Molossians
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.3|Map of Ancient Greek region of Epirus right|thumb|215px|Molossia in antiquity.
~26 min read
Article
23 sectionsContents
- Ancient sources
- Molossian royalty
- History
- Molossian core
- Molossian expansion
- Unified Epirus
- Reign of Pyrrhus
- Koinon of the Epirotes
- Conquest and enslavement by Rome
- Culture
- Language
- Society and views among Greeks
- Local Greek script
- Religion
- Mythological royal genealogy
- Politics and offices
- Symbols
- List of Molossians
- Family tree of kings of Epirus
- See also
- References
- Citations
- Sources
thumb|upright=1.3|Map of Ancient Greek region of Epirus right|thumb|215px|Molossia in antiquity.
The Molossians () were a group of ancient Greek tribes which inhabited the region of Epirus in classical antiquity. Together with the Chaonians and the Thesprotians, they formed the main tribal groupings of the northwestern Greek group. On their northern frontier, they neighbored the Chaonians and on their southern frontier neighbored the kingdom of the Thesprotians. They formed their own state around 370 BC and were part of the League of Epirus. The most famous Molossian ruler was Pyrrhus of Epirus, considered one of the greatest generals of antiquity. The Molossians sided with the Macedonians against Rome in the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC) and were defeated. Following the war, the region witnessed devastation while a considerable number of Molossians and other Epirotes were enslaved and transported to the Roman Republic, in the Italian Peninsula.