Epirote League

The Epirote League (Greek: Κοινών των Ηπειρωτών) was an ancient Greek coalition of Epirote communities. [Boatwright, Mary T. "The Romans: From Village to Empire". Oxford University Press US, 2004, ISBN 0195118758, p. 92. "Pyrrhus matched this model. His power base was his kingship over the Molossians, a traditional office with customary limitations. To this he added the post of hegemon, or commander, of the Epirote League, an alliance of Epirote communities to which each contributed forces and funds toward common goals."] The coalition was established between 325 and 320 BC, which helped unify the three main tribes of Epirus (i.e. Molossians, Thesprotians, and Chaonians). [Franke, P.R. (ed. Frank William Walbank). "Pyrrhus". "The Cambridge Ancient History VII Part 2: The Rise of Rome to 220 BC". Cambridge University Press, 1984, ISBN 0521234468, p. 459. "As king of the Molossians - he never styled himself king of the Epirotes and certainly never king of Epirus, a title found especially in the Roman tradition - Pyrrhus was at the same time the "hegemon" of the Epirote League which was founded around 325/20 and describes itself as the "ΣΥΜΜΑΧΟΙ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΕΙΡΩΤΑΝ" ('the Epirote allies') on inscriptions. The League united the three main peoples of Epirus (Map 9) - the Molossians, the Thesprotians, and the Chaonians, who were evidently the last to join; each of these in turn consisted of numerous sub-groups."] The political, economic, and cultural center of the Epirote League was Dodona. There, proxeny decrees, citizenship decrees, and manumission records were all established. [Herman, Mogens. "An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis". Oxford University Press, 2004, ISBN 0198140991, p. 343. "Usually Dodone is mentioned as an oracle (Hdt. 2.52) or a sanctuary (Eur. "Phoen". 983). Dodone was the religious, political and cultural centre of the Molossian League and later of the Epirote League. Copies of the decrees (proxeny and citizenship decrees, manumission records) of the Molossian and Epirote League were set up in Dodone."] All members had common citizenship [Eidinow, Esther. "Oracles, Curses, and Risk Among the Ancient Greeks: Oracles, Curses, and the Negotiation of Uncertainty". Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 0199277788, p. 59. "...to the gradual weakening of the Molossian monarchy and the formation of the Epirote League, in which the members had common citizenship (233/2-168 BCE)."] and Pyrrhus of Epirus became leader of the League in 297 BC. [Koester, Helmut. "Introduction to the New Testament: History, Culture, and Religion of the Hellenistic Age". Walter de Gruyter, 1995, ISBN 3110146924, p. 33. "After a variety of experiences Pyrrhos had become king of the Molossians and leader of the Epirote league in northwestern Greece (297 BCE)."] The league was ultimately dismantled around 170 BC.

ee also

*Chaonians
*Thesprotians
*Molossians
*Tribes of Epirus

References