Epir The Cradle of Pelasgian and Albanian people (Part I)
Epir was an ancient region extended from the Acroceraune Mountains (near Vlora in today Albania) and till Gulf of Ambracia. But, the boundaries of Epir were changed sometimes; when its kings conquered in south, east or north.</p>
</p>
The Pelasgo-Illyrian saint city Dodona.</p>
The question of ethnicity of ancient and modern population of Epir still continue to be object of dispute. Some argues that Epirotes were of Greek descent, subsquently Greek population. While, a number of other scholars, historians, archaeologists affirm that people of Epir weren’t of Greek origin. But, if they were not of Greek origin, what might been Epirotes? To which people belonged Epirotes?</p>
In the light of ancient writings the population of Epir was regarded as ‘barbarian’. And what did mean ‘barbarian”</p>
“The word “barbarian” comes into English from Medieval Latin barbarinus, from Latin barbaria, from Latin barbarus, from the ancient Greek word (bárbaros). The word is onomatopoeic, the bar-bar representing the impression of random hubbub produced by hearing a spoken language that one cannot understand, similar to blah blah, babble or rhubarb in modern English. Related imitative forms are found in other Indo-European languages, such as Sanskrit barbara-, “stammering” or “curly-haired. As a result this terms was used to describe or refering to non-Greek people.”</p>
Starting by this principle that ‘Language determine ethnicity’ we should assume that Epirotes were of non-Greek ethnicity.</p>
In the light of archaeology, the Epirotes seems to be related ethnically with Illyrians. A number of scholars asserted that Epir was Pelasgo-Illyrian land with illyrian population. While considering, medieval records, classical maps of this region and accounts of many European travalers in this region lead us to conclude about non-Greek character of Epir. Ancient and medieval records, archeaological findings, ethnological and antropological proofs give right to Albanians to claim it. In this summary I would like to underline the important proofs supporting this theory.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Examples of BARBARIAN charachter of Epir:</p>
“Hecataeus of Miletus says of the Peloponnesus that before the time of the Greeks it was inhabited by barbarians. Yet one might say that in the ancient times the whole of Greece was a settlement of barbarians, if one reasons from the traditions themselves: Pelops brought over peoples from Phrygia to the Peloponnesus that received its name from him; and Danaüs from Egypt; whereas the Dryopes, the Caucones, the Pelasgi, the Leleges, and other such peoples, apportioned among themselves the parts that are inside the isthmus and also the parts outside, for Attica was once held by the Thracians who came with Eumolpus, Daulis in Phocis by Tereus, Cadmeia by the Phoenicians who came with Cadmus, and Boeotia itself by the Aones and Temmices and Hyantes. According to Pindar, there was a time when the Boeotian tribe was called “Syes.” Moreover, the barbarian origin of some is indicated by their names Cecrops, Codrus, Aïclus, Cothus, Drymas, and Crinacus. 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, GEOGRAPHY, Book VII, Chapter 7~</p>
“From the Barbarians there were: 1000 Chaones witch had no King but 2 Prostates for 1 year Fotis and Nikanores. The Chaones are joint by Thesprotes wich have no King either. In the head of the Mollosians and the Atintanians was Sabylinthius, wich was the tutor of King Tharypa (yet still a child).There were also the Parauei with their King Oroides and 1000 Orestes.”</p>
(~Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, . 2.80)</p>
“…After the Epeirotes and the Illyrians, then, come the following peoples of the Greeks: the Acarnanians, the Aetolians, and the Ozolian Locrians…
~Strabo Geography Book VIII, Chapter 1, 1</p>
“Ephorus says that, if one begins with the western parts, Acarnania is the beginning of Greece; for, he adds, Acarnania is the first to border on the tribes of the Epeirotes. But just as Ephorus, using the sea-coast as his measuring-line, begins with Acarnania (for he decides in favour of the sea as a kind of guide in his description of places…so it is proper that I too, following the natural character of the regions, should make the sea my counsellor”.
~Strabo Geography Book VIII, Chapter 1, 3</p>
Scylax notes that only beyond Ambracia, the Peneus and the town or mountain of Homotion in Magnesia, had the Greeks begun to inhabit the region in a compact manner.</p>
1774 Johann Thunmann:
On the History and Language of the Albanians and Vlachs”
Hope that you will not read hilarious attempts of Greeks to change the meaning of ‘Barbarian’ notion. One of them is Chatzidakis who affirms that the term barbarian Macedonian is not used in an ethnological sense, but with a derogatory cultural meaning!!!!!!!! But how true is this?</p>
The Greeks used the term as they encountered scores of different foreign cultures, including the Egyptians, Persians, Celts, Germans, Phoenicians, Etruscans, and Carthaginians. It, in fact, became a common term to refer to all foreigners.</p>
If we start thinking in Chatzidakis wrong way, we will claim all of these peoples including: the Egyptians, Persians, Celts, Germans, Phoenicians, Etruscans and Carthaginians as ‘uncivilized Greeks’
</p>
For the sake of truth, we should repeat that:</p>
“The prime function of the term ‘barbarian’ and its cognates ‘barbarou
Ky artikull eshte marre nga: http://albpelasgian.blog.al/?p=47. Per me shume artikuj te ngjashem vizitoni: http://albpelasgian.blog.al/?p=47
Epir was an ancient region extended from the Acroceraune Mountains (near Vlora in today Albania) and till Gulf of Ambracia. But, the boundaries of Epir were changed sometimes; when its kings conquered in south, east or north.</p>
The Pelasgo-Illyrian saint city Dodona.</p>
The question of ethnicity of ancient and modern population of Epir still continue to be object of dispute. Some argues that Epirotes were of Greek descent, subsquently Greek population. While, a number of other scholars, historians, archaeologists affirm that people of Epir weren’t of Greek origin. But, if they were not of Greek origin, what might been Epirotes? To which people belonged Epirotes?</p>
In the light of ancient writings the population of Epir was regarded as ‘barbarian’. And what did mean ‘barbarian”</p>
“The word “barbarian” comes into English from Medieval Latin barbarinus, from Latin barbaria, from Latin barbarus, from the ancient Greek word (bárbaros). The word is onomatopoeic, the bar-bar representing the impression of random hubbub produced by hearing a spoken language that one cannot understand, similar to blah blah, babble or rhubarb in modern English. Related imitative forms are found in other Indo-European languages, such as Sanskrit barbara-, “stammering” or “curly-haired. As a result this terms was used to describe or refering to non-Greek people.”</p>
Starting by this principle that ‘Language determine ethnicity’ we should assume that Epirotes were of non-Greek ethnicity.</p>
In the light of archaeology, the Epirotes seems to be related ethnically with Illyrians. A number of scholars asserted that Epir was Pelasgo-Illyrian land with illyrian population. While considering, medieval records, classical maps of this region and accounts of many European travalers in this region lead us to conclude about non-Greek character of Epir. Ancient and medieval records, archeaological findings, ethnological and antropological proofs give right to Albanians to claim it. In this summary I would like to underline the important proofs supporting this theory.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Examples of BARBARIAN charachter of Epir:</p>
“Hecataeus of Miletus says of the Peloponnesus that before the time of the Greeks it was inhabited by barbarians. Yet one might say that in the ancient times the whole of Greece was a settlement of barbarians, if one reasons from the traditions themselves: Pelops brought over peoples from Phrygia to the Peloponnesus that received its name from him; and Danaüs from Egypt; whereas the Dryopes, the Caucones, the Pelasgi, the Leleges, and other such peoples, apportioned among themselves the parts that are inside the isthmus and also the parts outside, for Attica was once held by the Thracians who came with Eumolpus, Daulis in Phocis by Tereus, Cadmeia by the Phoenicians who came with Cadmus, and Boeotia itself by the Aones and Temmices and Hyantes. According to Pindar, there was a time when the Boeotian tribe was called “Syes.” Moreover, the barbarian origin of some is indicated by their names Cecrops, Codrus, Aïclus, Cothus, Drymas, and Crinacus. 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, GEOGRAPHY, Book VII, Chapter 7~</p>
“From the Barbarians there were: 1000 Chaones witch had no King but 2 Prostates for 1 year Fotis and Nikanores. The Chaones are joint by Thesprotes wich have no King either. In the head of the Mollosians and the Atintanians was Sabylinthius, wich was the tutor of King Tharypa (yet still a child).There were also the Parauei with their King Oroides and 1000 Orestes.”</p>
(~Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, . 2.80)</p>
“…After the Epeirotes and the Illyrians, then, come the following peoples of the Greeks: the Acarnanians, the Aetolians, and the Ozolian Locrians…
~Strabo Geography Book VIII, Chapter 1, 1</p>
“Ephorus says that, if one begins with the western parts, Acarnania is the beginning of Greece; for, he adds, Acarnania is the first to border on the tribes of the Epeirotes. But just as Ephorus, using the sea-coast as his measuring-line, begins with Acarnania (for he decides in favour of the sea as a kind of guide in his description of places…so it is proper that I too, following the natural character of the regions, should make the sea my counsellor”.
~Strabo Geography Book VIII, Chapter 1, 3</p>
Scylax notes that only beyond Ambracia, the Peneus and the town or mountain of Homotion in Magnesia, had the Greeks begun to inhabit the region in a compact manner.</p>
1774 Johann Thunmann:
On the History and Language of the Albanians and Vlachs”
Hope that you will not read hilarious attempts of Greeks to change the meaning of ‘Barbarian’ notion. One of them is Chatzidakis who affirms that the term barbarian Macedonian is not used in an ethnological sense, but with a derogatory cultural meaning!!!!!!!! But how true is this?</p>
The Greeks used the term as they encountered scores of different foreign cultures, including the Egyptians, Persians, Celts, Germans, Phoenicians, Etruscans, and Carthaginians. It, in fact, became a common term to refer to all foreigners.</p>
If we start thinking in Chatzidakis wrong way, we will claim all of these peoples including: the Egyptians, Persians, Celts, Germans, Phoenicians, Etruscans and Carthaginians as ‘uncivilized Greeks’
</p>For the sake of truth, we should repeat that:</p>
“The prime function of the term ‘barbarian’ and its cognates ‘barbarou
Ky artikull eshte marre nga: http://albpelasgian.blog.al/?p=47. Per me shume artikuj te ngjashem vizitoni: http://albpelasgian.blog.al/?p=47