Molossians: Map & History
The Molossians were a group of ancient Greek tribes which inhabited the region of Epirus in classical antiquity.
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The Molossians were a group of ancient Greek tribes which inhabited the region of Epirus in classical antiquity. Together with the Chaonians and the Thesprotians, they formed the main tribal groupings of the northwestern Greek group. On their northern frontier, they neighbored the Chaonians and on their southern frontier neighbored the kingdom of the Thesprotians. They formed their own state around 370 BC and were part of the League of Epirus. The most famous Molossian ruler was Pyrrhus of Epirus, considered one of the greatest generals of antiquity. The Molossians sided with the Macedonians against Rome in the Third Macedonian War and were defeated. Following the war, the region witnessed devastation while a considerable number of Molossians and other Epirotes were enslaved and transported to the Roman Republic, in the Italian Peninsula.
Molossians in Depth
History
During the Late Bronze Age the Molossians were probably located over much of the central and western ranges of the Pindos. They were among the known Greek tribes of the Mycenaean period (1600–1100 BC) after the Proto-Greek split. The area of Pogoni has been regarded as the heartland of the Molossian tribes due to the large number of tumuli burials found in this region dating from that time. They initially lived in small unwalled settlements, kata komas, mainly scattered in the river valleys and lakeside areas of central Epirus. Among those settlements the most excavated were located in Liatovouni at the confluence of the Aoös and Voidomatis rivers at the valley of Konitsa established in the 13th–12th century B.C and Vitsa (from 9th century B.C).
Culture
There is today an overall consensus that the Molossians were among the Greek-speaking population of Epirus, which spoke the Northwest Doric dialect of Ancient Greek, akin to that of Aetolia, Phocis, and certain other regions, this is also attested by the available epigraphic evidence in Epirus. Eugene Borza argues that the Molossians originated from those Proto-Greek tribes that inhabited northwestern Greece in c. 2600 BC. Linguist Vladimir Georgiev argues that northwestern Greece, including Molossia, was part of the Proto-Greek region, before the Late Bronze Age migrations. After the split of Proto-Greek (c. 1700 BC) the northern Greek dialect was spoken in Epirus. As such the Molossians were among the 32 known Greek tribes of the Mycenaean Age.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Molossians (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Molossians Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 4,708 km² in 168 BCE.
Molossians: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Molossians exist?
Molossians is dated to 170 BCE – 165 BCE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
How large was Molossians at its peak?
At its peak in 168 BC Molossians covered about 4,708 km².