The inscriptions of Dodona and a new history of Molossia
By: Elizabeth A. Meyer
Series: Alte Geschichte; Heidelberger althistorische Beiträge und epigraphische Studien -- Bd. 54; Alte Geschichte (Stuttgart, Germany); Heidelberger althistorische Beiträge und epigraphische Studien -- Bd. 54.
Publisher: Steiner; Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden GmbH; Franz Steiner Verlag
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Stuttgart
Language: eng; grc; lat
Number of pages: 201
ISBN-13: 9783515103114
Subjects: Greek Inscriptions; History; Molossians
Description: Molossia is perhaps most famous as the kingdom of the third-century warlord Pyrrhus. The Inscriptions of Dodona and A New History of Molossia re-examines the non-oracular stone and bronze inscriptions, re-dating some of the most important to the third century BC rather than the fourth. This re-dating in turn forms the basis of the new history presented here. In this history are stressed the primacy of the king, who ruled a kingdom rather than a federal league; the minimal extent of Molossian "expansion" in the fourth century BC; the likelihood that there was indeed no federal league, only a type of amphictyony administering the sanctuary of Dodona, before 232 BC; the continuing relationship of allied association rather than incorporation between the Molossians with their neighbors; the interference of the Macedonians as a catalyst for the coalescence of Molossian identity; and the way events of the third century paved the way for the establishment of a federal league after the death of the last monarch in 232 BC. This history substantially reshapes our understanding of this part of the Hellenistic world, and of the early history of federal leagues in Greece.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and indices.

English, Greece and Latin.
Table of contents: title: Preface --; title: Introduction --; title: The established view -- -- I.; title: The dating of inscriptions from Dodona -- -- II.1.; title: Manumissions and Dedications -- -- II.1.1.; title: 'King Alexander' inscriptions -- -- II.1.2.; title: Other inscriptions -- -- II.2.; title: Summary -- -- III.; title: Seven points of difference -- -- III.1.; title: Molossian 'state' and Molossian kings in the fourth century -- -- III.2.; title: Molossian expansion in the fourth century -- -- III.3.; title: What if anything occurred between 330 and 328 BC? -- -- III.4.; title: Epirote and Molossian identity in the late fourth and early third centuries -- -- III.5.; title: 'The Molossians' in the third century -- -- III.6.; title: What does re-dating mean for Molossian expansion in the third century? -- -- III.7.; title: What is the Molossian relationship with Thesprotia and Chaonia in the third century? -- -- IV.; title: A new history of Molossia -- -- V.; title: Epigraphical appendix -- -- VI.; title: List of maps and figures -- -- VII.; title: Abbreviations -- -- VIII.; title: Works cited -- -- IX; title: Index locorum -- -- X.; title: Index.