CITIES AND TERRITORIES IN EPIKNEMIDIAN LOKRIS*

by Adolfo J. Domínguez

Epiknemidian Lokris is a territory that was part of Eastern Lokris and was situated between Thermopylae and Mount Knemis. It is possible that Epiknemidian Lokris acquired its own identity at a time when other parts of Eastern Lokris had lost their independence as a result of conquest or occupation by other Greeks, such as the Phokians 1 , but the name probably had a more geographical than political significance originally, as its appearance in the writings of authors such as Hellanicos would suggest (FGrHist, F 4, frag. 12). The relationship of the term Epiknemidian with the name given to the Lokrians living in Italy, Epizephyrian, seems evident, although it is difficult to know which one is the original and which is the imitation. However, this term ultimately acquired a clearly political meaning, as Delphian epigraphy shows2 . The term Epiknemidian Lokris is also related to the term Hipoknemidian Lokris, attested by literary sources, epigraphy and perhaps numismatics.

The article can be read HERE

Report : The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Fourteenth Ephorate Epicnemidian Locris Project

Jose Pascual

Department of Ancient History. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Maria-Foteini Papakonstantinou

Fourteenth Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, 24th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities

The area that was known as Epicnemidian Locris in Antiquity is a region of central Greece lying on the eastern seaboard of the Balkan Peninsula, on the shores of the Aegean Sea. Its borders probably coincided, approximately, with Mount Cnemis in the east, the Callidromus massif in the south and the Spercheius river basin in the west. The waters of the Malian Gulf and the Island of Euboea lay to the North.

From 2004, as part of Research Projects BHA2001-0157, HAR2008- 04081/HIST and HAR2011-25443, subsidised by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, of the Agreement number 028700 (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Company Ontex Peninsular S.A.), subsidised by the Company Ontex Peninsular S.A. and the Agreement of the Ministry of Culture of the Hellenic Republic Αρ.Πρωτ. ΥΠΠΟ/ΓΔΑΠΚ/ΑΡΧ/Α2/Φ15/73900π.ε./31/2-3-2004, a Spanish-Greek team from the Fourteenth Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, under the direction of Maria-Foteini Papakonstantinou and from the side of University of the staff of the Department of Ancient History, has developed a research project in Epicnemidian Locris (see also A.J. Domínguez, Teiresias 35, part 1, 2005).

Τhis is the first historic-topographical research in the region and the first joint official Greek-Spanish field work in Greek territory. The results of this research project will be published soon in full by Brill (Leiden) and here we offer a final report with a summary of these ones. Essentially this study was divided into three parts. In the first the geography of the region is studied, necessary for understanding the area, followed by the topography with the analysis of the information collected and with the intention of revealing the patterns and the evolution of the population and the hierarchy of settlements. The third part was dedicated to the different historical periods from the Neolithic to the end of Antiquity.

The article can be read HERE

A BRILL book entitled: "Topography and History of Epicnemedian Locris"

Edited by: Jose Pascual and Maria-Foteini Papakonstantinou

BRILL Publications, Leiden - Boston, 2013

Parts of this book can be read HERE