Abstract

This paper critically examines claims asserting the “Greek” identity of Himara through the use of oracular inscriptions from Dodona preserved in the Ethnographic Museum of Ioannina. Focusing on lead tablets attributed to the Himariotes, the study situates these documents within their established epigraphic and geographical framework. According to Inscriptiones Graecae X and Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 43, Dodona and Epirus are consistently classified as part of Southern Illyria. The use of Greek script in the inscriptions is analyzed as a functional medium rather than an indicator of ethnic identity. The findings underscore the importance of distinguishing linguistic practice from ethnocultural affiliation in ancient Balkan contexts.

Recent publications have sought to substantiate claims regarding the “Greek” character of Himara by referencing a photographed oracular inscription housed in the Ethnographic Museum of Ioannina.

The artifact in question records a petition submitted by inhabitants of Himara (Hemarioi/Himariotes) to the oracle of Dodona, requesting divine guidance concerning their displacement.

Comparable petitions from Himariotes preserved in the same collection address personal matters such as marriage, trade, and individual concerns. These petitions, written on lead or leather strips, conform to the standard material and epigraphic practices associated with Dodona.

While the presence of such inscriptions demonstrates that Himariotes participated in the cultic and consultative networks of Dodona and employed Greek script for written communication, this fact alone does not constitute evidence of ethnic or national identity in the modern sense. The use of Greek as a written medium in antiquity functioned primarily as a lingua franca across wide regions of the Balkans, much like Latin in later periods, and cannot be equated with ethnic self-identification.

Notably, what is often overlooked in contemporary interpretations is the explicit geographical and ethnographic context in which these inscriptions are situated. Ancient and later sources consistently locate Epirus within the broader region of southern Illyria. Epigraphic classifications, such as those recorded in Inscriptiones Graecae (IG X) and Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum (SEG 43:338–339), explicitly identify Dodona and its surroundings as belonging to Epirus, frequently described as part of southern Illyria. This designation is not exceptional but reflects a long-standing scholarly tradition within classical studies.

Moreover, Greek authors and historians themselves frequently describe the populations of Epirus—including those later identified as Arbers or Arvanites—as inhabitants of a region distinct from the Greek ethnos. These populations are often characterized as preserving linguistic and cultural features associated with Pelasgian or Illyrian substrata. Such descriptions underscore the complexity of identity in Epirus, which cannot be reduced to linguistic usage alone.

Therefore, the Dodona inscriptions attributed to the Himariotes should be understood within a broader Illyrian–Epirote cultural and historical framework. Rather than serving as proof of a singular ethnic identity, they testify to the interconnected religious practices of the region and to the pragmatic adoption of Greek script for communication. A historically grounded interpretation requires distinguishing between language, cult participation, and ethnic affiliation, especially when assessing ancient evidence through the lens of modern national categories.

Sources

• Inscriptiones Graecae, vol. X: Northern Greece: Epirus, Illyria, and Dalmatia (IG X).
• Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, vol. 43, nos. 336–339 (SEG 43:336–339), including:
  Oracular inscription, lead tablet; Dodona, ca. 350 BC; Epirus – Southern Illyria.
• Oracular Tablets of Dodona, no. 131 (PH194620):
  Petition concerning “the houses of the Hemarian people.”
• Ethnographic and historical descriptions identifying Epirus as Southern Illyria and its inhabitants as distinct from the Greek ethnos, preserved in later Greek and European scholarly writings.