Epirus (ancient state)

Epirus
Ἄπειρος Ápeiros
330 BCE–167 BCE
Capital		Passaron (330–295 BCE) Amvrakia (295–224 BCE) Phoenice (224–167 BCE)
Languages		Northwest Greek
Religion		Ancient Greek religion
Government		Monarchy (330–231 BCE), Federal Republic (231–167 BCE)
King
•	330–313 BCE	Aeacides
•	307–302 BCE	Pyrrhus of Epirus
•	302–297 BCE	Neoptolemos II
•	297–272 BCE	Pyrrhus of Epirus
•	231–167 BCE	Epirote League
Historical era		Classical antiquity
•	Epirote tribes established united political entity	330 BCE
•	Pyrrhus' campaign in Italy	280–275 BCE
•	Monarchy abolished	231 BCE
•	Conquered by the Roman Republic in the Third Macedonian War	167 BCE
Currency		Epirote drachma
Preceded by Succeeded by Molossians Thesprotians Chaonians Macedonia (Roman province)

Epirus (/ɪˈpaɪrəs/; Northwest Greek: Ἄπειρος, Ápeiros; Attic: Ἤπειρος, Ḗpeiros) was an ancient Greek state, located in the geographical region of Epirus in the western Balkans. The homeland of the ancient Epirotes was bordered by the Aetolian League to the south, Thessaly and Macedonia to the east, and Illyrian tribes to the north. For a brief period (280–275 BC), the Epirote king Pyrrhus managed to make Epirus the most powerful state in the Greek world, and his armies marched against Rome during an unsuccessful campaign in Italy.

Epirus has been occupied since at least Neolithic times by seafarers along the coast and by hunters and shepherds in the interior who brought with them the Greek language. These people buried their leaders in large tumuli containing shaft graves, similar to the Mycenaean tombs, indicating an ancestral link between Epirus and the Mycenaean civilization. A number of Mycenaean remains have been found in Epirus, especially at the most important ancient religious sites in the region, the Necromanteion (Oracle of the Dead) on the Acheron river, and the Oracle of Zeus at Dodona.

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