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The Transformation of Cities in Late Antiquity within the Provinces of Macedonia and Epirus

J.-P. SODINI

in The Transition to Late Antiquity, on the Danube and Beyond

The provinces of Epirus and Macedonia, although divided into distinct regions by their mountains, were important for the Roman Empire, particularly because they were crossed by the via Egnatia which ... More

The provinces of Epirus and Macedonia, although divided into distinct regions by their mountains, were important for the Roman Empire, particularly because they were crossed by the via Egnatia which snaked its way eastwards, serving as the vital link between Rome and Constantinople at a time when insecurity was increasing along the Danubian frontier. From the middle of the third century, cities in this part of the Empire were under threat and their fortifications were reinforced in the fifth (Thessalonika) and sixth centuries (Byllis under Justininian). There was prosperity in the fourth century and beginning of the fifth. During the fifth century, the houses of Philippi were partly transformed into workshops. The sixth century was difficult and the second half was especially bleak. However, contacts between east and west were still maintained, along with local production. From 540–550, however, barbarian invasions and plague worsened the general situation. Graves appeared inside the city walls. Archaeology (Slav pottery and fibulae) and texts (Miracula Sancti Demetrii) all demonstrate how hard times were from the 580s to the 630s.Less

Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond 1907–2001

Anthony Snodgrass

in Proceedings of the British Academy, Volume 120, Biographical Memoirs of Fellows, II

Nick Hammond stands in a class of his own among Fellows of the Academy. His scholarly achievement was shaped by many untypical factors. His lifelong devotion to education, in every sense and at every ... More

Nick Hammond stands in a class of his own among Fellows of the Academy. His scholarly achievement was shaped by many untypical factors. His lifelong devotion to education, in every sense and at every level from the secondary onwards, gave it an unusual direction: until late in his life, much of his research had been driven by his teaching. His boldness in venturing into widely diverse branches of Classics, together with his intensely personal view of the activity of research, is reflected in his own unclassifiable status; the fact that he had had no formal research supervisor of his own, nor was later in a position to attract a large following of research pupils, accentuated this. With little doubt, his best work was to be found in the fields where not only his exhaustive knowledge of the ancient sources, but also his personal virtues and experiences had full rein: the volume on Epirus, the trilogy on Macedonia, and the best of his battle-reconstructions where he had walked over the landscape.Less

The Effects of the Fourth Crusade 1204–1261 1

J. M. Hussey

in The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire

The effects of the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1204 and the subsequent establishment of a Latin Empire in the area covered by the Orthodox Church as a result of the Fourth Crusade are discussed. ... More

The effects of the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1204 and the subsequent establishment of a Latin Empire in the area covered by the Orthodox Church as a result of the Fourth Crusade are discussed. The period covered is 1204–61. The different sections of the chapter address the following: the Latin patriarchate of Orthodox Constantinople (1204–61); ecclesiastical organization within the various Latin conquests—Greece and the Cyclades, Venetian Crete, and Cyprus; thirteenth century rival Byzantine Churches—Nicaea and Epirus; and the Nicaean Empire and Rome.Less

Trapped in Nationalism? Symbolic Politics in Greece and the Macedonian Question

Neophytos Loizides

in The Politics of Majority Nationalism: Framing Peace, Stalemates, and Crises

Chapter 3 examines how adversarial framing on the Macedonian issue constrained a moderate government in Greece from capitalizing on its peace potential in the early 1990s when major demonstrations in ... More

Chapter 3 examines how adversarial framing on the Macedonian issue constrained a moderate government in Greece from capitalizing on its peace potential in the early 1990s when major demonstrations in Thessaloniki and Athens attracted at least a million people each. At the same time, it asks why conflicts related to Turkey or Albania received little attention despite ethnic antagonisms and an alleged “civilizational divide” between Greece and its predominantly Muslim neighbors. Drawing evidence from the Hellenic Parliament, this chapter demonstrates that on Turkish and Albanian issues, a sizeable moderate camp championed reconciliation and compromise, maintaining a balance between hardliners and moderates in Greece. Even so, hardliners monopolized the framing of Greece’s Macedonian policies, thus shaping an early nationalist consensus. By adopting this hegemonic frame, mainstream Greek political elites prevented adaptation to new realities in the 1990s, obstructing a feasible peace agreement between the two nations.Less

Pericles Halkias (1909–2005)

Jim Stoynoff

in Greek Music in America

Pericles Halkias was a celebrated clarinet player from Epirus, who played in Athens tavernas from the 1930s to the 1950s. After settling in Astoria, NY in 1962, he became the most sought after Epirot ... More

Pericles Halkias was a celebrated clarinet player from Epirus, who played in Athens tavernas from the 1930s to the 1950s. After settling in Astoria, NY in 1962, he became the most sought after Epirot clarinetist in New York.In the early 1980s, he formed the Halkias Family Orchestra, which played traditional music for Epirot events. He was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1985.Less

The Jews of Greece to World War I

in The Agony of Greek Jews, 1940-1945

The Jews of Greece suffered from 1943 to 1945 and during the subsequent decade, and continue to adjust to that experience until today. Although the physical attack on Greek Jewry began in 1941 with ... More

The Jews of Greece suffered from 1943 to 1945 and during the subsequent decade, and continue to adjust to that experience until today. Although the physical attack on Greek Jewry began in 1941 with the arrival of the Nazis, the vicissitudes of World War II were predated by an economic, social, and political assault. The experiences of Greek Jews during the Holocaust may be understood in the context of their varied encounters with the modern Greek state. On the eve of World War II, Greek Jews were divided into three areas, each with its own layer of polyglot culture and historical experience: the South, comprising the Peloponnese, Attica, and Boeotia of ancient times; the West, consisting of Epirus and Akarnania; and the North, which included Thrace and Macedonia stretching southward into Central Greece. This chapter examines the conditions of the Jews of Greece until World War I, and their military contributions to Greece during the First and Second Balkan Wars.Less

Renaissance or decline? The shrine of Dodona in the Hellenistic period

Jessica Piccinini

in Hellenistic Sanctuaries: Between Greece and Rome

According to the archaeological and literary evidence the shrine of Dodona acquired an interregional dimension from the sixth century BC. However, the first monumental structures are not earlier than ... More

According to the archaeological and literary evidence the shrine of Dodona acquired an interregional dimension from the sixth century BC. However, the first monumental structures are not earlier than the second half of the fourth century BC and can be linked with the consolidation of the Molossian royal dynasty and the political development of the other Epirote tribes. The major building programme in Dodona was, indeed, carried out during the reign of Pyrrhos, when Molossia, and Epiros in general, experienced a long period of political and economic stability and prosperity. This chapter explores this evolution up to the arrival of the Romans through an analysis of the visual landscape of the sacred area of Dodona, and by comparing it with the other interregional sanctuaries of the Greek world.Less

A New Anabasis?

Pat Wheatley and Charlotte Dunn

in Demetrius the Besieger

Demetrius Poliorcetes returned from Athens to Macedonia, where at last he prepared a campaign that aimed at recovering the former Macedonian Empire. It is clear from the evidence that Demetrius was ... More

Demetrius Poliorcetes returned from Athens to Macedonia, where at last he prepared a campaign that aimed at recovering the former Macedonian Empire. It is clear from the evidence that Demetrius was preparing for an ambitious campaign on a grand scale. However, during these preparations he was also forced to deal with his tenuous hold over his current possessions, especially the attitudes of the dissatisfied Macedonian citizens who were not entirely supportive of Demetrius’ grandiose plans. This chapter contains a discussion of the numismatic evidence, which illuminates both the extensive nature of these plans and changes in political strategy during these years.Less

Peacemaking in London

Michael Llewellyn-Smith

in Venizelos: The Making of a Greek Statesman 1864-1914

This chapter outlines the issues for decision in December 1912-early 1913, at the peace conferences for which Sir Edward Grey had offered London as venue. These were, for Venizelos 1) the future of ... More

This chapter outlines the issues for decision in December 1912-early 1913, at the peace conferences for which Sir Edward Grey had offered London as venue. These were, for Venizelos 1) the future of Salonika, 2) the fate of the Aegean islands, still claimed by Turkey, and 3) Albania/Northern Epirus. The chapter describes the division of the negotiations into two, one between the Balkan allies and Turkey, the second a conference of ambassadors to deal with other issues including the Aegean islands and Albania/Northern Epirus. Streit, Skouloudis, Metaxas and Danglis took part in the London talks, but Venizelos would not include Ion Dragoumis, who opposed Venizelos's conciliatory policy towards Bulgaria and hopes of a Balkan federation.Less

The War in Epirus

Michael Llewellyn-Smith

in Venizelos: The Making of a Greek Statesman 1864-1914

Constantine, whose main concern was Bulgaria, was persuaded to move to Epirus where Greek-Turkish hostilities continued. He was accompanied by his staff including Metaxas, who developed staff plans ... More

Constantine, whose main concern was Bulgaria, was persuaded to move to Epirus where Greek-Turkish hostilities continued. He was accompanied by his staff including Metaxas, who developed staff plans for the assault on Bizani; and by royal princes and nurses. His task was to reinvigorate the Greek army in Epirus which was bogged down in the siege of Bizani outside Janina. Venizelos visited him there, and received a positive account of the prospects from the staff. The two men had a near escape in a shelling incident. The fall of Bizani followed, as planned by Metaxas, and Janina was occupied, another success for Greek arms, opening up a route to Northern Epirus/Albania.Less