Chaonians

The Chaonians (Ancient Greek: Χάονες, romanized: Cháones) were an ancient Greek tribe that lived in the region of Epirus that is today part of northwestern Greece and southern Albania.^[1][2] It was part of the northwestern group of Greek tribes together with the Molossians and the Thesprotians.^[1]

Areas of mainland Greece in antiquity.

Name

The Greek names "Chaonia" (Χαονία) and "Chaones/Chaonians" (Χάονες) both come from "Chaon" (Χάων, *χαϝ-ών) meaning "place with gorges".^[3]

History

The Chaonians are first mentioned by the Greek historian Thucydides in the 5th century BC.^[4]

The Greek historian Strabo says that the Chaonians and the Molossians were the most famous tribes of Epirus, because they once ruled all of Epirus.^[5]

The Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax refers to the Chaonians as separate from the Illyrians.^[6]

The Greek historian Polybius says that the Illyrians raided the Chaonian city of Phoenice in 230 BC.^[7] Many Italian traders who were at the city when the raid happened were killed or enslaved resulting in the Roman Republic starting the Illyrian Wars the next year.^[7]

Politics and culture

Ruins of ancient Phoenice, the main city of the Chaones.

The Chaonians were settled Kata Komas (Ancient Greek: Κατά Κώμας), meaning in a group of villages, and established a tribal state in the 5th century BC.^[8]

The Greek historian Thucydides says that their leaders were chosen yearly and names two such leaders: Photius and Nikanor.^[9]

They were connected to other Greek tribes in Epirus (Ancient Greek: φυλαί, romanized: phylae) such as the Thesprotians and Molossians.^[10] The Chaonians joined the Epirote League, a federation of Greek tribes founded in 325/320 BC that ruled Epirus until the Romans conquered the region in 170 BC.^[11]

The Chaonians participated in the ancient Olympic games and festivals where only Greeks were allowed to attend.^[2][12][13]

List of Chaonians

• Photius and Nicanor, leaders of the Chaonians in the Peloponnesian War (circa 431–421 BC).
• Doropsos Δόροψος, theorodokos in Epidauros (circa 365 BC).^[14]
• Antanor (son of Euthymides), proxenos in Delphi (325–275 BC).^[15]
• Peukestos, proxenos in Thyrrheion, Acarnania (3rd century BC) -πητοῦ Χάονα Πευκεστόν, Σωτι-.^[16]
• Myrtilos, officer who gave proxeny decree to Boeotian Kallimelos (late 3rd century BC).^[17]
• Boiskos (son of Messaneos), prostates (late 3rd century BC)^[18] (the Greek word prostates means "ruler"^[19]).
• Lykidas (son of Hellinos), prostates (circa 232–168 BC).^[20]
• -tos (son of Lysias), winner in Pale (wrestling) Panathenaic Games (194/193 BC).^[21]
• Charops, father of Machatas, father of Charops the Younger - philoroman politicians (2nd century BC).^[22]