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Amantia (Greek: Ἀμάντια) or Abantia (Greek: Ἀβάντια) was an ancient Greek polis[1][2] in Epirus. It occupied an important defensive position above the Aoos river valley to the east, and on the road to the coast and the Bay of Vlorë. A Greek temple, the Aphrodite temple, a theatre, and a stadium have also been found in the city.[3] The name for its civilians was Amantieus (Greek: Ἀμάντιεύς).
History
According to Pausanias, the settlement was founded by Locrians from nearby Thronium and Abantes from Euboea.[4] Stephanus Byzantius similarly attributes the foundation to Euboean Abantes "returning from the Trojan war".[5] Hesychius[disambiguation needed] states that it was an Epirote settlement.<r foundation legend had Elpenor, who actually dies at Troy, acting as a nostos and leading the colonists.[6] Their political leaders had titles like prytanis (Greek: πρύτανις, "the one that presides") and grammateus (Greek: γραμματεύς, "secretary"). The town was surrounded with a walled enclosure roughly 2,100m long. A large fort was built with two gates and two defensive towers in the north.
Its name was mentioned for the first time in the 4th century BC. It is situated on the slope of a high hill and had only its acropolis fortified. By the 3rd century BC, the town was strengthened economically and minted its own coins.
See also
List of ancient cities in Illyria
References
^ Hansen & Nielsen 2004, p. 342.
^ Casson, S. Macedonia, Thrace and Illyria: their relations to Greece from the earliest times down to the time of Philip, son of Amyntas. Greenwood Press, 1971. p. 322 [1]
^ Anamali S. Amantie. Iliria 2 (1972), pp. 67-148.
^ Pausanias. Description of Greece, 5.22.3-5.22.4.
^ Amantia: Illyrion moira, plesion Orikou kai Kerkuras eks Abanton apo Troias nostesanton oikismene.
^ Malkin 1998, p. 79.
Sources
Hansen, Mogens Herman; Nielsen, Thomas Heine (2004). An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-814099-1.
Malkin, Irad (1998). The Return of Odysseus: Colonization and Ethnicity. Berkeley: University of California Press.
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