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123-477: The ethnic name Χάονες Cháones is attested indirectly in the fragments of Hecataeus of Miletus ( fl. c. 500 BC), the author of Περίοδος Γῆς or Περιήγησις ( Description of the Earth or Periegesis ), which have been preserved in the geographical lexicon Ἐθνικά ( Ethnica ) of Stephanus of Byzantium ( fl. 6th century AD). The Chaonians are directly mentioned for the first time in c. 429 BC by Thucydides ,

246-480: A common root may point to a term referring to a "rugged area". Significant phonemic differences between them, in particular Χᾱον- and the root *χᾰF-, render their relation even more improbable. The original root of the name may have even been entirely different and unrelated to *χᾰF-, but became unrecognizable during the course of its historical uses. Several narratives were produced about the Chaonian ethnonym during

369-671: A geographical perspective the territory of Epirus hardly goes beyond the Acroceraunian Mountains, which represent a natural border that is difficult to cross, the Llogara pass being the only crossing between these two regions. According to Dausse, although most of the time various mountain ranges such as the Acroceraunians were marked as border areas they frequently turned to meeting places of various groups instead of border zones. N. G. L. Hammond has proposed that

492-463: A harbour being a simple commercial station without permanent residents or any institutional community organisation. The creation of the Saranda müdürluk was related to the desires of Ottoman authorities to upgrade the port and reduce the economic dependence of the area on Ioannina and Preveza . In 1878, a Greek rebellion broke out, with revolutionaries taking control of Sarandë and Delvinë . This

615-637: A land route, ravaging its territory without experiencing any resistance. It has been suggested that the Illyrian invaders crossed Chaonian territory, due their position between the Illyrians and the Molossians. The passage of the Illyrians must have been eased by some alliance between them and the Chaonians. Both Chaonians and Thesprotians were perhaps affected by the expedition of the Illyrians. As such

738-486: A major power in the region until it was conquered by Rome in 170 BC. Chaonia was an area where pastoral life was prominent, as is also evidenced by the local numismatic iconography. The pastoral character of the area was particularly renowned during Roman times. In Virgil's Georgics , a poem that described and idealized rural life, the author praised the goods of agriculture, contrasting the pre-eminent pastoral model; that of Chaonia. In general, Roman poets praised Chaonia as

861-477: A model of bucolic life; similar to that of Arcadia . Rich Roman businessmen settled in Chaonia, where they established large villas with agricultural and livestock units. The most prominent example is that of Titus Pomponius Atticus , who built Amaltheion or Amaltheia near Bouthrotos, and bred horses and 120 herds of oxen. However, it is clear that the contrast between the agricultural and pastoral communities

984-482: A new economic policy, based on coinage and therefore more oriented towards exchanges, according to the model provided by central Greece. By minting their own currency Chaonians declared and stressed their political autonomy. From the 4th century BC Chaonians were invited to various Panhellenic Games , being no longer perceived as 'barbarians'. Chaonia is mentioned in a list of theorodokoi of Epidauros dating back to c. mid-4th century BC, which provides evidence for

1107-594: A place visited by the theoroi , in an Epidaurian list of theorodokoi . Theoroi were sent by the major Panhellenic sanctuaries throughout the Greek world, and theorodokoi's duty was to host and assist the former in preparation of the Panhellenic games and festivals . The list was compiled in 360 or 356 BC. The worship of many Greek gods is attested in Chaonia; these include Athena , Artemis , Asclepius , Zeus , Pan and Poseidon . In particular, at Bouthrotos ,

1230-580: A prose history. Onchesmos Sarandë ( Albanian: [saˈɾandə] ; Albanian definite form : Saranda ; Greek : Άγιοι Σαράντα , romanized :  Ágioi Saránta ) is a city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Sarandë Municipality. Geographically, the city is located on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea within the Mediterranean Sea . Stretching along

1353-400: A series of prehistoric fortifications located throughout the Chaonian coast. To the uncertainty of the most ancient phases of population settlement of the Chaonian indigenous hinterland corresponds the solid projection of Korkyra on the "Mainland", reflected in the 7th century BC pre-colonial emergence of Bouthroton . During the archaic and early classical era the coastal part of Chaonia

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1476-474: A supply base for troops. The reorganization of the economy also created new sources of wealth, through artisanship, which improved transactions and prompted Chaonians to create their first coins in the 4th century BC. The excavation of Phoenice – the capital of the Chaonians – unearthed 800 coins, of which 20 were issued by the Chaonians; evidence of their economic prosperity, extroversion, and independent development. Women had rights over family property (including

1599-482: A survey by the Albanian Helsinki Committee, in 1990 Sarandë numbered 17,000 inhabitants, of whom 7,500 belonged to the Greek minority. The members of the Greek minority of the city, prior to the collapse of the socialist regime (1991), were deprived from their minority rights, since Sarandë did not belong to the "minority areas". In fieldwork undertaken by Greek scholar Leonidas Kallivretakis in

1722-584: A thorough transformation, with the construction of a new city wall and the reactivation of the harbor and sanctuary. With the reorganization of the epineion of Bouthroton, Chaonia was opened towards the sea. Apart from those two cities the rest of the Chaonian territory retained its kata komas rural organization at the last half of the 4th century. Onchesmos (present-day Saranda ) was another harbor of Chaonia, however archaeological finds dating back to this period are lacking so far, possibly reflecting Onchesmos' secondary role in relation to that of Bouthroton. In

1845-452: A uniform picture in the sense of dialect use is far from certain, at least regarding the northern parts bordering Southern Illyria, namely Chaonia, where interaction with Southern Illyria and a certain degree of bilingualism in the northern parts must have been a reality, especially in later times. David R. Hernandez (2018) states that an older theory by Pierre Cabanes (1979) that Chaonians spoke Illyrian, while Molossians and Thesprotians Greek

1968-427: A visit by Hecataeus to an Egyptian temple at Thebes . It recounts how the priests showed Hecataeus a series of statues in the temple's inner sanctum, each one supposedly set up by the high priest of each generation. Hecataeus, says Herodotus, had seen the same spectacle, after mentioning that he traced his descent, through sixteen generations, from a god. The Egyptians compared his genealogy to their own, as recorded by

2091-580: Is encompassed in Vlorë County as part of the Southern Region of Albania and consists of the adjacent administrative units of Ksamil and Sarandë. Its total area is 58.96 km . Sarandë has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) as of the Köppen climate classification . Given its coastal access and Mediterranean climate , Sarandë has become an important tourist attraction since

2214-471: Is highlighted by their explicit role as creators and organizers of the 429 BC expedition to Acarnania. Although it is unlikely that Chaonians' direct territorial control stretched as far south as Ambracia, their political interests reached this area. Thucydides records another passage that provides evidence for a Chaonian territorial expansion southwards, as he reports that the River Thyamis constituted

2337-417: Is linked to Chaonian control over this area which prevented the Greek city-states from establishing colonies. The population of Chaonia lived mostly in rural settlements before the 4th century BCE. Phoenice which in time became the capital and most urbanized settlement of the Chaonians first developed in the late 4th century BCE. Phoenice peaked as an urban settlement in the mid-3rd century BCE. Bouthroton ,

2460-632: Is prosperous with varied attractions and activities relating to nature and wildlife. Notable sights include the ancient archaeological site of Butrint and the Blue Eye Spring . Ksamil is notable for its beaches and islets . During the late Ottoman period until the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) Sarandë consisted of only a harbour and was without permanent residents. In 1912, right after the Albanian Declaration of Independence ,

2583-640: Is unlikely since the notion of any ethnic and lingual division inside Epirus appears unfounded. Also concluding that Chaonians spoke a West Greek dialect as spoken elsewhere in Epirus as well in Acarnania . The sanctuary of Dodona was a religious site frequented by all the Epirote peoples, including the Chaonians. Chaonians constructed their own treasury, likely as a way to highlight their participation and to enhance their identity. The region of Chaonia appears as

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2706-579: The Acroceraunian mountains . In Bouthrotos, he was one of the main deities with the epithet " Soter " ( Zeus Soter 'Zeus the Saviour'); the epithet "Soter" is associated with the protection of sailors. In the same city, Zeus was also invoked with the epithet "Kassios". Heracles – who was a son of Zeus – was another deity that was worshipped in Bouthrotos. The worship of Poseidon was popular in

2829-563: The Acroceraunians ) in the northwest, to the last offshoots of the massif of Kurveleshi in the north, to the mountain chain of Lunxhëri - Bureto in the northeast, to the river Thyamis in the south. The region of the lower course of the Aoos as well as the Gulf of Aulon lay outside the Chaonian territory. As part of the southward expansion of Apollonia the lower Aoos region came under

2952-665: The Albanian Ionian Sea Coast , Sarandë has a Mediterranean climate with over 300 sunny days a year. In ancient times, the city was known as Onchesmus or Onchesmos and was a port-town of Chaonia in ancient Epirus . It owes its modern name to the nearby Byzantine monastery of the Forty Saints (Agioi Saranda) by which it became known from the High Middle Ages . Sarandë today is known for its deep blue Mediterranean waters. Near Sarandë are

3075-536: The Ancient Greek name of the city: Onchesmus (Ancient Greek: Ὄγχεσμος ) and the toponyms of the surrounding region it appears that the site was part of a proto-Greek area in late 3rd-early 2nd millennium BC. Bronze Age tools typical of Mycenaean Greece have been unearthed in Sarandë which date c. 1400-1100 BC. In antiquity the city was known by the name of Onchesmus or Onchesmos ( Greek : Ονχεσμός ) and

3198-680: The Dexaroi bordered the Enchele to their north. Strabo reports a narrative which probably traces back to Theopompus of Chios ( c. mid-4th century BC), according to which Chaonians first, and then Molossians, were the most powerful regional groups. This may reflect in text the memory of a Chaonian territorial expansion and influence before the Molossian ascendancy of the 4th century BCE. This remained an isolated account in ancient historiography, leaving even fewer archaeological evidence. During

3321-575: The Epirote state under the Aeacids is that Chaonians joined king Pyrrhus of Epirus in his Italian campaign (280–275 BC). Moreover, the Epirote contingents that fought in the campaigns of Magna Graecia and Sicily consisted also of elite Chaonian warriors. In circa 233 BC, Queen Deidamia II of Epirus, the last member of the Aeacid ruling dynasty, was assassinated. As such the monarchy in Epirus

3444-921: The Kingdom of Epirus is linked to increasing control of Chaonian territories as royal lands by the Molossian King Pyrrhus . In the area of the Drino valley, Pyrrhus founded Antigonea in the early 3rd century BCE. It is unclear whether Pyrrhus founded Antigonea with approval from Chaonian elites or not. Nevertheless it indicates Pyrrhus' authority to interfere in the organization of the Epirote kingdom. A number of fortified farmsteads which likely belonged to landowners linked to Pyrrhus appeared during this era, mostly between Phoenice and Bouthroton in Matomara, Metoqi , Çumpora, Çuka and Malathrea and in Dobra . In

3567-863: The Peloponnesian War , the Chaonians appear in several campaigns and battles as allies of the Peloponnesian League . Thucydides , the chief historian of the Peloponnesian War highlights in his work the campaigns against Acarnania (430-429 BCE) and the battles against the Korkyra near Bouthroton (427 BCE). In both cases, Chaonians supported military forces allied with the Peloponnesian League. The first account on Ambracia 's attempt to conquer Amphilochian Argos and other Acarnanian territories in 430-429 BC, during

3690-573: The recognition of the Northern Epirote autonomy inside the newly established Albanian state. It was then occupied by Italy between 1916 and 1920 as part of the Italian Protectorate on southern Albania . Throughout 1926–1939 of the interwar period, Italy financed extensive improvements to the harbour at Sarandë. A small Romanian Institute was established in 1938. Sarandë was again occupied by Italian forces in 1939, and

3813-673: The 5th century BC was not considered part of "Greece", but was considered part of it by the beginning of the Hellenistic period . For Lazari and Kanta-Kitsou (2010), the main geographical positions of the peoples of Epirus had become fixed by the 8th century BCE with further divisions involving internal re-organization between smaller units. In ancient sources, including, the Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax (4th century BCE) and Periodos to Nicomedes by Pseudo-Scymnus (5th century CE) based on Ephoros of Kyme (mid 4th century BCE), Chaonia begins to

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3936-575: The Amantes there is no agreement on their identity since Proxenos (3rd century B.C) and Hesychius consider them Epirotes, while Pliny the Elder "barbarians". Pliny and Strabo define the natural border of Chaonia at the Acroceraunian Mountains, while Appian in his description of Illyria describes Epirus as starting south of the Aoos river. Oricum was located on the foot of the Acroceraunian Mountains and

4059-518: The Chaonians and other Epirote tribes spoke Greek at least from the Dark Ages (1100–800 BC). Hammond further argues that Pseudo-Scylax's description of the situation about 380-360 BC indicates that they did not speak Illyrian and that their acceptance in 330 BC into the Epirote League is a strong indication that they spoke Greek; Chaonian inscriptions, all in Greek, began around 329 BC. In

4182-446: The Chaonians and the other peoples of the area as nomads. The descriptions of ancient authors indicate that the region was densely populated during the 4th century BC. This made the adoption of a new way of life imperative, because the nomadic or semi-nomadic economy could not sustain the ever-increasing population, while constant raids and military operations would make extensive living in unfortified villages problematic; especially with

4305-563: The Chaonians were Cerja on the right side of Shushica , and Matohasanaj, which controlled a natural route between southern Illyria and Epirus. The southern borders of Chaonia were located at Cestrine , an area contested between the Chaonians and the Thesprotians. Cestrine stretched along the modern Greek-Albanian border in the Filiates and Konispol areas. According to Šašel Kos, at the time of Pseudo-Scylax, Chaonians as well as all

4428-565: The Chaonians, while the rule of the Molossians started only later. According to Thucydides , their leaders were chosen on an annual basis; he names two such leaders, Photius and Nikanor "from the ruling lineage". In the 4th century BC, the Chaonians adopted the term prostates (Greek: προστάτης, "ruler") to describe their leaders, like most Greek tribal states at the time. Other terms for office were grammateus (Greek: Γραμματεύς , "secretary"), demiourgoi (Greek: δημιουργοί , "creators"), hieromnemones (Greek: ἱερομνήμονες , "of

4551-517: The Earth" or "World Survey") and Γενεαλογίαι ( Genealogiai ) or the Ἱστορία ( Historia ). However, they only survive in fragments. Periodos ges was written in two books, the first on Europe, the second on Asia, in which he included Africa. The book is a comprehensive work on geography beginning at the Straits of Gibraltar and going clockwise ending at the Atlantic coast of Morocco following

4674-582: The Hellenistic period Himara was the most northwestern fortification of Chaonia and an important center according to epigraphic and historical sources. Himara was of the earliest Chaonian fortifications and served as a fortified refuge for the rural settlements forming a restricted chora around it. Another stronghold in northwest of Chaonia was in Borsh , which controlled a crucial road that connected Chaonia and southern Illyria. The inclusion of Chaonia in

4797-477: The Mollosians perhaps took advange towards their Epirote counterparts during the reign of Alcetas and expanded their power in part of the Epirote coast. 4th century BC dynamics led to a reorganization of Chaonia from the perspective of both political and settlement structures. Starting from around mid-4th century BC Chaonians minted coins, bearing the inscription ΧΑ, which is to be read as ΧΑΟΝΩΝ. They adopted

4920-484: The Peloponnesian War profoundly shaped political developments in Epirus, with a progressive emergence of the monarchy in Molossia. The weakening of Korkyrean power, which was consumed by the civil war, and the ever expansive Athenian influence among the Epirote groups, in particular in favor of the Molossians, led to a shift in the internal political balances and tribal territorial boundaries in Epirus. It appears that by

5043-526: The Peloponnesian War. In the events of 430 BC, the Chaonians are mentioned along with other adjacent tribes as allies of Ambracia called " barbarian " by Thucydides, attacking Argos, however without managing to conquer the city. The next year the Ambraciots organized a large campaign to invade Acarnania, which was Athens' ally. They requested the help of Sparta , and the Spartan fleet commander Cnemus led

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5166-600: The Roman era the main urban center was transferred to Hadrianopolis , on the left bank of the Drinos replacing Antigonea. The first phases of occupation found in Hadrianopolis seem to date back to at least the Hellenistic age. The borders in Epirus cannot be reconstructed with certainty before the 5th century BC. The broadest borders documented for Chaonia in historical times correspond to the mountain chain of Llogara (in

5289-560: The alliance with (and possibly subjection to) the Molossian state , which the rest of Epirus would have already joined. It has been suggested that the mention of Phoinike in the list of theorodokoi of Argos (ca. 330-328 BC) provides evidence that the Argive theoroi visited the city, but that it does not provide evidence that the koinon of the Chaonians might not have also constituted part of the state of Epirus. Molossian expansion resulted in

5412-476: The allied army in the attack against the capital of Acarnania, Stratos and suffered heavy losses as they were defeated by Stratians. As the Chaonians suffered the heaviest losses of all groups from Epirus which were involved, this may have been the era when Molossians exploited Chaonian weakness and allied with themselves with Athens as the starting point for their later ascendancy during the 4th century BCE. The Chaonians temporary control over Thesprotian territory

5535-457: The appearance of some 6th century BC tumuli in the Korça basin containing the burials of new rulers, who are considered Chaonians by Hammond. However according to Bogdani the archaeological evidence is far from certain, since there are no elements of connection between the Chaonians and these new rulers, and the same consideration can be made for the historical source, especially taking into account

5658-434: The area during 1992 noted that Saranda's mixed ethno-linguistic composition (total population in 1992: 17,555) consisted of 8,055 Muslim Albanians, 6,500 Greeks and an Orthodox Albanian population of 3,000. Statistics from the same study showed that, including the surround villages, Sarande commune had a population consisting of 43% Albanian Muslims, 14% Albanian Christians, 41% Greek Christians, and 2% Aromanian Christians. In

5781-536: The area of Chaonians for the period around the 6th century BC was a vast northern dominion of the Chaonians in an area which expanded from the Bay of Vlorë in the south to the Korçë Plain in the north and the lakeland area in the east. According to Hammond's historical reconstruction, the Chaonians might have lost some pastures, but they would have kept control of the pastures in the area that stretched from Grammos to

5904-408: The author of History of the Peloponnesian War . The etymology of the ethnic name Χάονες Cháones is uncertain. In modern bibliography, a connection of Χᾱον- to words like χάος 'void' and χάσκω 'to yawn, gape', has been proposed by linguist Vladimir I. Georgiev (also by Radoslav Katičić ). The semantic shift which is required for Chaones to be linked to them may contain irregularities, although

6027-485: The bay of Grammata is only reachable from the sea at the northern border of Chaonia in the Acroceraunians. Hecataeus of Miletus Hecataeus of Miletus ( / ˌ h ɛ k ə ˈ t iː ə s / ; Greek : Ἑκαταῖος ὁ Μιλήσιος ; c. 550 – c. 476 BC), son of Hegesander, was an early Greek historian and geographer . Hailing from a very wealthy family, he lived in Miletus , then under Persian rule in

6150-473: The citadel, that bore the inscription "ΑΘΑ" ( ATHA ), which has been rendered as "ΑΘΑΝΑΣ" ( ATHANAS ) and indicates that the archaic temple of Bouthrotos was probably dedicated to Athena. Regardless of whether the temple of Athena Polias – mentioned on the lamella from Dodona – was located in Phoenice, Bouthrotos, or elsewhere, the importance and prominent position of the goddess in Chaonia is also confirmed by

6273-571: The coast of the Mediterranean and Black Sea . Hecataeaus provides information about the people and places that would be encountered on a coastal voyage between these points, as well as the inhabitants of the various Mediterranean islands , the Scythians , Persia , India , Egypt and Nubia . Over 300 fragments of this work are preserved, mostly as citations for place names in the work of Stephanus of Byzantium . Hecataeus's other work

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6396-505: The coins of the ethnos, where she is depicted with a Corinthian helmet The cult of Athena was introduced to Epirus for the first time by the Corinthian colonists. Between the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 3rd century BC, a temenos was assigned to the god of medicine and healing, Asclepius. The establishment of his worship probably took place under the reign of Pyrrhus ; however, Pyrrhus might only be responsible for

6519-560: The control of this polis (during the capture of Thronium c. 450 BC). It has been suggested that Apollonia's expansion towards the south may have been due to the control of the northern end of the land route that crossed all of Epirus; from south to north. Apollonia was the northernmost Greek colony in direct interaction to Epirus, although the city itself located in Illyria. As such a major cultural border between Chaonia and Illyria could be found around that area. The eastern border of Chaonia

6642-543: The core of which was the house, and therefore all the members attached to it were largely integral. There is today an overall consensus that the Chaonians were among the Greek-speaking population of Epirus, which spoke the North-West 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. Due to

6765-430: The current basin of Ioannina and to the south with the Thesprotians. The Shushica River (which has been tentatively identified with Ancient Greek : Πολύανθος Polyanthos or Χαωνίτης Chaonites ) set a clear boundary between Chaonians and Amantes , who constituted two distinct tribal communities separated and protected against each other by fortification systems. Strongholds of the Amantes that separated them from

6888-588: The early 1990s, the local Orthodox Albanian population mainly voted for political parties of the Greek minority based in the Saranda area. Sarandë is considered one of the two centers of the Greek minority in Albania , Gjirokastër being the other. According to the representatives of the Greek minority 42% of the town's population belong to the local Greek community. Since the 1990s the population of Sarandë has nearly doubled. According to official estimation in 2013,

7011-445: The end of the 5th century BC Chaonia lost its expansion and influence in the south, with Cestrine being ceded to the Thesprotians. Molossian expansion under Tharyps (c. 430-392 BC) weakened the Chaonians. During the Illyrian invasions in Molossia, the first in 385/384 BC led most likely by Bardylis with the support of Dionysius I of Syracuse , and the other in 316 BC, it appears that Illyrians moved southwards into Molossia along

7134-574: The establishment of the Principality of Albania , owing to the first Italian occupation of the region . During the Italian occupation of Albania in World War II , Benito Mussolini changed the name to Porto Edda , in honor of his eldest daughter . Following the restoration of Albanian independence, the city reverted to its Albanian name Saranda . Due to the archaic features found in

7257-588: The exception of the city of Antigonea, built by the Aeacid king of Epirus, Pyrrhus, in Chaonian territory, which was burnt down. Antigonea itself was destroyed due to infighting between different factions in Epirus. After 167 BCE, Chaonia itself was divided administratively in several semi-autonomous political communities. The koinon of the Prasaiboi was created with its center in Bouthroton. The Prasaiboi before

7380-414: The existence of a Chaonian independent tribal state. The appearance of Phoinike in the list of theorodokoi of Argos ca. 330-328 BCE suggests that the Chaonians now had an urban center of reference or capital city, in addition to the villages of the traditional type. The itineraries of the theorodokoi sacred envoys may also confirm Chaonian independence until the end of the fourth century BC, delaying

7503-408: The expedition of the Greek forces and those troops. Among the latter were 1,000 kingless Chaonians commanded by their annual "prostates" ( Greek : προστάτες , "protectors") Photios and Nikanor. The Thesprotians, who were kingless as well, were arrayed along with the Chaonians. Thucydides mentions that the Chaonians who "were famed for being the best from that part of the mainland" occupied the center of

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7626-542: The fact that Greek toponyms preserving archaic features are very densely found in the wider area, it appears, according to Vladimir I. Georgiev , that speakers of the Proto-Greek language inhabited a region which included Chaonia before the Late Bronze Age migrations (ca. 2500 BC). Eugene Borza argues that the Molossians originated from a pool of Proto-Greek tribes inhabiting northwestern Greece. Hammond argues

7749-470: The fact that the knowledge about the northern Chaonian tribe of the Dexaroi is limited to a single fragment of Hecataeus of Miletus . The formation process of the Chaonians remains an unsolved complex problem. In the territory where Chaonians appeared during the late Iron Age, tumulus burial was persistent during the final period of the Bronze Age, a practice which to a degree continued to be in use in

7872-455: The fall of communism in Albania. Saranda as well as the rest of the Albanian Riviera , according to The Guardian , "is set to become the new undiscovered gem of the overcrowded Med." Tourism is thus the major economic resource, while other resources include services , fisheries and construction . The unemployment rate according to the population census of 2008 was 8.32%. It has been suggested that family tourism and seasonal work during

7995-414: The first of the two Illyrian Wars the following year. An Epirote force sent to Phoenice was defeated prompting an appeal to Achaeans and Aetolians for support. They reinforced the remaining Epirote units and were ready to face the Illyrians at Helicranon . However, the later withdrew on terms. Chaonia and the rest of Epirus were annexed by the Romans after the Third Macedonian War (168-167 BCE). During

8118-400: The inclusion of the Chaonians in a unified Epirote state in the era between c. 340-330 BC under Alexander I and c. 297-295 BCE. It can't be ruled out that this unification may have taken place sometime earlier than 330 BC. Between 317 BC-297 BC political changes, as indicated by an inscription on a bronze plate found in Dodona , reveal the expansion of the Molossian state and the creation of

8241-427: The lamella states: "Good fortune. The polis of the Chaonians asks Zeus Naos and Dione if it is desirable, better, and more advantageous to move and rebuild the Temple of Athena Polias." According to Evangelidis and Gjongecaj , the aforementioned polis pertains to the capital of the Chaonians, Phoenice. There is evidence that this temple was initially located at Bouthrotos; such as a number of Corinthian ostraca from

8364-480: The late classical era. According to the construction of mythological genealogies, Chaonians allegedly received their name from an eponymous ancestor named Xάων Cháon , a Trojan hero who supposedly settled in Epirus. The Athenian comic playwright Aristophanes , in his play The Knights , punningly associated the ethnonym of the Chaonians with the similar sounding verb χάσκω, chásko 'to yawn', while in his play The Acharnians , with χάος, cháos 'chaos'; implying

8487-407: The map of Anaximander , which he saw as a disc encircled by Oceanus . He was probably the first of the logographers to attempt a serious prose history and to employ critical method to distinguish myth from historical fact, though he accepts Homer and other poets as trustworthy authorities. Herodotus, though he contradicts his statements at least once, is indebted to Hecataeus for the concept of

8610-428: The military alliance of the Epirotes ( symmachia ), with Chaonia being part of it. This change initiated a period of political stability in the area. The foundation of the city of Antigonia around 296/295 BC on the Drino valley in Chaonia by Pyrrhus of Epirus , naming it after his first wife, Antigone , marks the end of this process of unification. Another fact that provide certain evidence of Chaonian inclusion into

8733-460: The monumental construction of the asclepeion , while the worship itself may have been inherent due to the geophysical wealth of the site. During the excavations, hydrocarbon deposits and sulfur gas were found; the latter is one of the main components of thermal springs, whose main deity was Asclepius. Liberation acts of the 2nd - 1st c. BC were found at the city's theater (western parodos and diazoma ), most of which were dedicated to Asclepius. Among

8856-585: The name of Onchesmos, is held to be the site of Albania's first synagogue , which was built in the 4th or 5th century. It is thought that it was built by the descendants of Jewish captives who arrived on the southern shores of Albania around 70 CE, during the First Jewish–Roman War . Onchesmos' synagogue was supplanted by a church in the 6th century. The city was probably raided by the Ostrogoths in 551 CE, while during this period it became also

8979-656: The need for the Corcyraeans of Bouthroton who belonged to the democratic faction to defend themselves at the crucial point of connection with the hinterland by building the Dema Wall. Fortifications in the vicinity of Bouthroton seem to have been increasingly built since 475 BCE. In 427 BCE, Thucydides reports that the Korkyrean oligarchic faction took control of the defensive structures of Bouthroton with Corinthian and Chaonian support. The defeat of democratic polities in

9102-766: The neighboring Greek nations. Also, to the north-east the Chaonians bordered the Atintanians , whose position is in question. In the east they were adjacent to the Paraueans who populated the valley on the right bank of the Aoos between the Straits of Këlcyrë and the Sarantaporos or alternatively only the southern part of the upper Aoos. In the southeast the Chaones were adjacent to the Molossians who occupied

9225-590: The newly formed Albanian state on 17 December 1913 under the terms of the Protocol of Florence. The decision was rejected by the local Greek population, and as the Greek army withdrew to the new border, the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus was established. In May 1914, negotiations were started in Sarandë between representative of the provisional government of Northern Epirus and that of Albania which continued in nearby Corfu and ended up with

9348-611: The next era. There is a lack of attestation of a certain continuity between the facies of the Late Bronze Age and of the Early Iron Age , which is documented by the tumulus necropolises and by populated areas that sometimes appear to be enclosed, and the more organized settlements of the late Classical and Hellenistic periods. This discontinuity reveals a more drastic change in the settlement schemes and socio-economic structures of Chaonia in comparison to those found in

9471-456: The northern border of Thesprotia, thus assuming that the region of Cestrine belonged to Chaonia, while usually it is said to have belonged to Thesprotia. Another classical source that provides evidence for a southern Chaonian expansion down to Ambracia is a fragment of Hellanicus of Lesbos (late 5th century BC). Chaonian politics of 429 BC and the interests of the polis of Korkyra (led by its democratic faction) were in contrast which explains

9594-446: The northern part of the region of Epirus, contact with Illyrian-speakers may have further increased sub-dialectal variation within North-West Doric, although concrete evidence outside of onomastics is lacking. On the other hand, penetration of Greek speech, including Epirote, was much more evident among the adjacent Illyrian tribes. Filos asserts that Epirus was a largely Greek-speaking region, as indicated in epigraphic material, although

9717-494: The number of the Greek community in the former municipality is 7,920, not to count those who live in the wider current municipality (including additionally 4,207 in Ksamil). Two schools/classes in Greek attended by a total of 217 students existed in the Saranda municipality as of 2014. Other minorities include Aromanians, Roma and Ashkali . Sarandë is twinned with: [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from

9840-571: The operation. However, the British troops soon withdrew from the region, leaving the region to the Albanian communist forces. As part of the People's Republic of Albania (1945-1991) policies a number of Muslim Albanians were settled from northern Albania in the area and local Christians are no longer the only community in Saranda. During this period as a result of the atheistic campaign launched by

9963-440: The other asclepieia; such as those of Nafpaktos, Orchomenos, Chaeronia, Epidaurus, etc. With the development of Bouthrotos' urban center, Asclepius seems to have become the patron god of the city, replacing Athena, who is not mentioned in any inscription thereafter. On the Chaonian coast numerous euploia sanctuaries have been found where sailors have left their epigraphic trace on the rock of cliffs or natural cavities. Among those

10086-568: The other ethnic districts of Epirus. Ancient authors also starting from Hecataeus of Miletus (6th-5th centuriec BC) highlighted the contiguity of the Chaonians to the Illyrian people settled north of the Acroceraunian Mountains , but they have never identified or affiliated Chaonians with Illyrian tribes. Archaeological material from the classical and Hellenistic periods near Tragjas , Vlorë , (Bregu i Kishës) fits well into

10209-468: The peoples to the north and to the south of Chaonia were living in villages, while Greece began at the Greek polis of Ambracia . However, Šašel Kos also stated that both northern and southern Epirus was part of the Greek world, but possessing their own ethnic identity. As reported in a fragment of Hecataeus of Miletus (around 6th century BC), the Chaonian tribe of the Dexaroi bordered the Enchele to their north. According to Sharon Stocker , Chaonia in

10332-637: The political party of the Greeks in the country). During the 1997 Albanian civil unrest , units comprised by the local Greek minority were able to achieve the first military success for the opposition through the capture of a government tank. Part of the Albanian Riviera , Sarandë is situated on the arch-shaped bay of Sarandë between the Gormarti and Berdeneshi Hills and the Albanian Ionian Sea Coast in southwestern Albania. Sarandë Municipality

10455-533: The population of the city is 41,173. According to a survey conducted by the Albanian Committee of Helsinki, in 2001 the Albanian population numbered about 26,500, while Greeks formed the rest with about 3,400 alongside a small number of Vlachs and Roma . The city, according to the Albanian Committee of Helsinki, has lost more than half of its ethnic Greeks from 1991 to 2001, because of heavy emigration to Greece. According to official estimates of 2014

10578-421: The recorded officials, the priest of the god is also included. The priests of Asclepius came from the local ruling class, since the inscriptions show that some people had served both as generals and priests of the god; this indicates that the cult of Asclepius was intertwined with the public affairs of the city. The publication of the liberation acts at the temene is not only characteristic of Bouthrotos, but also of

10701-453: The region and Taurian Poseidon ( Greek : Ταύρειος Πωσειδών ) is associated with chthonic features, being protector of the shepherds and the flocks. This kind of worship was quite archaic in the region and was preserved from prehistoric Mycenaean Greece (1600-1100 B.C). A temple dedicated to Athena Polias was erected in Chaonian territory, which is attested from an oracular lamella from Dodona dated to ca. 330–320 BC. The inscription on

10824-512: The region, the Drino valley represented a key land route between Illyria and northern Greece, which probably explains the reasons of the independence and notability of the Chaonians in classical antiquity. Chaonia manifested a 'continental' propensity and the natives of the region had scarce interest for the sea. Nevertheless, with its strategic position on the routes towards Italy, Chaonia appears to have been precociously and continuously affected by

10947-407: The remains of the ancient city of Butrint , a UNESCO World Heritage site . In recent years, Sarandë has seen a steady increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ships. Visitors are attracted by the natural environment of Sarandë and its archaeological sites. Sarandë is inhabited by a majority of ethnic Albanians, and also has a minority Greek community and as such has been considered one of

11070-599: The rule of Ali Pasha , British diplomat William Martin Leake reported that there existed a small settlement under the name Skala or Skaloma next to the harbor. Following the Ottoman administrative reform of 1867, a müdürluk (independent unit) of Sarandë consisting of no other villages was created within the kaza (district) of Delvinë. Sarandë in the late Ottoman period until the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) consisted of only

11193-535: The sacred memory") and synarchontes (Greek: συνάρχοντες , "co-rulers"). They were loosely associated with the rest of the Epirote tribes ( Ancient Greek : φυλαί , romanized :  phylae ), including the Thesprotians and Molossians. They joined the Epirote League, founded in 325/320 BC, uniting their territories with those of the rest of the Epirotes in a loosely federated state that became

11316-571: The same era, such sites have been found in Melan, while sites in Lekel (possibly ancient Hecatompedon ), Labova (possibly ancient Omphalion ), Dholani e Derviçan and Selo secured various access points to the valley. The sites in Labovë e Sipërme, Dholan and Derviçan may have been fortified residences which developed around Antigonea in the same manner as the farmsteads between Phoenice and Bouthroton. In

11439-525: The satrapy of Lydia . He was active during the time of the Greco-Persian Wars . After having travelled extensively, he settled in his native city, where he occupied a high position, and devoted his time to the composition of geographical and historical works. When Aristagoras , acting tyrant of Miletus, held a council of leading Ionians at Miletus to organize a revolt against Persian rule, Hecataeus tried in vain to dissuade his countrymen from

11562-410: The settlement had only 110 inhabitants. At the 1927 census, it had 810 inhabitants, but was not yet a town. In the 1930s, it had a good demographic development, and it is in this period that the first public buildings and the main roads were constructed. In 1957, the city had 8,700 inhabitants and was made the center of a district. The population of Sarandë was exclusively Christian. A Muslim community

11685-770: The situation that prevailed in Athenian foreign policy, and the indolent nature of Athenian politicians. Chaonia ( Ancient Greek : Χαονία ) was in the northwestern part of Epirus . It was one of the three main ethnic divisions of Epirus; the other two were Thesprotia and Molossia . The chronological arc when the toponym of Chaonia is attested ranges from the Classical Era to the Roman Era . Important river valleys that were included within Chaonia were those of Drino , Bistrica , Kalasa and Pavlla . Being under Chaonian control and playing an important geopolitical role in

11808-413: The slaves), and they could manage it, sell it, or even give it up, without the mediation of a male guardian. Also, it was common for slaves, after their liberation acts, to remain at the side of their former masters, for as long as the latter lived. This reveals the strong bond between the slaves and their owners; possibly due to the late adoption of slavery in the region, and the preservation of tribal ties,

11931-511: The south of the ancient Greek city of Oricum, which the Periplus locates within the territory of Illyrian Amantia . Pseudo-Scymnus lists Chaonia as one of the lands of "barbarian" tribes between the two cities of Oricum and Ambrakia. The author of the Periplus differentiated between the Illyrian peoples, barbarians, like the Amantes , to the north of Chaonia, and the Chaonians to the south. On

12054-499: The south-western side of the lakeland region. They would also have suffered losses at the hands of the Illyrian Taulantii and the settlers at Apollonia , who would have captured the southern part of the coastal plain, which coincides with the present-day region of Malakastra . Hammond's hypothesis is based on an information provided by Hecataeus, according to which Chaonians and Enchelei were neighboring peoples, and on

12177-489: The state the church of Saint Spyridon in the harbor of the city was demolished. After the restoration of democracy in Albania (1991) a small shrine was erected at the place of the church. In 1992, during the escalation of violence against ethnic Greek communities in southern Albania , incidents included the burning down of Greek shops in the city harbour and vandalization of the Omonoia organization offices (the latter being

12300-424: The statues; since the generations of their high priests had numbered three hundred and forty-five, all mortal men, they refused to believe Hecataeus's claim of descent from a god. Historian James Shotwell has called this encounter with the antiquity of Egypt an influence on Hecataeus's scepticism: he recognized that oral history is untrustworthy. Besides his written works, Hecataeus is also credited with improving

12423-476: The summer period help mitigate the real unemployment rate. Recently, the town has experienced an uncontrolled construction boom which may hamper the city's future tourism potential. Since 2012, the Port of Saranda is undergoing an expansion to accommodate cruise ships at its terminal. Sarandë is viewed as the unofficial capital of the Albanian Riviera , and can be used as a base for excursions along it. The region

12546-408: The target of piratic raids by Gothic ships. In a medieval chronicle of 1191 the settlement appears to be abandoned, while its former name (Anchiasmos) isn't mentioned any more. From that year, the toponym borrows the name of the nearby Orthodox basilica church of Agioi Saranta , erected in the 6th century, ca. 1 km (0.6 mi) southeast of the modern town. In the early 19th century during

12669-466: The town returned to Italian control. On 9 October 1944 the town was captured by a group of British commandos under Brigadier Tom Churchill and local partisans of LANÇ under Islam Radovicka . The actions of the British troops was viewed with suspicion by LANÇ as they suspected that the British would occupy the town to use as a base and provide aid to their allies in the Greek resistance in the area as British documents indicated that EDES forces also joined

12792-415: The trans-Ionian and trans-Adriatic navigation routes that required their own cultural landscape. Among the oldest of these cultural landscapes was a ' colonial ' landscape, the precocity of which is acknowledged only within the cultural sphere of the peraia of Korkyra . Hammond (1982) suggests that the lack of ancient Greek colonies in the territories of where Chaonians are attested since the classical era

12915-433: The transhumant seasonal movement of men. This required a shift to a more permanent and organized settlement, which ensured better defense and the parallel exercise of various economic activities, such as agriculture, hunting, fishing and animal husbandry ; the latter, however, on a more limited scale than that of nomadic or semi-nomadic. Henceforth, there was import and export of cereals in the region, while it also served as

13038-708: The two centers of the Greek minority in Albania . Saranda is named after the Byzantine monastery of the Agioi Saranda , meaning the "Forty Saints" in Greek , in honor of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste . Under Ottoman rule , the town in the Turkish language became known as Aya Sarandi and then Sarandoz . Owing to Venetian influence in the region, it often appeared under its Italian name Santi Quaranta on Western maps. This usage continued even after

13161-644: The undertaking. In 494 BC, when the defeated Ionians were obliged to sue for terms, he was one of the ambassadors to the Persian satrap Artaphernes , whom he persuaded to restore the constitution of the Ionic cities. Hecataeus is the first known Greek historian and was one of the first classical writers to mention the Celtic and Illyrian peoples. He is known as the "Father of Geography". Two works by Hecateus are known: Περίοδος γῆς ( Periodos ges , "Journey round

13284-405: The use of ethnic names: Aixonios, Tharios, Kotulaios, O...-atas and Prochtheios. The Chaonians were settled Kata Komas ( Ancient Greek : Κατά Κώμας ) meaning in a collection of villages and not in an organized polis (despite the fact that they called their community a polis ) and were a tribal state in the 5th century BC. As reported by the most common ancient account Epirus was first ruled by

13407-529: The war were probably one of the smaller communities in Chaonia and possibly Thesprotia which benefited from their alliance with Rome and acquired a separate administrative status. It is unclear if Phoinike was at the early era of Roman rule under the Prasaiboi or a separate Chaonian community and what relations it held with another community which appears as the Epirotes around Phoinike . The Prasaiboi seem to have consisted of at least five communities as attested in

13530-429: The war, Molossians and the major Thesprotian groups supported the anti-Roman coalition, while Chaonians fought as allies of the Roman army. As such, there is a strong contrast between the development of Chaonia, Molossia and Thesprotia after the war. While the latter regions faced great destruction including the burning of many settlements and widespread enslavement, Chaonia remained unaffected and continued to flourish with

13653-482: The wind favourable for making that passage an Onchesmites . According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus the real name of the place was the Port of Anchises (Ἀγχίσου λιμήν), named after Anchises , the father of Aeneas ; and it was probably owing to this tradition that the name Onchesmus assumed the form of Anchiasmus or Anchiasmos ( Greek : Αγχιασμός ) under the Byzantine Empire . Saranda, then under

13776-464: The worship of Athena, Asclepius and Zeus Soter is attested; the combined worship of the three, is associated with coastal areas and may have been part of a common cult that is also attested in other parts of the Greek world. Zeus , the central figure of the Greek Pantheon , was a popular deity among the Chaonians, as well as the rest of northern Greece. Zeus Chaonius was also associated with

13899-525: Was a peraia of Korkyra, this development may have boosted political changes among the Chaonians who abolished their monarchy early compared to adjacents tribes. As part of that area around c. 500 BC Hecateus mentioned that the region of Chaonia included the Kiraios bay and its plain; a reference to the bay of Bouthrotos and the valley of the Pavllas. The same author also reports that the Chaonian tribe of

14022-405: Was a book on mythography in four books. Less than forty fragments remain. He applied a more skeptical approach to the traditions of families who claimed to be descended from gods. One fragment that has survived is the opening "Hecataeus of Miletus thus speaks: I write what I deem true; for the stories of the Greeks are manifold and seem to me ridiculous." Herodotus (II, 143) tells a story of

14145-523: Was a port-town of Chaonia in ancient Epirus , opposite the northwestern point of Corcyra , and the next port upon the coast to the south of Panormus . It was inhabited by the ancient Greek tribe of the Chaonians . Onchesmos flourished as the port of the Chaonian capital Phoenice (modern-day Finiq ). It seems to have been a place of importance in the time of Cicero , and one of the ordinary points of departure from Epirus to Italy, as Cicero calls

14268-664: Was a strategic port during the Italian invasion of Greece . During this occupation, it was called "Porto Edda" in honor of the eldest daughter of Benito Mussolini . During the Greco-Italian War , the city came under the control of the advancing Greek forces, on 6 December 1940. The capture of this strategic port further accelerated the Greek penetration to the north. As a result of the German invasion in Greece in April 1941,

14391-470: Was abolished and a federal government of the Epirote League was established with Phoenice as its capital. Polybius recounts a devastating raid mounted in 230 BC by the Illyrians against Phoenice . The incident had major political ramifications where many Italian traders who were in the town at the time of the sacking were killed or enslaved by the Illyrians, prompting the Roman Republic to launch

14514-445: Was another settlement which developed during the Hellenistic era in Chaonia. The city and the territory it controlled was founded as a Korkyraian colony and enclave. It was abandoned in 475-350 BCE, which coincides with the involvement of Korkyra in the Peloponnesian War. Chaonians seem to have resettled this coastal area around 350-300 BCE. At the end of the 4th century BC, the city of Bouthroton, became Phoenice's harbor and experienced

14637-473: Was located along the Drino and Aoos rivers. The eastern and southern boundaries of the Chaonians were also not clear and also changed over the centuries. This occurred due to a number of factors and historical events; seasonal movements of nomadic or semi-nomadic populations and relations towards the neighboring populations including the interests of the southern Greek powers: Corinth and the Athens as well as of

14760-472: Was settled in the city as part of the resettlement policies during the People's Republic of Albania (1945–1991). The total population is 20,227 (2011 census), in a total area of 70.13 km . The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 17,233. The population according to the civil offices, which record all citizens including those living abroad, is 41,173 (2013 estimate). According to

14883-466: Was suppressed by Ottoman troops, who burned twenty villages in the region. One of the earliest photographs of Saranda dates from 3 March 1913 and shows Greek soldiers in the main street during the course of the Second Balkan War . Saranda was an important city in the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus . Greek troops occupied it during the Balkan Wars . Later, the town was included in

15006-402: Was thus in a border area between the Chaonians, who were located south of the Acroceraunians mountains, and the southernmost Illyrians, who were located on the foot of these mountains. This placement caused misunderstandings among ancient authors about Oricum's location in Illyria or Epirus. Ptolemy locates Oricum in Chaonia and similarly Flavius Philostratus locates it in Epirus. However, from

15129-490: Was very subtle, and in part, largely plasmatic. The local society was generally rural, and its inhabitants tried to achieve self-sufficiency through a number of means that complemented each other. The character of the economy was a consequence of the mountainous environment. Chaonian winter pastures stretched from modern-day Konispol in the south to the Gulf of Aulon in the north. Additionally, with regard to pastoralism and nomadism, no source or archaeological document describes

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