Epirus (Greek: Ήπειρος Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος Apeiros, Albanian: Epir or Epiri) is a region in south-eastern Europe, currently divided between the periphery of Epirus in Greece (80%) and Northern Epirus in southern Albania. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly For the modern Doric dialect of Scotland see Doric dialect (Scotland Doric was a dialect of ancient Greek. Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - The peripheries ( Περιφέρειες) are the official regional Administrative divisions of Greece. Epirus ( Greek: Ήπειρος Ípiros) is a periphery in northwestern Greece. Greek minority In Albania, Greeks are considered a "national minority" This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics.

Map of ancient Epirus

Etymology of the name

The Greek name Epirus signifies "mainland" or "continent", to distinguish it from the Ionian islands off the Epirote coast. It was originally applied to the whole coast south to the Gulf of Patras. Patraikos gulfjpg|right|thumb|300px]] The Gulf of Patras ( Greek: Πατραϊκός Κόλπος Patraikós Kólpos) is a branch of the Ionian Sea The name is thought to go back to Proto-Greek ἅπειρος/apeiros, from an Indo-European root apero- meaning 'coast'. The Proto-Greek language is the assumed last common ancestor of all known varieties of Greek, including Mycenaean, the classical Greek dialects ^[1]

Boundaries and definitions

The historical region of Epirus is generally regarded as extending from the Bay of Vlorë in Albania to the Gulf of Arta or Ambracian Gulf in Greece. Vlorë or Vlora ( Ancient Greek: Αυλών Aulón, meaning "Valley" or possibly from a Greek The Ambracian Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Arta or the Gulf of Actium, and in some official documents as the Amvrakikos Gulf (Αμβρακικός Its eastern boundary is defined by the Pindus Mountains that form the spine of mainland Greece and separate Epirus from Macedonia and Thessaly. This article is about the mountain range called Pindus for other uses of these names see Pindus (disambiguation The Pindus (Πίνδος Macedonia is a Geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe whose area was re-defined in the early 20th century Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. To the west, Epirus faces the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea. The Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. The island of Corfu is situated off the coast but is not generally regarded as part of the province (politically it is part of the Ionian Islands province of Greece). Corfu (Κέρκυρα Kérkyra, ˈkʲe̞ɾkʲiɾa Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα Corcyra Corfù is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea This article is about the group of islands west of Greece For the ancient region in western Anatolia see Ionia.

Geography and ecology

NASA satellite image of Epirus

Epirus is a rugged and mountainous region. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program It is largely made up of mountainous limestone ridges, part of the Dinaric Alps, that in places reach 2,650 m. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides ( Croatian and Bosnian: Dinarsko gorje or Dinaridi, Alpet Dinaride In the east, the Pindus Mountains that form the spine of mainland Greece separate Epirus from Macedonia and Thessaly. This article is about the mountain range called Pindus for other uses of these names see Pindus (disambiguation The Pindus (Πίνδος Macedonia ( Μακεδονία, Makedonía,) is a geographical and historical region of Greece in southeastern Europe Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. Most of Epirus lies on the windward side of the Pindus. The winds from the Ionian Sea offer the region more rainfall than any other part of Greece.

The climate of Epirus is mainly alpine. For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see Climate of the Alps. The vegetation is made up mainly of coniferous species. The animal life is especially rich in this area and features, among other species, bears, wolves, foxes, deer and lynxes. The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. A lynx is any of four medium-sized wild cats. All are members of the Genus Lynx, but there is considerable confusion about the best way to classify

History

Early settlement

Mycenaean sites in Epirus

Epirus has been occupied since Neolithic^[2] times, when hunters and shepherds inhabited the region and constructed large tumuli to bury their leaders. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a Mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves The tumuli had many similar characteristics to those later used^[3] by the Myceneans^[4], suggesting^[5] a possible ancestral link^[6] between Epirus^[7] and the Mycenean^[8][9] civilization. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese Certainly, Mycenean remains^[10] have been found^[11] and even at the most important ancient religious sites in the region, the Necromanteion (Oracle of the Dead) on the Acheron river, and the Oracle of Zeus at Dodona^[12]. The Nekromanteion is the Ancient Greek Temple of Necromancy devoted to Hades and Persephone. This article concerns the Greek river For other uses see Acheron (disambiguation. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Dodona (from Doric Greek Δωδώνα Ionic Greek: Δωδώνη - Dodone) in Epirus in northwestern Greece, was a prehistoric

The Dorians invaded Greece via Epirus and Macedonia at the end of the 2nd millennium BC (circa 1100 BC-1000 BC), though the reasons for their migration are obscure. The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were The 2nd millennium BC marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age. The region's original inhabitants were driven southward into the Greek mainland by the invasion and by the early 1st millennium BC three principal clusters of Greek-speaking^[13][14][15] tribes had emerged in Epirus. The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of successive empires These were the Chaonians of northwestern Epirus, the Molossians in the centre and the Thesprotians in the south. The Chaonians ( Greek: grc Χάονες Chaones) were an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region of Epirus in the north-west of modern The Molossians (Μολοσσοί English: Molossoi were an ancient Greek tribe that settled Epirus during Mycenaean times The Thesprotians ( Greek: Θεσπρωτοί English: Thesprôti were an ancient Greek tribe of Thesprotis, akin to the Molossians

Epirus and ancient Greece

Remains of the sanctuary of Zeus Dodonaios in Dodona

Tribes of Epirus in antiquity

Unlike most other Greeks of the time, who lived in or around city-states such as Athens or Sparta, the Epirotes lived in small villages. A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The term Epirotes (Ηπειρώτες refers to the inhabitants of the region of Epirus. Their region lay on the edge of the Greek world and was far from peaceful; for many centuries, it remained a frontier area contested with the Illyrian peoples of the Adriatic coast and interior. The Illyrian languages are a group of Indo-European languages that were spoken in the western part of the Balkans in former times by groups identified as However, Epirus had a far greater religious significance than might have been expected given its geographical remoteness, due to the presence of the shrine and oracle at Dodona - regarded as second only to the more famous oracle at Delphi. Delphi ( Greek,) ( pronounce and dialectal forms) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western

The Epirotes though apparently Greek-speaking seem to have been regarded with some disdain by the Athenians when the latter rose to power, a fate suffered by many Greek enemies of Athens or those Greeks they considered culturally inferior to themselves. The 5th century BC Athenian historian Thucydides describes them as "barbarians" due to the fact they tried to detach Acarnania from the sphere of Athenian power^[16] and allied themselves with the Spartans to do so during the Peloponnesian War. The 5th century BC started the first day of 500 BC and ended the last day of 401 BC. Thucydides ( C 460 BC &ndash C 395 BC) ( Greek Θουκυδίδης Thoukydídēs) was a Greek Acarnania is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary and north Spartan may refer to pertaining to Sparta Spartan hoplite, heavy infantryman in the Spartan army Spartan This term was used by Athenians in a pejorative and politically motivated manner against many Greeks^[17]. The Epirote aristocracy were the Aeacidae, who claimed to be descended from Neoptolemus, son of Achilles. Aeacidae refers to the descendants of Aeacus, most notably Peleus, son of Aeacus and Achilles, grandson of Aeacus In Greek mythology, Neoptolemus (also Neoptólemos or Pyrrhus; Greek Νεοπτόλημος "New War" was the son of the warrior Achilles "Achilleus" redirects here For the emperor with this name see Achilleus (emperor. As well Strabo^[18] says: "and even to the present day the Thracians, Illyrians, and Epeirotes live on the flanks of the Greeks (though this was still more the case formerly than now); indeed most of the country that at the present time is indisputably Greece is held by the barbarians — Macedonia and certain parts of Thessaly by the Thracians, and the parts above Acarnania and Aetolia by the Thesproti, the Cassopaei, the Amphilochi, the Molossi, and the Athamanes — Epeirotic tribes. Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. " On the other hand, other ancient Greek and Roman writers such as Apollodorus^[19], Dionysius of Halicarnassus^[20], Frontinus^[21], Pausanias^[22], Ptolemy^[23], Cassius Dio^[24] and Eutropius^[25], describe them as Greeks. Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Halicarnassus c 60 BC–after 7 BC was a Greek historian and teacher of Rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Sextus Julius Frontinus (ca 40-103 AD was one of the most distinguished Roman aristocrats of the late first century AD but is best known to the post-Classical world as an Pausanias ( Greek:) was a Greek traveller and Geographer of the 2nd century CE, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Greek:) (c 155 or 163/164 to after 229 known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was For the Byzantine officer see also Eutropius (Byzantine official (396-397 Plutarch mentions an interesting cultural element of the Epirotes regarding Achilles. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c In his biography of king Pyrrhus, he claims that Achilles "had a divine status in Epirus and in the local dialect he was called Aspetos"(Homeric aspetos 'unspeakable,unspeakably great,endless' (Aristotle F 563 Rose; Plutarch, Pyrrhus 1; SH 960,4)^{[26][27][28][29]}. Pyrrhus (318-272 BC ( Greek: Πύρρος Aιακιδης Pyrros Aiakides was one of the most successful ancient Greek generals of the Hellenistic Homeric Greek is the form of Ancient Greek that was used by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey. The Aeacidae established the Molossian dynasty, who built a state in Epirus from about 370 BC onwards, expanding their power at the expense of rival tribes. The Molossians (Μολοσσοί English: Molossoi were an ancient Greek tribe that settled Epirus during Mycenaean times Events By place Greece Cleomenes II succeeds his brother Agesipolis II as Agiad king of Sparta. The Molossians allied themselves with the increasingly powerful kingdom of Macedon and in 359 BC the Molossian princess Olympias, niece of Arybbas of Epirus, married King Philip II of Macedon. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Events By place Macedonia The Macedonian King Perdiccas III is killed while defending his country against an Illyrian Olympias (in Greek, Ὀλυμπιάς; ca 376&ndash316 BC was an Epirote Princess, the fourth wife of the king Philip II of Arymbas (or Arybas, Arribas, Arrybas, Tharrytas) was the king of Epirus, succeeding his brother Neoptolemos in the year 360 BC Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse She was to become the mother of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ'

On the death of Arybbas, Alexander of Epirus succeeded to the throne and the title King of Epirus. Alexander I of Epirus (ca 370 BC - ca 331 BC also known as Alexander Molossus was a king of Epirus (350 BC-331 BC of the Aeacid dynasty. Aeacides of Epirus, who succeeded Alexander, espoused the cause of Olympias against Cassander, but was dethroned in 313 BC. Aeacides may also refer to Peleus, son of Aeacus, or Achilles, grandson of Aeacus Cassander ( Greek: Κάσσανδρος, Kassandros; ca 350 - 297 BC King of Macedon (305 - 297 BC was a son of Antipater Events By place Egypt Ptolemy, whose Egyptian kingdom includes Cyprus, puts down a revolt there His son Pyrrhus came to throne in 295 BC, and for six years fought against the Romans in southern Italy and Sicily. Pyrrhus (318-272 BC ( Greek: Πύρρος Aιακιδης Pyrros Aiakides was one of the most successful ancient Greek generals of the Hellenistic Events By place Roman Republic The Battle of Sentinum west of Anconum ends in defeat for a formidable coalition of Samnites, The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. His campaigns gave Epirus a new, but brief, importance and a lasting contribution to the language with the concept of a "Pyrrhic victory". A Pyrrhic victory (ˈpɪrɪk is a victory with devastating cost to the victor

In the 3rd century BC Epirus remained a substantial power, unified under the auspices of the Epirote League as a federal state with its own parliament (or synedrion). The 3rd century BC started the first day of 300 BC and ended the last day of 201 BC However, it was faced with the growing threat of the expansionist Roman Republic, which fought a series of wars with Macedonia. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The League remained neutral in the first two Macedonian Wars but split in the Third Macedonian War (171 BC-168 BC), with the Molossians siding with the Macedonians and the Chaones and Thesproti siding with Rome. The Third Macedonian War ( 171 BC - 168 BC) was a war fought between Rome and King Perseus of Macedon. Events By place Greece Epirus joins Macedonia in the latter's fight against Rome. The outcome was disastrous for Epirus; Molossia fell to Rome in 167 BC, 150,000 of its inhabitants were enslaved and the region was so thoroughly plundered that it took 500 years for central Epirus to recover fully.

Roman and Byzantine rule

The Roman invasion permanently ended the political independence of the Epirotes. In 146 BC Epirus became part of the province of Roman Macedonia, receiving the name Epirus vetus, to distinguish it from Epirus nova to the east. The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon Epirus vetus was a Province in the Roman Empire. Between 146 BC and 395 AD, it was incorporated into the Roman province of Macedonia Epirus nova (also known as Illyria Graeca) was a province of the Roman Empire established by Diocletian during his restructuring of provincial boundaries Its coastal regions grew wealthy from the Roman coastal trade routes, and the construction of the Via Egnatia provided a further boost to prosperity. The Via Egnatia ( Greek:) was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC.

Epirus became the westernmost province of the Eastern Roman Empire (subsequently the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire), ruled from Constantinople when the empire was divided in two in 395 AD. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Events By Place Roman Empire After the death of emperor Theodosius I, the Empire is re-divided into an eastern and a western half When Constantinople fell to the Fourth Crusade in 1204, Michael Angelos Komnenos Ducas seized Aetolia and Epirus to establish an independent Despotate of Epirus. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Michael I Komnenos Doukas or Comnenus Ducas ( Greek: Μιχαήλ Α΄ Κομνηνός Δούκας Mikhaēl I Komnēnos Doukas) often inaccurately called Aetolia is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth forming the eastern part of the modern prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania The Principality of Epirus can also refer to the pashalik of Ali Pasha The Despotate or Principality of Epirus (Δεσποτάτο της The rulers of the Despotate controlled a substantial area corresponding to a large swathe of northwestern Greece, much of modern Albania and parts of the modern Republic of Macedonia. The Republic of Macedonia (Република

In 1318 Epirus was overrun by Serbs in one of a series of uprisings. Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, Following an Albanian uprising in 1359 , in which the Despot Nicephorus II was killed, the Byzantines re-established a measure of control of the despotate by making it a vassal state. However, in 1430 the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Murad II annexed Epirus. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Murad II ( June 1404 Amasya February 3, 1451, Edirne) ( Ottoman Turkish: مراد ثانى Murād-ı sānī

Ottoman rule

Ethnic map of the Balkan Peninsula from 1877, by A. Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Synvet

Ottoman rule proved particularly damaging in Epirus; the region was subjected to deforestation and excessive cultivation, which damaged the soil and drove many Epirotes to emigrate to escape the region's pervasive poverty. The term Epirotes (Ηπειρώτες refers to the inhabitants of the region of Epirus. Nonetheless, the Ottomans did not enjoy total control of Epirus. In 1443 George Kastrioti Skenderbeg, the Albanian National Hero, revolted against the Ottoman Empire and conquered Northern Epirus, but on his death it fell to Venice. Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg ( 6 May 1405 &ndash 17 January 1468) ( Albanian: Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu, widely known as This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the The Ottomans expelled the Venetians from almost the whole area in the late 15th century.

In the 18th century, as the power of the Ottomans declined, Epirus became a virtually independent region under the despotic rule of Ali Pasha Tepelena, an Albanian brigand who became the provincial governor of Ioannina in 1788 . The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Ali Pasha of Tepelen or of Yannina, the "Lion of Yannina" (1741 &ndash January 24, 1822) was the ruler ( Pasha) of the western This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. At the height of his power, he controlled much of western Greece, the Peloponnese and (southern) Albania. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula Ali Pasha's campaigns to subjugate the confederation of the Souli settlements is a well known incident of his rule. Suli redirects here This is also a Suborder in the Pelecaniformes, containing Gannets boobies, Cormorants and His forces met fierce resistance by the Souliote warriors of the mountainous area. After numerous failed attempts to defeat the Souliotes, his troops succeeded in conquering the area in 1803. When the Greek War of Independence broke out, the inhabitants of the region contributed greatly, and Ali Pasha tried to make himself an independent ruler, but he was deposed and murdered by Ottoman agents in 1822. The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829 also commonly known as the Greek Revolution (Ελληνική Επανάσταση Elliniki Epanastasi; Ottoman Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the

When Greece became independent, Epirus remained under Ottoman rule. Two of the founding members of the Filiki Eteria (secret patriotic society), Nikolaos Skoufas and Athanasios Tsakalov, came from the Arta area and the city of Ioannina respectively. The Filiki Eteria (spelled also Philikí Etaireía, Greek alphabet: Φιλική Εταιρεία or Εταιρεία των Φιλικών) Nikolaos Skoufas (Νικόλαος Σκουφάς ( 1779 - July 31 1818) - member of the Filiki Eteria ("Society of Friends" Arta (Άρτα is one of the Prefectures of Greece. It is part of the Epirus periphery Ioannina (Ιωάννινα, often el Γιάννενα or el Γιάννινα / is a city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a metropolitan population of Greece's first constitutional prime minister (1844-1847), Ioannis Kolettis, was a native of the Aromanian town of Syrrako in Epirus and former personal doctor to Vizier Ali Pasha himself. Ioannis Kolettis (Ιωάννης Κωλέττης (1773 - 1847 was a Greek politician of Vlach origin who played a significant role in Greek affairs from the Aromanians (or Macedo-Rumans; in Aromanian they call themselves Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are a people living throughout the southern Balkans

20th century Epirus

The Treaty of Berlin of 1881 gave Greece parts of southern Epirus, but it was not until the Balkan Wars of 1912-13 that the rest of southern Epirus joined Greece. The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Northern Epirus was awarded to Albania by an international boundary commission. This outcome was unpopular among both Greeks and Albanians, as settlements of the two people existed on both sides of the border. Among Greeks, northern Epirus is regarded as terra irredenta. Irredentism is any position advocating Annexation of territories administered by another State on the grounds of common Ethnicity or prior historical possession When World War I broke out in 1914 , Albania collapsed. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Under a March 1915 agreement among the Allies, Italy seized northern Albania and Greece set up an autonomous Greek state of North Epirus in the southern part of the country. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Greek minority In Albania, Greeks are considered a "national minority" Although short-lived, the state of Northern Epirus managed to leave behind a number of historical records of its existence, including its own postage stamps; see Postage stamps and postal history of Epirus. Greek minority In Albania, Greeks are considered a "national minority" From 1912 to 1916, Northern Epirus (also known as Southern Albania) was run by a provisional Greek government opposing its cession to newly-founded

Although the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 awarded the area to Greece after World War I, political developments such as the Greek defeat in the Greco-Turkish War and, crucially, Italian, Austrian and German lobbying in favour of Albania meant that Greece, although backed by Russia, could not claim northern Epirus. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The area was finally ceded to Albania in 1924. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Italy occupied Albania in 1939 and in 1940 invaded Greece. The Italians were, however, driven back into Albania and Greece again took control of northern Epirus. The conflict, known as the Greco-Italian War, marked one of the first tactical victories of the Allies in World War II. The Greco-Italian War ( Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος Ellēnoїtalikós Pólemos or Πόλεμος The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Mussolini himself supervised the massive counter-attack of his divisions in spring 1941 , only to be decisively defeated again by the poorly equipped, but determined, Greeks. Nazi Germany intervened in April 1941 to avert an embarrassing Italian defeat. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The German military performed rapid military maneuvers through Yugoslavia and forced the encircled Greek forces to surrender. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croato-Slovene ie Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene: Kraljevina Jugoslavija

The whole of Epirus was then placed under Italian occupation until 1943 , when the Germans took over following the Italian surrender to the Allies. The highlands of Epirus became the major theatre of guerrilla inter-fighting between the communist National People's Liberation Army (ELAS) and the republican National Republican Greek League (EDES). Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based The Greek People's Liberation Army ( Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός, Ellinikos Laïkos Apeleftherotikos Stratos) abbreviated A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The National Republican Greek League ( Εθνικός Δημοκρατικός Ελληνικός Σύνδεσμος, Ethnikos Dimokratikos Ellinikos Syndesmos, abbreviated Following the German withdrawal from Greece in 1944 , the mountains of Epirus became the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the Greek Civil War. The Greek Civil War (ο Eμφύλιος, "the Civil War" fought from 1946 to 1949 by the Governmental forces receiving logistical support by the United Kingdom

It was during this time that Cham Albanians were forced out of Greek Epirus; members of the Cham community had collaborated with the Axis forces during the occupation of Greece, and when the Cham bands declined EDES' request to help them against ELAS, the former, with British support, attacked Cham villages killing 5,000 civilians and forcing about 35,000 to flee. Cham Albanians, or Chams ( Albanian: Çamë Greek: Τσάμηδες Tsámidhes) are a group of ethnic Albanians who originally resided The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries ^[30]

The current President of the Hellenic Republic, Karolos Papoulias, is a native of Ioannina, Epirus. This is a list of the heads of state of Greece, from the foundation of the modern nation state until the present Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Dr Karolos Papoulias (Κάρολος Παπούλιας ˈkaro̞ˌlo̞s paˈpuʎas (born June 4, 1929) is the current President of the Hellenic

References

See also

• List of Epirotes
• History of Greece
• History of Albania
• Dodona
• Pyrrhus of Epirus
• Chaonians
• Molossians
• Thesprotians
• Despotate of Epirus
• Souliotes
• Greco-Italian War
• Cham Albanians
• Northern Epirus in Albania
• Epirus (periphery) in Greece
• Paramythia

Bibliography

• Plutarch, Pyrrhus. This list refers to inhabitants of Ancient Epirus Mythology Ambrax, Ambracia Chaon The History of Greece traditionally encompasses the study of the Greek people, the areas they ruled historically and the territory now composing the modern state of The History of Albania began over two millennia ago with tribes of uncertain origin populating the area Dodona (from Doric Greek Δωδώνα Ionic Greek: Δωδώνη - Dodone) in Epirus in northwestern Greece, was a prehistoric Pyrrhus (318-272 BC ( Greek: Πύρρος Aιακιδης Pyrros Aiakides was one of the most successful ancient Greek generals of the Hellenistic The Chaonians ( Greek: grc Χάονες Chaones) were an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region of Epirus in the north-west of modern The Molossians (Μολοσσοί English: Molossoi were an ancient Greek tribe that settled Epirus during Mycenaean times The Thesprotians ( Greek: Θεσπρωτοί English: Thesprôti were an ancient Greek tribe of Thesprotis, akin to the Molossians The Principality of Epirus can also refer to the pashalik of Ali Pasha The Despotate or Principality of Epirus (Δεσποτάτο της Suli redirects here This is also a Suborder in the Pelecaniformes, containing Gannets boobies, Cormorants and The Greco-Italian War ( Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος Ellēnoїtalikós Pólemos or Πόλεμος Cham Albanians, or Chams ( Albanian: Çamë Greek: Τσάμηδες Tsámidhes) are a group of ethnic Albanians who originally resided Greek minority In Albania, Greeks are considered a "national minority" This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Epirus ( Greek: Ήπειρος Ípiros) is a periphery in northwestern Greece. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία For the bird genus see Paramythia Paramythia (Παραμυθιά alternative transliteration Paramithia, Albanian
• N. G. L. Hammond, Epirus. Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond (November 15 1907 &ndash March 24 2001 was a British scholar of ancient Greece of great accomplishment and an operative for the British Special

External links

• Ancient Epirus
• Etymology of the 70 most famous ancient Epirotan names
• Articles about Epirus History
• Didrachm of the Epirote League
• Panepirotic Federation of Greece
• Panepirotic Federation of America
• Panepirotic Society of Cairo