Greekness of Molossians

[Cadmus]

The chaones as we will see were a group of Greek-speaking tribes, and the Dexari, or as they were called later the Dassarete, were the most northernly member of the group

i

Ptolemy now the Dexari=Dessarete=Oessarete latter means coastal dwellers where would you place them? Dessaretia was the area of lake Lychnitidia in Roman times, could that specific area be the north-eastern border of Epirus...this would enhance and shed some light of the Enchelians as having a link with the Illyrians as well as the Epirotes since they were also neighbouring the Lyncestians..

[akritas]

.....

After the Mycenaean civilization declined, Epirus was the launching area of the Dorian invasions (1100–1000 BC) of Greece. The region's original inhabitants were driven southward by the Dorians, and out of the ensuing migrations three main clusters of Greek-speaking tribes emerged in Epirus: the Thesproti of southwestern Epirus, the Molossi of central Epirus, and the Chaones of northwestern Epirus. They lived in clusters of small villages, in contrast to most other Greeks, who lived in or around city-states.

In the 5th century Epirus was still on the periphery of the Greek world. To the 5th-century historian Thucydides, the Epirotes were “barbarians.” The only Epirotes regarded as Greek were the Aeacidae, who were members of the Molossian royal house and claimed descent from Achilles. From about 370 BC on, the Aeacidae were able to expand the Molossian state by incorporating tribes from the rival groups in Epirus. The Aeacidae's efforts gained impetus from the marriage of Philip II of Macedon to their princess, Olympias. In 334, while Alexander the Great, son of Philip and Olympias, crossed into Asia, his uncle, the Molossian ruler Alexander, attacked southern Italy, where he was eventually checked by Rome and killed in battle in about 331. Upon Alexander the Molossian's death, the Epirote tribes formed a coalition on an equal basis but with the Molossian king in command of their military forces. The greatest Molossian king of this coalition was Pyrrhus (319–272); he and his son Alexander II ruled as far south as Acarnania and to central Albania in the north. Pyrrhus' military adventures overstrained his state's military resources, but they also brought great prosperity to Epirus. He built a magnificent stone theatre at Dodona and a new suburb at Ambracia (now Árta), which he made his capital.

[Encyclopedia Britannica, edition 2007, abstract from Epirus]

[akritas]

Below is the dialect map of the prehistoric Greece (1000-2000 BC) by

Margalit Finkelberg(Greeks and Pre-Greeks, Gambridge, edition 2007).

For those that want the most recent works and those that belive Epirotans were Illyrians.

[olvios]

Latest finds indicate that macedonia and epirus spoke the same northwest greek dialect.The map is old and out dated.He should have included them in the book.Though i am not sure about the dating.There is a proper one here though no bilbiography
olvios300 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Οι μυκηναικοι οικισμοι στην Μακεδονια αλλαζουν τα δεδομενα

[Ptolemy]

Some notes:

Oricos - Described as a Greek city by Apollodoros fr 300 and Ps-Skymnos 441.

Thesprotia - The most ancient Epirotic nation. According to Homer:

"Δεκάτη δε νυκτί μελαίνη Γαίη Θεσπρωτών πέλασε μέγα κύμα κυλίνδον ένθα με θεσπρωτών βασιλεύς εκομίσατο Φείδων"

In reality and as Herodotus also affirms, Thessalians were a branch of Thesprotians thus Thessalians and Epirotans were kinsmen. (VII.176, Strab IX.p.443)

was the Phocians who built it for fear of the Thessalians when these came from Thesprotia to dwell in the Aeolian land, the region which they now possess. Since the Thessalians were trying to subdue them, the Phocians made this their protection, and in their search for every means to keep the Thessalians from invading their country, they then turned the stream from the hot springs into the pass, so that it might be a watercourse.

[akritas]

Originally Posted by olvios

Latest finds indicate that macedonia and epirus spoke the same northwest greek dialect.The map is old and out dated.He should have included them in the book.Though i am not sure about the dating.There is a proper one here though no bilbiography
olvios300 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Οι μυκηναικοι οικισμοι στην Μακεδονια αλλαζουν τα δεδομενα

The map is new and updated. The writer following all the new archaelogical and linguistics methods and findings.

[olvios]

Yeah sorry i rushed in and forgot Caranos and the phrygians and that it refers to prehistoric greece

[akritas]

Republic of Molossia - Official Website
Republic of Molossia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[olvios]

The Republic of Molossia bears no relation of any kind to the ancient Greek nation of Molossia. Even they know molossians were greeks!

[Ptolemy]

CHAONES. and after Illyrians, Chaonians. And Chaonia has good harbours: and the Chaonians live in villages. And the coastal voyage of Chaonia is a half of a day

The periplous of Pseudo-Skylax: transl. by Graham Shipley

Its clear according to Skylax periplous, Chaonians were not Illyrians.