Epirus in the Roman Era Vivi Karatzeni The knowledge available about the history quent civil wars among the Roman com­ of Epirus during the Roman period, that manders as well as the arbitrary acts of the is from the 2nd century BC until the years Roman regional governors deteriorated of LateAntiquity, based on limited literary even more the condition in the area3. And testimonies is quite meagre. N evertheless, yet, as indicated by the archaeological re­ in recent years, archaeological r esearch and search, the cities seem to have survived historical studies have started filling the even under these circumstances. Excava­ gaps, thus, the image of Epirus in the peri­ tions in Kassopi, Ammotopos, Gardiki and od under investigation becomes much Kastritsa have shown that the cities suffer­ clearer. ing from the destruction of 167 BC, con­ The present study aims at presenting tinue to be inhabited until the end of the the a rchaeological data in Epirus and par­ 1" century BC4. As is after all known, the ticularly in the so uthern part of Epirus, koina continue to exist, Ambracia and which i s today w ithin the boundaries of Charadros maintain - at least typically - the Greek State. T hese data lead to certain their independence and in general, it ap­ conclusions, the confirmation of w hich pears that each political community main­ will depend on the findings of future ex­ tains - even under the power of the Ro­ cavations. man c01mnander in the Macedonian province - its political institutions5. There­ A. Historical data 1 fore, the gloomy description of total aban­ donment, w hich Strabo gives to Epirus R oman presence in Epirus dates from as slightly before the founding of Nicopolis, early as the end of the Jrd century BC, should probably be considered overstated.6 when the Romans - after defe ating the Undoubtedly, the constant wars, disasters, Carchedonians - set towards the East in seizures and the inhabitants' captivation order to conquer the eastern part of the had caused a demographic reduction of M editerranean . After the 2nd and Jrd the c ity's population and a more general M acedonian wars, the Macedonian king­ regress both in economic and cultural dom was abolished. The defeat of Perseus terms. It appears that the foundation of at Pydna in 168 BC had devastating con­ Nicopolis at the coasts of S. Epirus to­ sequences for Epirus and especially for its wards the end of the 1" century BC, apart southern part, which had allied with the from representing the desire to perpetuate M acedonians. In 167 BC, 70 cities in the memory of the historical victory at Epirus were destroyed and 150,000 people Actium, aimed at the reconstruction and were sold as slaves by the Romans2 . After revival of the area by creating a new urban the revolution of Philip Andriscos was put centre that served expediencies both of an down in 148 BC, M acedonia lost its inde­ economic and strategic charac ter. 7 pendence and became a Roman province All the cities ofEpirus and Akarnania which includedEpirus and Illyria. located around theAmbraci an gulf, as well In the beginning of the 1'' century BC, as some cities of Aetolia8 were forced to Epirus suffered from a new disaster caused participate in the settlement. Because of by the T hracian incursions. The subse- their dominant position, some of these cities were not totally abandoned; on the works in several cities of Epirus and espe­ Map of Epirus. Sites with contrary, they survived as perioikides of cially to the restoration of the public Roman finds. Nicopolis for a few more centuries. This buildings in Nicopolis which were col­ category mainly includes the coastal cities lapsing. 15 Furthermore, he took a series of of Akarnania and Ambracia. 9 economic measures in order to release the The interval between the foundation of inhabitants of Epirus from heavy taxation. Nicopolis and the middle of the 3rd centu­ After the death ofJulian in 363 AD, ry AD is a period of recovery for Epirus. Christianity prevailed. The oracle at Especially during the early 2nd century - a Dodona stops functioning at the end of period of prosperity for the empire - the the 4th century (possibly in the age of emperors showed particular merit to this Theodosius I) , while slightly later, Dodona area. In the beginning of the 2nd century, is mentioned - according to sources - as between the years 103-114 AD, Trajan de­ an episcopate seat. 16 tached Epirus from the province of Achaia From the end of the 4'h century and for (where it was initially submitted by Au­ a long period, Epirus suffers Gothic inva­ gustus in 27 BC) and established it as an sions.17 These invasions will disturb Eu­ independent province, appointing rope for two centuries. Especially in con­ Nicopolis as its seat. 10 The constant mint­ nection with southern Epirus, there are ing of coins at Nicopolis in the age of references to two invasions by Visigoths in Trajan, indicates the prosperity of the city 380 and 395 AD, and two invasions from that declared the emperor as a "Saviour" .11 sea by Vandals in 467 and 474 AD. Hadrian who appears to have visited During the invasion in 4 7 4 AD, Nicopolis in 128 AD12 also showed special Nicopolis was ferociously plundered. Old merit to Epirus. Epirus was conquered by Getes in 517 The revival and prosperity of the area AD and by Ostrogoths in 551 AD. The fi­ will not last. In the 3'd century AD, the nal stroke was given by the Slavic inva­ empire is threatened by internal misrule. sions, which - according to historical The barbaric peoples take advantage of sources - forced the inhabitants to seek the situation and begin to invade the em­ refuge in other areas, probably in the pire from the west and the east. In 267 neighbouring islands of the Ionian Sea AD, the Herouli invade Epirus. The hiding and in the mountainous areas. 18 of coinage treasures has been related to this invasion and shows the turmoil caused B. Sites in Epirus with in the area. 13 Roman remains In the end of the 3rd century AD, the rise of the Illyrian dynasty eliminated This chapter will refer to the sites of each temporarily the danger of the empire's prefecture where archaeological remains abolition. T he administrative reforms ef­ of the Roman period have been traced. fected by Diocletian and Constantine, as More emphasis will be given to the pre­ well as the policies adapted towards the fectures of Ioannina and Arta, since refer- h ·:n·h'l1·1r nPf1nlp.c rP<:tf1rPrl thP intPrn"ll PnrP tf""\ thP n.rPfPrh,,•pc AFihPcn.rAt-~., ..,,..,,.-1 ..L - ..l '-- J ~- - - - - - - - -----·- - ---- · - --- - r ---- ------- - - -----r -- --- ----- serenity until around the end of the 4th Preveza is given in the studies of S. century. Most likely in the period of Dio­ Dakaris "Thesprotia" and "Cassopaia". His cletian, Epirus was divided into two ad­ chapters on the Roman period refer ana­ ministrative provinces, Old Epirus (Epirus lytically to every site traced until the be­ Vetus) consisting of the area from the Ker­ ginning of the 1970's. It should also be auneia Mountains to the mouth of Ache­ clarified that in most cases, the archaeo­ loos with Nicopolis as its seat and New logical finds mentioned has not been sys­ Epirus (Epirus Nova) further north, with tematically published. Nevertheless, the Dyrrachium as its seat.14 picture given by references to the traced Julian also showed interest in the area sites facilitates the better comprehension and saw to the execution of building of the area's history during this particular elliorachi Aetopetra e eKonilo;a ALBANfA Vasilikoe eKalivia Oraiokastro e e Kalpaki-Doliana e Areti Pr. ofiOANNINA • Lycotrichi Gardikie · Rodotopi• e Loggades 1oannlna . GrammellQ • e Kastntsa • Stavraki e Kat~ika Lyggose •Dramesioi • eDoliani e Dodona lgoumenitsa e Anthochori e Paramythia e Artopoula e Perdika Photiki • Bestia • Koutsi e Karyoti e Prodromi •Margariti• Veliani Dymokastro eKypseli • Pistiana Pr.ofARTA IONIAN SEA r6s period. Mter all, during the recent years, made of limestone, dating to the Roman the excavations conducted in some of times.32 It is estimated that it had been these locations, despite their confined ex­ moved over from another location, due to tent, provided a considerable amount of the fact that it was found in debris. new data giving light to this historical pe­ Foundations of a Roman building have riod. been traced in Katsika33 and a Roman grave in Loggades.34 B 1. Prefecture of Ioannina Architectural remains as well as a sar­ cophagus of the 3rd century AD were Area of Lakka Souli found in the area between Kranoula and Sites with Roman-early Christian finds Lycotrichi.35 Two Roman graves were also have been located along the plain of Lak­ found in Stavraki.36 Further north, in ka Souli, which was one of the main roads Rodotopi, a Roman construction phase37 linking the area of Ambracian Gulf with has been recognised in the remains of the the inland of Epirus since the earlier peri­ Hellenistic temple of Areios Zeus. Two ods.1 9 More specifically, building remains Roman inscriptions and a headless statue dating to the early Christian times have of a Roman emperor dating to the 2 nd been traced in the area between PolistafY­ century AD also come from Rodotopi.38 lo and Alepochori.20 In Alepochori two Alongside Rodotopi, on the hill of Gardi­ cist graves were found dating to the 2 nd ki where a fortified Hellenistic city, the century AD, 21 while in Romano two ancient Passaron, is located, the excavation graves were found dating to the 1st - 2nd of a confined area conducted in 1992 un­ centuries AD.