Thesprotians

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tribes of Epirus in antiquity.
Tribes of Epirus in antiquity.

The Thesprotians (Greek: Θεσπρωτοί, English: Thesprôti) were an ancient Greek[1] tribe of Thesprotis, akin to the Molossians. The poet Homer frequently mentions Thesprotia which had friendly relations with Ithaca and Doulichi. On their northeast frontier they had the Chaonians and to their central frontier the kingdom of the Molossians, to their north were the Illyrians. The Thesprotians were part of the League of Epirus until they were annexed into the Roman Empire.

Contents

[edit] Geography

The League of Epirus, 234 BC.
The League of Epirus, 234 BC.

Strabo puts their region in southwest Epirus called Thesprotis. The Thesprotians lived in Epirus between the Ambracian Gulf and the River Thyamis, and between the Pindus mountains and the Ionian Sea. According to legend, the nation got its name from the Pelasgian leader and first governor Thesprotos, who built Kichyro (Cichorus), which later was called Ephyra, the capital of Thesprotia. Other important cities of Thesprotia include Pandosia,[2] Titani, Chimerion, Torine, Fanoti, Kassopa,[3] Fotiki, Boucheta and Batiai.[4] There was a city called Thesprotia[5] same as the tribe.

[edit] Tribe

According to Strabo, the Thesprotians (along with the Chaonians and the Molossians) were the most famous among the fourteen tribes of Epirus, who once ruled over the whole region. The Chaonians ruled Epirus first while the Thesprotians and Molossians ruled afterwards. Plutarch[6] tells us that the Thesprotians, the Chaonians and the Molossians were the three principal clusters of Greek-speaking tribes that had emerged in Epirus, and all three were the most powerful among all other tribes. Strabo also records that the Thesprotians, Molossians, and Macedonians referred to old men as pelioi and old women as peliai (PIE: *pel- means grey); in Ancient Greek pelitnós - grey, peleia, "pigeon", so-called because of its dusky grey color, poliós - grey, and pollós - dark). Their senators were called Peligones , see Macedonian Peliganes.An inscription[7] [8] of the mid 4th c. BC indicates more data on the nature of the Thesprotian state organisation that was similar as the other Epirotes[9] .Terms for office were prostates (Greek: Προστάτες) literally meaning "protectors" like most Greek tribal states at the time. Other terms for office were grammateus (Greek: Γραμματέυς) meaning "secretary", demiourgoi (Greek: Δημιουργοί) literally meaning "creators", hieromnemones (Greek: Ιερομνήμονες) literally meaning "of the sacred memory" and synarchontes (Greek: Συνάρχοντες) literally meaning "co-rulers".

[edit] Sub-tribes

The Thesprotians were divided into many sub-tribes. During the middle part of Antiquity, the region had been inhabited by: The Elopes, Graeci, Kassopaeoi, Dryopes and Dodonians, (Greek: Δωδωναίος), Aegestaeoi, Eleaeoi, Elinoi, Ephyroi, Ikadotoi, Kartatoi, Kestrinoi, Klauthrioi, Kropioi, Larissaeoi, Onopernoi, Opatoi, Tiaeoi, Torydaeoi, Fanoteis, Farganaeoi, Fylates and the Chimerioi. There was a migration to Thessaly since early Antiquity.[10] Some of these tribes in later times moved and further colonized Ithaca, Leucas, Acarnania, parts of South Greece, Thessaly and Italy.

[edit] Mythology

According to the Telegony (Epic Cycle), Odysseus came upon the land of Thesprotia where he stayed for a number of years. He married Thesprotia's queen, Kallidike (Callidice, Kallidice), and had a son with her named Polypoetes. Odysseus led the Thesprotians in the war against the Brygoi (Brygi), but lost the battle because Ares was on the side of the Brygoi. Athena went to support Odysseus, by engaging the war god in another confrontation until Apollo separated them. When Kallidike died, Odysseus returned home to Ithaca, leaving their son, Polypoetes, to rule Thesprotia.[11]

[edit] Trivia

[edit] List of Thesprotians

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hammond, NGL (1994). Philip of Macedon. London, UK: Duckworth.  "Epirus was a land of milk and animal products...The social unit was a small tribe, consisting of several nomadic or semi-nomadic groups, and these tribes, of which more than seventy names are known, coalesced into large tribal coalitions, three in number: Thesprotians, Molossians and Chaonians...We know from the discovery of inscriptions that these tribes were speaking the Greek language (in a West-Greek dialect)"
  2. ^ Hansen, Mogens Herman and Nielsen, Thomas Heine. An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis. Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 347, ISBN 0198140991. Pandosia was a polis belonging to the Kassopians (Theopomp.fr.206) who in turn formed a section of the Thesprotians.
  3. ^ Hansen, Mogens Herman and Nielsen, Thomas Heine. An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis. Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 346, ISBN 0198140991. "Kassopa was located in a region called Κασσωπία."
  4. ^ Hansen, Mogens Herman and Nielsen, Thomas Heine. An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis. Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 342, ISBN 0198140991. Batiai was a polis belonging to the Kassopians (Theopomp.fr.206) who in turn formed a section of the Thesprotians...Boucheta was a polis belonging to the Kassopians (Theopomp.fr.206) who in turn formed a section of the Thesprotians.
  5. ^ Hansen, Mogens Herman and Nielsen, Thomas Heine. An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis. Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 340, ISBN 0198140991. "Thesprotia Θεσπρωτία Steph.Byz. 310.16-17 (πόλις και χώρα έξω του Αμβρακικού κόλπου)...could have been an urban center of the Thesprotians."
  6. ^ The Internet Classics Archive - Pyrrhus by Plutarch
  7. ^ The Cambridge Ancient History by John Boardman,ISBN 0521233488,1923,page 437
  8. ^ PHI Greek Inscriptions
  9. ^ Hornblower, Simon. The Greek World, 479-323 B.C., 2002, ISBN 0415163269. "Even before about 385 the Molossian tribes had combined with the neighbouring Thesprotians and Chaonians to form a Molossian state with a king and officials called prostates (president), grammateus (secretary), and tribal representatives called demiourgoi also hieromnemones some kind of Cult figure (See for all of this SGDI 1334-67, Also seg 23.471,15 synarchontes federal officials)...Orestis was part of the federal organisation."
  10. ^ Hammond, N. G. L. A History of Greece to 322 B.C., 1986, p. 75, ISBN-10: 0198730950. ...the Thessaloi, led by Heracleidae, migrated from Thesprotia in southern Epirus to enter the south-western canton of Thessaly, which was thenceforth called Thessaliotis.
  11. ^ Telegony (from Proclus Chrestomathia 2), Fragment 1. Odysseus then goes to Thesprotis where he marries Kallidike, queen of the Thesprotians. A war then breaks out between the Thesprotians, led by Odysseus, and the Brygoi. Ares routs the army of Odysseus and Athena engages with Ares, until Apollon separates them.
  12. ^ (Eponym or Toponym) An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis Page 348 by Mogens Herman Hansen, Thomas Heine Nielsen
  13. ^ IG IV²,1 95 col I.1 line 25
  14. ^ Alternatives to Athens: Varieties of Political Organization and Community in Ancient Greece page 247 by Roger Brock, Stephen Hodkinson ISBN 0198152205
  15. ^ Cabanes, L'Épire 576,49
  16. ^ Thess. Mnemeia 286,72
  17. ^ Thess. Mnemeia 288,74
  18. ^ Thess. Mnemeia 320,103
  19. ^ IG IX,1² 2:243
  20. ^ FD III 2:83
  21. ^ IG IX,1² 1:31 line 47
  22. ^ Cabanes, L'Épire 547,17
  23. ^ Cabanes, L'Épire 548,18
  24. ^ Arete: Greek Sports from Ancient Sources by Stephen G. Miller
  25. ^ IG IV²,1 99,II
  26. ^ I.Kourion 42[1]
  27. ^ The Hellenistic Monarchies: Selected Papers [1]Page 89 by Christian Habicht ISBN 0472111094
  28. ^ Acarnania - IG IX,1² 2:312,a

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Languages