of the Greek region of Epirus, with Gjirokastër the largest city in the Albanian part of Epirus.[1]
A rugged and mountainous region, Epirus was the north-west area of ancient Greece.[2] It was inhabited by the Greek tribes of the Chaonians, Molossians, and Thesprotians. It was home to the sanctuary of Dodona, the oldest oracle in ancient Greece, and the second most prestigious after Delphi. Unified into a single state in 370 BC by the Aeacidae dynasty, Epirus achieved fame during the reign of Pyrrhus of Epirus who fought the Roman Republic in a series of campaigns. Epirus subsequently became part of the Roman Republic along with the rest of Greece in 146 BC, which was followed by the Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire.
Following the sack of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade (1204), Epirus became the center of the Despotate of Epirus, one of the successor states to the Byzantine Empire. In the 14th century, Epirus was brought under the rule of the restored Byzantine Empire, before being briefly conquered by the Serbian Empire. The region was then divided amongst a number of despotates and political entities, including the Despotate of Epirus, the Despotate of Arta, the Zenebishi family, and the Republic of Venice, before being conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Epirus became part of the semi-independent Pashalik governed by the Ottoman Albanian ruler Ali Pasha in the early 19th century, but the Sublime Porte re-asserted its control in 1821. Following the Balkan Wars and World War I, southern Epirus became part of Greece, while northern Epirus became part of Albania.
^ abCite error: The named reference Britannica was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abHornblower, Spawforth & Eidinow 2012, "Epirus", p. 527.
the Greek region of Epirus, with Gjirokastër the largest city in the Albanian part of Epirus. A rugged and mountainous region, Epirus was the north-west...
sent him back to Epirus. Pyrrhus returned to Epirus at the head of an army, but not willing to fight a civil war he agreed to rule Epirus together with Neoptolemus...
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Despotate of Epirus. The Despotate of Epirus (Medieval Greek: Δεσποτᾶτον τῆς Ἠπείρου) was one of the Greek successor...
Northern Epirus (Greek: Βόρεια Ήπειρος, Vória Ípiros; Albanian: Epiri i Veriut; Aromanian: Epiru di Nsusu) is a term used to refer to those parts of the...
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms. It was named after Leonidas of Epirus. Epirus was founded in 2018 to enter the counter-drone market and it unveiled...
BC), or Cleopatra of Epirus (Greek: Κλεοπάτρα της Ηπείρου) was an ancient Macedonian princess and later queen regent of Epirus. The daughter of Philip...
I of Epirus (Ancient Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος Α'; c. 370 BC – 331 BC), also known as Alexander Molossus (Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μολοσσός), was a king of Epirus (343/2–331 BC)...
grandson of Aeacus. Aeacides (Ancient Greek: Αἰακίδης; died 313 BC), King of Epirus (331–316, 313), was a son of King Arybbas and grandson of King Alcetas I...
cities in ancient Epirus. These were Greek poleis, komes or fortresses except for Nicopolis, which was founded by Octavian. Classical Epirus was divided into...
The despot of Epirus was the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, one of the successor states of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade...
kingdom in Epirus. Pyrrhus came into an agreement with his relative Neoptolemus II of Epirus, who had usurped the kingdom, to jointly rule Epirus. Antigone...
wandered their way through Boeotia, Acarnania, Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace on their way back to Moesia. In Epirus, while the inhabitants of Nicopolis made...
Struma. The Yanya Corps (22,000 men) was to defend Epirus and Albania from the Greek Army of Epirus, while the VIII Corps (29,000 men) was deployed to...
Molossians, the eldest daughter of king Neoptolemus I of Epirus, the sister of Alexander I of Epirus, the fourth wife of Philip II, the king of Macedonia...
established. In 168 BC Epirus became the Roman province of Epirus Vetus. Epirus regained its statehood in 1205 AD, ruled by the Despot of Epirus. List of ancient...
that in Greek the Epirus varieties are also often subsumed under "Arvanitika" in a wider sense. It puts the estimated number of Epirus Albanophones at 10...
Leonidas of Epirus (Greek: Λεωνίδας ο Ηπειρώτης) or Leuconides (Greek: Λευκονίδης), was a tutor of Alexander the Great. A kinsman of Alexander's mother...
guardian dog, the Molossus of Epirus, from the region of Epirus. The kennel club's breed standard for the Molossus of Epirus describes a breed with very...
2000 network in Epirus; no conservation efforts were being made to protect the species there. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". "Epirus Grasshopper Conservation...
the kingdom of Epirus in two and each ruled their own part, until Neoptolemus died around 360 BCE and Arybbas became king of all of Epirus. In ca. 360 BC...
(Greek: Μολοσσός, romanized: Molossós), also known as the Molossian hound and Epirus mastiff, is an extinct dog breed from Ancient Greece. The Molossus were...
of Epirus (Greek: Νεοπτόλεμος Α' Ηπείρου) (370–357 BC) was a Greek king of Epirus and son of Alcetas I, and father of Troas, Alexander I of Epirus and...
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