Epirus

Epirus is a province of Greece. It was separated from Grecian Illyria by the Ceraunian Mountains[?], and by the famous Pindus River[?] from Thessaly. The Acheron river, also famous in mythological story, flowed through the limits of this province, and here also were the celebrated temple and sacred oak grove of Dodoni, famous for its oracles. Pyrrhus was the most famous ruler of ancient Epirus, known for his campaigns against the Romans in Italy (see also Pyrrhic victory) and for his brief rule of Macedonia.

With the fall of Byzantine Empire in 1204 to European armies in the Fourth Crusade, Epirus was the basis of one of the three successor states, the others being Nicaea and Trebizond. Epirus was defeated by armies of the the Nicean lineage, who later re-captured Constantinople in 1261 and re-formed the Byzantine empire.

The area passed next fell in hands of the Turks. It was eventually ceded to Greece by the Turks in 1881. Between 1912 and 1916 Epirus had a brief period of independence. The northern part of its territory is now in Albania.

Adapted in part from The Americana.