Olympe () () was an ancient city located in the territory of the Amantes, between northern

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

and southern

Illyria In classical and late antiquity, Illyria (; , ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; , ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyrians. The Ancient Gree ...

in classical antiquity. It is located in modern day

Mavrovë Mavrovë ( sq-definite, Mavrova) is a village in the Vlorë County, Albania, about southeast of Vlorë, in the Shushicë River valley. At the 2015 local government reform, it became part of the municipality Selenicë. Notable people * Kadri Ha ...

Vlorë County Vlorë County (; ) is one of the 12 counties of Albania with the city of Vlorë being the county capital. The county spans and has a total population of 146,681 people as of 2023. It borders the counties of Fier and Gjirokastër, as well as th ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

History

The settlement at Olympe was fortified between the late 5th century BC and the early 4th century BC. Taking into account archaeological and historical considerations, the city of Olympe should have been founded in the ethnic context of the Amantes, but later it was organized as a proper ''

polis Polis (: poleis) means 'city' in Ancient Greek. The ancient word ''polis'' had socio-political connotations not possessed by modern usage. For example, Modern Greek πόλη (polē) is located within a (''khôra''), "country", which is a πατ ...

'' turning away from its ethnic context. The dissociation from the ethnic to the ''polis'' coincided with

Philip V of Macedon Philip V (; 238–179 BC) was king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by the Social War (220–217 BC), Social War in Greece (220-217 BC) ...

's conquest of a number of cities in

. In the

Hellenistic period In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

there is evidence for the ''polis'' status of Olympe, and

Stephanus of Byzantium Stephanus or Stephen of Byzantium (; , ''Stéphanos Byzántios''; centuryAD) was a Byzantine grammarian and the author of an important geographical dictionary entitled ''Ethnica'' (). Only meagre fragments of the dictionary survive, but the epit ...

( 6th century AD) recorded Olympe as a "''polis'' of Illyria" (πόλις Ίλλυρίας). During the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC Olympe minted bronze coins bearing the inscription ΟΛΥΜΠΑΣΤΑΝ (''OLYMPASTAN''), and the city-ethnic was probably ’Ολυμπαστάς (''Olympastas''). The coins of Olympe depict a snake, the totemistic symbol among Illyrians. The same symbol is depicted in ancient Scodra,

Byllis Byllis (; ; ) or Bullis or Boullis (Βουλλίς) was an ancient city and the chief settlement of the Illyrian tribe of the Bylliones, traditionally located in southern Illyria. In Hellenistic times the city was either part of Illyria or Epi ...

Amantia Amantia (; ) was an ancient city and the main settlement of the Amantes, traditionally located in southern Illyria in classical antiquity. In Hellenistic times the city was either part of Illyrian kingdom, Illyria or Epirus (ancient state), E ...

and other major settlements. A late 3rd century BC dedication to Zeus Megistos mentions a ''politarches'', a ''grammateus'' and the ''synarchontes''.

References

Sources

* * * *{{cite journal, last=Shpuza, first=Saimir, editor-last=Dyczek, editor-first=Piotr, title=Scodra and the Labeates. Cities, rural fortifications and territorial defense in the Hellenistic period , journal=Novensia , volume=28 , publisher=Ośrodek Badań nad Antykiem Europy Południowo-Wschodniej, year=2017, place=Warszawa , isbn=978-83-946222-5-1, issn=0860-5777, pages=41–64 Cities in ancient Epirus Illyrian Albania Hellenistic Albania Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Albania Populated places in ancient Epirus Former populated places in the Balkans

History

See also

References

Sources