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| Epirus Nova | |
|---|---|
| Name | Epirus Nova |
| Native name | Αἴτωρ (ancient) |
| Region | Balkans |
| Era | Late Antiquity |
| Established | circa 3rd century AD (reorganization) |
| Capital | unknown (see Urban Centers) |
| Languages | Latin, Greek, Illyrian (various) |
| Notable sites | Justiniana Prima, Nicopolis, Dyrrhachium, Butrint, Scutari, Apollonia |
Epirus Nova Epirus Nova was a Late Antique and early Byzantine province in the Balkans formed by Roman and later imperial administration to manage territories across parts of present-day Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia. The province figured in the administrative reforms associated with figures such as Diocletian and Constantine I, and its history intersects with events including the Gothic War (376–382), the campaigns of Belisarius, and the reorganization under Justinian I. Epirus Nova's borders, cities, and institutions were shaped by interactions among peoples such as the Molossians, Thracians, Illyrians, Aetolians, and migrant groups like the Slavs and Avars.
The provincial name derives from the classical toponym used for Epirus modified by Roman administrative practice, echoing names such as Moesia Superior, Macedonia Prima, and Macedonia Secunda; comparable formations include Pannonia Inferior and Dalmatia Liburnica. Sources such as the Notitia Dignitatum, Procopius of Caesarea, and the Synecdemus provide attestations for provincial nomenclature, paralleling usages in inscriptions linked to emperors like Theodosius I and Honorius. The epithet "Nova" contrasted with Epirus Vetus in imperial paperwork, annals like the Chronicle of Jerome, and legal codes compiled under Theodosian Code and later Corpus Juris Civilis.
Epirus Nova occupied a mountainous and coastal swath bounded by features identified with the Ionian Sea, the Pindus Mountains, and river valleys such as the Aoös River and the Drin River. Neighboring provinces included Macedonia Salutaris, Dalmatia, and Moesia Prima, while strategic passes connected it to regions like Thessaly and Illyricum. Important geographical markers appear in the writings of Strabo, Ptolemy, and Pliny the Elder and in itineraries such as the Itinerarium Antonini and the Tabula Peutingeriana that show routes linking Via Egnatia, Via Appia, and local roads to urban centers like Dyrrachium and Nicopolis.
The province emerged from imperial reforms under Diocletian and further adjustments under Constantine I and later emperors; administrative sources include the Notitia Dignitatum and the Synecdemus. It was governed by officials titled in comparanda with ranks such as praeses and comes, reflecting hierarchies seen in Provincia Moesia, Provincia Dalmatia, and Praetorian Prefecture of Illyricum. Major administrative changes occurred during the reign of Justinian I when efforts paralleled reconstructions at Justiniana Prima and legal reorganizations found in the Corpus Juris Civilis. The province was also affected by imperial military-reform measures under emperors like Augustus (redivided) and later by themes of administration that prefigured structures implemented by Heraclius.
Key cities associated with the province included Nicopolis, Dyrrachium, Apollonia, Butrint, Scupi, Amantia, Hadrianopolis, and Justiniana Prima; other urban sites such as Oricum, Phoenice, Gertheion, and Buthrotum feature in epigraphic and literary records. Infrastructure projects linked to imperial patronage and local elites involved harbor works at Dyrrachium, road maintenance on the Via Egnatia, fortifications at Justiniana Prima, and public buildings bearing dedications to emperors like Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. Travel and communication references appear in the Itinerarium Burdigalense and in letters preserved from figures such as Ambrose of Milan and John of Ephesus.
The provincial economy combined maritime trade through ports such as Dyrrachium and Oricum with inland agriculture in valleys of the Aoös River, mineral exploitation in uplands referenced by Pliny the Elder and craft production attested at Apollonia and Butrint. Commodity flows connected to markets in Thessalonica, Constantinople, Ravenna, and Rome and involved goods listed in customs records comparable to those from Antioch and Alexandria. Demographic composition included Greek-speaking urban populations, Illyrian-speaking highlanders, Romanized colonists, and later populations like the Slavs and Avars; ecclesiastical census-like data appear indirectly in sources involving bishops participating in councils such as the Council of Chalcedon and the Council of Nicaea.
Military installations in the province paralleled patterns in Macedonia Prima and Moesia Secunda with garrisons and limitanei documented in the Notitia Dignitatum and descriptions of campaigns by historians like Procopius of Caesarea and Jordanes. Fortified sites include hilltop citadels at Butrint, coastal batteries at Dyrrachium, inland strongholds at Justiniana Prima, and watch posts along routes toward Bulgarian and Slavic territories. Imperial commanders and generals linked to operations in the area include Belisarius, Narses, and later Byzantine strategoi referenced alongside legions and duces in administrative lists akin to those for Illyricum.
Religious life combined classical cults at sanctuaries such as those at Dodona and local shrines with Christian institutions centered on bishoprics attested in lists from the Council of Ephesus, letters of Pope Gregory I, and the episcopal rolls preserved in chronicles like the Liber Pontificalis. Monastic foundations associated with figures like Basil of Caesarea and Anthony the Great influenced asceticism in the region; liturgical and artistic production shows affinities with centers such as Constantinople, Antioch, and Alexandria. Literary and intellectual connections involved correspondence and travel by persons linked to Proclus, Eustathius of Thessalonica, and legal scholars working under Justinian I.
Archaeological investigations by scholars and institutions such as the British School at Athens, the Italian Archaeological Mission in Albania, and national museums in Tirana, Athens, and Skopje have revealed urban layouts, inscriptions, mosaics, and fortification phases comparable to finds at Pompeii, Ephesus, and Ostia Antica. Fieldwork by archaeologists like Sir Arthur Evans (in broader Aegean contexts), Nicholas Hammond, and modern teams using geophysical survey, stratigraphic excavation, and conservation parallel practices at sites such as Delphi and Olympia. Heritage issues involve protection under conventions such as the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and national laws in Greece and Albania, with publication outlets including journals like the Journal of Roman Studies and proceedings from conferences of the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
Category:Provinces of the Byzantine Empire