Authored by Sherif Delvina.
Translated and extracted by Petrit Latifi.

The following article extracts a summary from Sherif Delvinas “Epirus, Low Albania” which presents historical evidence that Epirus was indeed Albanian and inhabited by Albanians.

“First, let us start with the position the king had in Epirus. In Epirus the king was not allowed to hold the crown on his head. The rights of the sovereign were limited. Without agreement of juridical institutions, the king could not produce coins, neither could he declare war to anather state; nor even conclude peace treaties and alliances with other states. During the war, the king executed the function of a military leader of Epirus, having only rights to commit sacrifices. Look what Plutarch says about Epirus’ kings:

“The kings, after committing sacrifices to war’s God in Passaron of Molossia, had the habit to bet with them to defend the kingdom
according to-the existing laws. This ceremony was conducted in the
presence of two other kings, surrounded -by their friends, who, on this
occasion exchanged a lot of presents”.

Pouqueville (1770-1838), illuminist, consul of France-near Ali Pasha, writes:

“Tepelena, characterizes the Passaron of Epirus as “…the city where
was seen, maybe for the first time, the august union of sovereign and
people; that of monarchic power and liberty”. The ceremony of
Passaron is quoted even by W. Tarn, to Antigonus Gonat. Kings such
as, First Alceta, Arryba, Aeacidae, Pyrrhus, etc, were dethroned or
killed according to the right of revocation.”

The position of women in Epirus changed from that in Hellas. In
“Greece reigned “tutela mulierum”. There, the women were excluded
‘by law, from public life (ownership, citizenship and privileged situation,
up to kingdom run). In Epirot coins the face of Diona is distinguished, on one side of Zeus of Dodona.

In the numismatics of king Pyrrhus, the women held a remarkable place. These coins clearly speak of the high position the Epirus women held, in contrast with their companions’ position in Greece. This is also shown by the richness of female graves, discovered by archeological expeditions.

Epirot dances, documented quite perfectly in painted ceramics are
aiso evidence of the important place by the women kept in this ancient
lard. A brass slab in Dodona, speaks of an Epirot woman, who offers
her slave to another woman of this land, without any mediation.
(C.Carapanos “Dodona and its Ruins”, page 55-56, Athens, 1878).

In Epirus, “tutela mulierum” was inexistent. This conclusion is issued
by archaeologist Pierre Cabane. This tutelage was missing in that time
even in Thessaly, the Greek researcher, A.M.Vavakos points out. This
data coincides with the definition made by Herodotus for Thessaly.
According to him, Thessalians were of Thesproti origin. Consequently,
logic works.

There are confirmed reasons that Epirus has issued brave
women, who equaled in bravery with men. !t is worth mentioning
here the terrible Olympia, the mother of Alexander of Macedonia,
who put the golden crown to the killer of her husband, Philip Mt, or
Neris and Dejdameia, who were the last “forte men” of Aeacidae
dynasty, which had vanished for ever and left the place to Epirot League.

In Butrinto, Pierre Cabane tells, one third of slave owners were
women. When he speaks about the limits of this originality, he makes
known that the place held by women in Epirus and Northern Greece
was the same as that held in Central and Northern tilyria. Reading the
history of Epirus kings, you can find a lot of non-Greek names, Giuseppe
Nensi observes in his work, “Pyrrhus”, Torino, 1953. It is enough to
mention Tharyps, Arryba, Alceta, Aeacidae, whose historical beings
could not be put in doubt:

Typicat are the names of Trojan cycle; Neoptolemus, Pyrrhus
Alexander, Teucer, Andromaca, etc.

These kings made matching bondages with others, out of Epirus, as in the case of Olympia, mother of great Alexander with Philip Il of Macedonia, Pyrrhus’s women were not Greek. Antigone was the daughter of Ptolemy, a Macedonian. Brikena was the daughter of lilyrian king, Bardylis, while Lanasa was the daughter of Dycnisus, the tyrant of Syracuse.

According to well-known cartographer, Kiepert, the map 1:500.000
“Epirus and Thessaly” (Berlin, 1880), is presented ‘as follows: Molossia,
3500 km2; Thesprotia, 2050 km2, and Chaonia, 2400 km2, the total
of Epirot League, 7950 km2. In Epirot League, Mollosians occupied
almost half of Epirot territory. On page 59 of the. work “Pyrrhus”, of
Pierre Leveque, it is observed that there existed a kinship tie between
king of Taulants, Glaucias, and the royal family of Aeacidaes. Glaucias’s
‘wife, Beroia was an Epirot princess.

On page 89 of this book is shown Pyrrhus’s fidelity to his mother’s
memory. In her memory, king Pyrrhus produced brass coins, which on
the right had his beloved mother’s head, Phtia, daughter of Thessalian
Menon.

Based on Piutarch, Leveque, while speaking about the growing
strength of Pyrrhus among Taulants, quotes:

“The wild place of Taulants was just released of atrocity; it missed the lucidity of Hellenism, which Molossian princes had obtained from Greeks. Since the time of king Tharyps”. While on page 173, the same author notes:

“We can say that Illyrians had remained more barbarous than Epirots, but Hellenism began to influence them”.

The author here means the radiation of Helen culture, which at that time included a major part of ancient world. In “Old world”, Chicago, USA, 1983, in ‘Epigraphic searches in Epirus”, there are noted too, seven months of Epirot old calendar: Gamilios, Apelaios, Agrianos, Kraneios, Halotrapios, Datyos, Phoinikaios. But we have to. assume the fact that the suffixes are put because they are written in Greek language: The months of Epirot calendar are absolutely different from those of Greek calendar.

The father of ancient history Herodotus, in his monumental work “The History”, book eight, paragraph 47, a book which is dedicated to muse Urania, confesses that the Thessproti are neighbors with Ambracias and Leucades, who came to Salaniina: battle against Persians from all corners of Greece. According to Herodotus, Greece ended in Leucades islands, which is to the west part of Acarnania and Ambracias of Ambracia city, the only Hellen colony in Epirot seashore.

Epirus did not take part in Trojan War, neither in the war against
Persian, nor in Peloponnesian War, which was of a Greek character,
because Epirus was not included in Hellen community. In Panhellenic
Conference, organized by Pericles; none of Epirot cities took part,
except for Ambracia, which, as it is known, was a Greek colony
(Plutarch, Pericles, XVil). For Ephor of Cuma, Greece starts in Acarnania;
this stands also for Strabo (Vill, 333).

During all times Epirus, up to Berlin Congress, remained out of
Greece historical borders. Ancient historians consider Epirots as
barbarous. It is known that at that time if one was called barbarous, it
meant that he was not Greek. Greeks use today the word “Epirot” in
order to hide the name “Albanian”. Albanians are the overwhelming
majority of current Southern Albania inhabitants, which is extended
up to Arta bay.

Greeks, says Herodotus in his book Vi, paragraph II, dedicated to
Polymnia muse, charged king Leonidas with 300 Spartans to defend
Thermopylae passes, in order to prohibit the entering of barbarians to
Gréece.

Herodotus, even in paragraph 146 of this book states that in the
east of Thermopylae there was a steep and impassable mountain, which
extended up to Aeta mountain:.To the east this road is limited by sea
and some valleys and rivuiets. There is only a passing way which goés
to Phocis, Greece region, extending to the east by Aetolia. This pass,
confesses Herodotus, is protected by a wall,.constructed by inhabitants
of Phocis. That wall was constructed, because they were frightened by
Thessalians, who had come from Thesprotia and were placed in Aeolida
(Thessaly). Phocis people had taken these measures to defend
themselves from Thessalians, who wanted to subdue and to keep them
under their yoke.

In ancient times, Cams (Tsams) were neighbors with Phocis people
and Thessaly was Thesproti land, thus, Cam. Herodotus’s data are
accurate “he knew Greece quite well, had friendships with Athens’
elite, with Pericles, Sofocles, etc. His writings both by the intellectual
elite, and the people, were held in great esteem. We should not forget
that he knew the places he had-been.

He was curious for everything, says Gustav Klotzsch in “Histoire ancienne”, vol. II, page 3. In page 4, he points out that the father of history remains an un-substituted ciceron for everybody who seeks to know about Greece of fifth century before Christ. History has been, is and will be, as Latins say, life’s teacher.

Here we remind all Albanian political parties that the ancient border
of our country with Greece followed the line of Leucades islands, lonian
sea, Acarnania, Aetoli, Phocis, Locris, and ended in the Egean Sea. While today, Odysseus’ sons want to displace our border with Greece
to Shkumbin River.

The main regions of southern Albania, ethnically and historically
Albanians, are even those of Filat, Paramythia, Gumenica and all Epirus
up to Preveza, with loannina, Konica, Florina and Kastoria. In all these
places, in particular in Cameri (Tsamouria), the Albanian language is
spoken: it is spoken at home and in safe places out of home.

In Greece exist severe orders, issued by Greek government, that
Cams should not speak their language. These orders have banned the
use of Albanian spoken language in that part of southern Albania, given
to Greece by London Conference of 1913.

Large numbers of Orthodox people live in those areas, who speak
Albanian language, as well as Albanian Muslims, compulsorily converted
into Orthedox religion. These Albanians, in informal environments are
called by Greeks, Albanophons Greeks, which means,.Greeks speaking
Albanian language. These invented expressions, serve the organized
chauvinist Pan-Hellenic goals and propaganda.

The former Greece’s Prime Minister himself, the notorious
chauvinist, Venizelos, confessed that Greece’s North is inhabited by
Albanians. Let him speak: “It is absolutely exact that North population
is of Albanian origin”. (L. Skéndo, Extrait de fa Revue “Les peuples
libres”, numero d’avril, les revendications albanaises, Lausanne, 1919),
The word “North”, L. Skendo stresses, is understood Epirus to Arta
bay.

And now let’s see Greek-Albanian border in the Middle Ages. George Acropolites (1277-1282) has written about the war fought by Epirus Despot, Michael Il against Byzantine troops. Let’s see what he says on this:

“We retreated, thus, up to their borders (the troops of despot
MichaellI-SH.D.), Le. up to Pirene mountains (the mountains of today’s
Pindus – SH.D.), which separate Old and New Epirus from the old
world. (Georgios Acropolites, Chronical work, publisher, Teubner,
Lipsiae, 903).

Greek land, according to Georgios Acropolites, was beyond the
mountains of Pindus, thus, Epirus is not a Greek land. We must not
forget that Georgies Acropolites has been a diplomat, politician,
historian and teacher of Byzantinum’s emperor, Theodor II Lascaris;
he has also been chief commander of Byzantine army.

But these aforementioned sayings, are admitted even by Theodor
Scutariot; Byzantine historian, who was born and lived during the XIII
century. He states all these in his work “Introduction to Chronicles”
(K.N. Sathas, Biblioteca Graeca medii aevi VI).

George Pachimeris, Byzantine historian of the Xil century, who during his life has held important state functions, considers Albanians as Iliyrians. He limits Greece to the South Thessaly River. Let’s see what he says for Peneu river (Selemvria). Pachimeris emphasizes that:

“Byzantium’s emperor, Michael VIII Peleologue ordered to attack lilyrians and tribal regions, as well as those beyond Peneu river, the so- called, true Greece”. (“History”, First Volume, book-! 26, page 137, Bonnae, 1835).

Pachimeris confirmed that Hellas at that time was confined to today’s
Selemvria: River, yesterday’s Peneu. These Byzantine historians
accurately confirm that Epirus and Macedonia had never been Greek
lands.

If we go back several centuries before the time of historian
Pachimeris, we will see what Hellas included. The reply would be
accurately given by Greek scholars. In Sinecdemos of Jerocles (Vi
century A.D) is pointed out that old Greece at that time included only
regions of Beotia, of Attica, Phocis, Euboea and Peloponnesus.

Donald Edgar Pitcher in ‘An historical geography of the Ottoman
Empire from the earliest times to the end of the sixteenth century”.
Leiden E.Y.Brill, 1972, expressed himself as follows, about the expansion
of Albanians in the second half of the XIV century: “In the second half of XIV century, in North they extended to Zeta (Montenegro) and in South between Epirus and Corinthian bay.

It is evident that, old and new historians are of the same opinion
about Greece’s historical frontiers. Greek chauvinists should never forget that possessions of Gjin Zenebishi were extended from Argiro to Glyk, while those of Gjin Bue Shpata up to Naupactus.

Theodor Mommsen in “Storia di Roma Antica”, volume primo,
Roma-Torino, Casa Editrice Nazionale, Poux Viarengo, 1903, page 362
of book Il, chapter Vil writes “Cosi rimesso nel retaggio paterno, tutti
si strinsero intorno a fui. | valorosi Epiroti, gli albanesi dell’antichita’.
(Thus, just when he was put at the head of kingdom (of fatherhood ,
inheritance), all u..ited around him (King Pyrrhus-SH.D.), Epirot
bravemen, Albanians of ancient times).

We must not forget that Theodor Mommsen (1817-1963) is
considered as the most distinguished researcher of ancient Roman
world. His glory reached the apotheosis by winning .the Nobel Prize
(1902) at the age of 85 years. He wrote a-lot of books and, among
them is “The History of ancient Rome”, quoted: above. But.let’s
proceed.

Look here what the well-known Byzantine historian of VI
century, Procope of Caesarea, says about our Greek neighbors: “In the
war, Greeks are called coward soldiers, as though Greece never had a
right man”. (Procope of Caesarea, “Omnia”, vol. III, |, Lipsiae). This
historian, in aforementioned paragraph sees the difference between
Byzantium, which was a conglomerate of peoples, and Greece, which was a part of that multinational empire. The people of Byzantium people, according to Procope of Caesarea, did not feel like Greeks at all.”

Reference

Read the rest of the publication here. Sherif Delvina, 2019. “Epirus, Low Albania”. https://dinitrandu.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/47735560-Epirus-Albania-Sherif-Delvina.pdf