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[German version] (Ὀγχεσμός/ Onchesmós). Port in Epirus, today's Sarandë (Hagioi Saranda) in Albania. O. served as harbour for Phoenice, the main city of the district of Chaonia. In Roman times, O. was the ferry port between Epirus and Italy (Cic. Att. 7,2,1; Str. 7,7,5; Ptol. 3,14,2; Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 1,51,2).…

This item can be found on the following maps: Dark Ages | Persian Wars (Ἰθάκη; Ithákē, Lat. Ithaca). [German version] A. Geography One of the central Ionian islands west of Greece, nowadays also known as Thiaki; it is 23 km long and c. 6 km wide, with a total area of c. 94 sq km, east of the island of  Cephallenia and separated from the latter by a 2-5 km wide sound. I. is divided into a larger northern half with Mt. Neriton (808 m), and a southern half with Mt. Merovigli (671 m); they are joined by a narrow isthmus (600 m wide) with Mt. Aetus (380 m). The steeply descending western side is little structured (bays at Mt. Aetus and the plain of Polis), whereas the east boasts good harbours, e.g. near modern Frikes and Kioni, as well in the bay of Molo in the n…

[German version] (Ἀῶος, Ἄωος; Aôos, Áōos). River in northern  Epirus (the modern Viosa, Albanian Vijosë); also called Aias (FGrH 1 Hecat. F 102b; Plin. HN 3,26). Sources on the Lacmon in the Pindus; on the uppe…

[German version] (Παλαίστη/ …

[German version] Island in the  Ionios Kolpos off the southern extremity of  Histria (Plin. HN 3,151; Tab. Peut. 5,39; Geogr. Rav. 5,24). P. can be identified either with modern Lošinj (in Croatia) or with the Brioni Islands to the northwest of ancient Pola. Strauch, Daniel (Berlin) Bibliography …

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[German version] (τὰ Ἀκροκεραύνια; tá Akrokeraúnia). Mountain range on the coast of  Epirus (modern Karaburun in Albania), as a continuation of the Ceraunian Mountains on the territory of the  Chaones, border to Illyria (Str. 7,7,5; Plin. HN 3,97,1; 145,2), also a peninsula with a length of 16 km and a breadth of 3-5 km, and up to 800 m in height, protecting the Gulf of Aulon (Vlores) and the port of  Oricus. Because of its inhospitality and frequent storms metonymous for ‘dangerous places’ (Ov. Rem. am. 739; cf. ThLL 1, 42). Strauch, Daniel (Berlin) Bibliography N.G.L. Hammond, Epirus, 1…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Aetolians, Aetolia | Acarnanians, Acarnania (Ἀγρίνιον; Agrínion). Originally an Acarnanian town, in 314 BC under Cassander   synoikismos of the  Derieis in A., then, after capture by the  Aetolians (Diod. Sic. 19,67 f.), it became a member of the Aetolian koinon (several strategoi hailed from A.). Remains of the town (walls, stoa, houses) localized near Megali Chora, 3 km north-west of the modern A. (regional museum).  Acarnania;  Strategos Strauch, Daniel (Berlin) …

[German version] (Τόμαρος/ Tómaros, also Τμάρος/ Tmáros). A sacred mountain (1972 m elevation) to the west of Dodona (Str. 7,7,11; Theopomp. FGrH 115 F 319; Plin.  HN 4,2), now again Tómaros (formerly Olytsika). Derived from T. are Τμάριος/ Tmários, Τομαριάς/ Tomariás and Latin Tomarius as epithets of Zeus and the sacred oak in Dodona, and probably the term τομοῦροι/ tomoûroi for oracle priests [1. 368 f.] Strauch, Daniel (Berlin) Bibliography 1 N. G. L. Hammond, Epirus, 196…

[German version] (Βραττία; Brattía). Liburnian island, also called Brettia (Steph. Byz. s.v. B.) or Cratea (Scyl. 23), modern Bra (Croatia), dependency of  Salona (12 km to the north), known for its goats, wine and quarries.  Liburni Strauch, Daniel (Berlin) …

[German version] (Πτυχία/ Ptychía). Island between Corcyra [1] and the mainland (Thuc. 4,46,3); probably modern Vido to the north of the modern town of Kerkyra. Recorded also at Ptol. 3,13,9 and Plin. HN 4,53. Strauch, Daniel (Berlin) …

[German version] Island and city of the same name in the sinus Flanaticus, the bay to the east of Histria (Plin. HN 3,140). Identified, but not beyond doubt [1], with Dugi Otok (in Croatia) [2]. Strauch, Daniel (Berlin) …

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[German version] (Ἰόνιος κόλπος; Iónios kólpos), Adria (ὁ Ἀδρίας, Mare Adriaticum or s uperum), Ionian Sea. In contrast with the modern view, the Ionios Kolpos (IK) was seen by Hecataeus (FGrH 1 F 91f.) as starting from Istria, by Hellanicus (FGrH 4 F 4) from the mouth of the Spines. In the south the name is occasionally transferred to the Sicilian Sea (Mela 2,37; 48; 110). Originally, Adria only referred to the innermost corner of the Adriatic Sea at the mouth of the Po and the settlement area of the Veneti, from the name of whose town  Atria, the name Adria allegedly derived (Str. 5,1,8). In the 4th cent. BC, Adria and IK are used synonymously (Scyl. 14; 27). Later, the term Adria was extended to the waters beyond the Strait of Otranto (Ptol. 3,1,1; Paus. 5,25,3). Because of insufficient north-south routes in the Balkan peninsula, the IK was used from the Bronze Age as a trade route between Central Europe and G…

[German version] (Ἐχινάδες, Ἐχῖναι; Echinádes, Echînai). Archipelago off the SW coast of Acarnania and the mouth of the Achelo…

[German version] (Κασσιόπη; Kassiópē, Lat. Cassiope). Port on the north-eastern coast of  Corcyra (Korfu), modern Kassiopi. From Hellenistic times onwards (founded by Pyrrhus?) important staging point for the crossing to Italy, as used by Cicero in 50 BC (Cic. Fam. 16,9,1) and Nero in AD 66 (Suet. Nero 22,3). Zeus Kasios was venerated in C…

[German version] Dalmatian island (today known as Murter, Croatia), which belonged to the conventus of  Salona; Plin. HN 3,140; Ptol. 2,13,3; Geogr. Rav. 408,13. Strauch, Daniel (Berlin) Bibliography J. J. Wilkes, Dalmatia, 1969, 487 S. Čače, Colentum insula (Plinio Nat. Hist. 3,140), in: Dia…

[German version] (Ἀθαμανία; Athamanía). Region in the south-east of Epirus, in the Pindus range (Str. 7,7,8), bordering on Thessaly in the east (later counted as Thessalian: Str. 9,5,11; Steph. Byz. s.v. A.). During the 4th cent. BC, the Ἀθαμᾶνες ( Athamânes) joined the League of Corinth and Second Athenian Confederacy (Diod. Sic. 14,82; Nep. Tim. 2), and in the 3rd cent. BC, it was a member of the Epirote League. Under the rule of kings Theodorus and  Amynander (Pol. 4,16; Str. 9,4,11; [1]), A. became particularly important in the Macedonian Wars [2].   Koinon in the…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Education / Culture (Κασσώπη; Kassṓpē). City in south-western Epirus near the modern Kamarina, main city of the Thesprotian tribe of the Cassopaei (Κασσωπαῖοι, Str. 7,7,1; 7,7,5 and inscriptions; Κασσωποί, Scyl. 31); they settled in an area of about 900 km2 -- very fertile in its southern parts -- between the Gulf of Ambracia, the Ionian Sea and the Acheron (map: [6. 116]). Within this tribal territory lay the Elean colonies of Buchetium, Elatria, Pandosia, and Batiae (localization…

(Αἰτωλοί, Αἰτωλία; Aitōloí, Aitōlía). [German version] A. Topography Largest region (4500 km2), most important tribe of central Greece. Existing sources only allow a limited definition of area where the Aetolians first settled, and of the phases of their early expansion. Tribes of the Aetolian ethnic group lived between the mountain ranges of Mount Vardousia and Mount Gkiona in the east (modern administrative district of Phocis), Mount Thymphrestus in the north (height 2319m, modern district of Evritania),…