Epiri/Epiri(EPIRI – THE CRADLE OF ALBANIAN PEOPLE (PART I))

Epir was an ancient region extended from the Acroceraune Mountains (near Vlora in today Albania) and till Gulf of Ambracia. But, the boundaries of Epir were changed sometimes; when its kings conquered in south, east or north.

The Pelasgo-Illyrian saint city Dodona.

The question of ethnicity of ancient and modern population of Epir still continue to be object of dispute. Some argues that Epirotes were of Greek descent, subsquently Greek population. While, a number of other scholars, historians, archaeologists affirm that people of Epir weren’t of Greek origin. But, if they were not of Greek origin, what might been Epirotes? To which people belonged Epirotes?

In the light of ancient writings the population of Epir was regarded as ‘barbarian’. And what did mean ‘barbarian”Starting by this principle that ‘Language determine ethnicity’ we should assume that Epirotes were of non-Greek ethnicity.

A number of scholars asserted that Epir was Pelasgo-Illyrian land with illyrian population. . . In this summary I would like to underline the important proofs supporting this theory.

Examples of BARBARIAN charachter of Epir:(~Thucydides, r, 2.80)Hope that you will not read hilarious attempts of Greeks to change the meaning of ‘Barbarian’ notion. One of them is Chatzidakis who affirms that the term barbarian Macedonian is not used in an ethnological sense, but with a derogatory cultural meaning!!!!!!!! But how true is this?

The Greeks used the term as they encountered scores of different foreign cultures, including the Egyptians, Persians, Celts, Germans, Phoenicians, Etruscans, and Carthaginians. It, in fact, became a common term to refer to all foreigners.

If we start thinking in Chatzidakis wrong way, we will claim all of these peoples including: the Egyptians, Persians, Celts, Germans, Phoenicians, Etruscans and Carthaginians as ‘uncivilized Greeks’:)

For the sake of truth, we should repeat that: Now, the question is what are the ethnic ties between Illyrians and Epirotes? How we can know that Epirotes were of Illyrian stock?

Firstly, there is no record from ancient writers about any ethnic division of Epirotes and Illyrians, or Epirotes and Macedonians. The ancient Greek writers identify all of peoples in north of Greece as barbarian, non-Greek. But in other side there are some important passages indicate about Illyrian-Epirotes ethnic closenes. Strabo tells that in his time (because he speak in present time) the Illyrians, Macedonians and Epirotes were the same people in language, culture and dress manner. These passages inspired Johan Von Hahn (the famous German Scholar) to pointed out that both of Illyrians, Epirotes and Macedonians were representatives of ancient Pelasgians; and that Albanians are the descedants of noble Pelasgians.The above geographical description of Ionian Sea by Strabo showed that its right side is formed by Illyria. Considering this important fact pointed out by Strabo, we reach at the conclusion that Illyria comprised also the whole region of Epir.f Epir was Greek land or epirotes were of Greek stock, then why Greeks estabilished colonies and settelments in ‘their own territory’??? Of course, I don’t deny Greek influence in Epir, but I refute with a strong evidences that this ‘Greek’ influence hadn’t no so impact as to change the structure of ethnic composition of Epir. What I claim to show is that Greek influence was simply economical and cultural influence which didn’t change the Illyrian character of whole Epir. For example, a centuries later, the Portugals colonized a number of countries and as a result Portugals spread their own economical, cultural and language influence toward the conquered countries. One of these countries affected by Portugese colonization was Mozambique. The official language used everywhere in Mozambique is Portoguese. But, Portogals are not dumbs (like Greeks) as to claim Mozambique peoples as pure Portoguese.The ruling class (including the aristocracy) in Epir were bilingual that mean that they spoken two languages in the same time:

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Now let’s present a number of maps showing Epir as distinct from Greece.

Map showing Illyria/Albania and Epir as the same territory.

Lesage Historical Atlas, page 6: Ancient Greece

A map showing Illyricum extending in wholly “Greece”

Map of Ancient Greece: The most northern region of ancient Greece was Thessaly. The Epirus, as Macedonia, Thrace (and Illyria) is marked with the same colour which mean that both of these lands were foreign for Greeks.

As we can see from the legend of Map, both of Epir and Macedonia are depicted as inhabited by Barbarian peoples.

Important Quote:


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