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91-675: When the Roman Empire divided into east and west in 395, the territories of modern Albania became a part of the Byzantine Empire. At the end of the 12th century, the Principality of Arbanon was formed which lasted until mid 13th century, after its dissolution it was followed with the creation of the Albanian Kingdom after an alliance between the Albanian noblemen and Angevin dynasty. After

182-559: A battleground during the power struggles of the Ostrogoths after 479, in which the Byzantines were involved. A Gothic attempt to take Durrës was repulsed by Roman forces during this period. In 517, a raid of the Getae or Antae reached Greece, including Epirus Vetus. Procopius of Caesarea claims in his Secret History that under Justinian I ( r.  527–565 AD ), the entirety of

273-408: A considerable degree of autonomy, although the titles ' archon ' (held by Progon) and ' panhypersebastos ' (held by Dhimitër) are evident signs of Byzantine dependence. In the context of a weakening of Byzantine power in the region following the sack of Constantinople in 1204, Arbanon attained full autonomy for 12 years until the death of Demetrios in 1215 or 1216. The Gëziq inscription mentions

364-655: A gateway for its troops in the Second and Third Macedonian Wars . During the third war, the hitherto neutral Epirote League split, with the Molossians siding with the Macedonians and the Chaonians and Thesprotians supporting the Romans. The war ended disastrously for Epirus: 150,000 Molossians were enslaved and the region fell to Rome. The status of the region between 167 and 146 BC

455-672: A marriage with Komnena Nemanjić , who was both the daughter of Stefan Nemanjić, rival of Đorđe Nemanjić and grand-daughter of the last Byzantine Emperor Alexios III Angelos . In this context, because of the relation of his consort to the Byzantine imperial family, Demetrius was recognized by the title of panhypersebastos . After the death of the Catholic archbishop of Durrës, the Venetians and Progoni - each in their respective territories - seized church property. For his actions against church property, he

546-579: A province in its own right. Sometime during the provincial reorganization by Diocletian (r. 284–305), the western portion of the province of Macedonia along the Adriatic coast was split off into a new province, called "New Epirus" ( Latin : Epirus Nova ) which roughly corresponded to southern Illyria proper, historically inhabited by Illyrian tribes . Epirus proper thereafter became known as "Old Epirus" ( Latin : Epirus Vetus , Ancient Greek : Παλαιὰ Ἤπειρος ). The two Epirote provinces became part of

637-447: A region in the mountainous area to the west of Ohrid Lake and the upper valley of the river Shkumbin. In 1198, a part of the area north of the Drin was briefly controlled by Stefan Nemanjić who recounts that in that year he captured Pult from Arbanon ( ot Rabna ). In 1208, in the correspondence with Pope Innocent III , the territory that Demetrius Progoni claimed as princeps Arbanorum

728-842: A separate province, under a procurator Augusti . The new province extended from the Gulf of Aulon ( Vlorë ) and the Acroceraunian Mountains in the north to the lower course of the Acheloos River in the south, and included the northern Ionian Islands of Corfu , Lefkada , Ithaca , Cephallonia , and Zakynthos . Rome had maintained a military presence in Epirus since the First Macedonian War , when it used Epirus as an entry-point for Roman troops in Greece. Rome would continue to use Epirus as

819-549: A state union. In fact, this was a federation of independent rulers who undertook the duty to follow a common foreign policy, to jointly defend their independence and recruit their allied armed forces. Naturally, it required a collective budget for covering the military expenditures; each family contributed their mite to the common funds of the League. At the same time, each clan kept its possessions and autonomy, to solve internal problems within its own estate. The formation and functioning of

910-688: A treaty with the Republic of Ragusa which allowed for free passage of Ragusan merchants in Albanian territory. The following year, an agreement was concluded between the Republic of Venice and Michael I Komnenos Doukas of the Despotate of Epiros under which Doukas would become a vassal of Venice, if the republic recognized his claims up to the Shkumbin river valley, a core area of Arbanon. In 1212, Venice also allowed for

1001-567: A war against the Byzantine empire led the kingdom occasionally decrease in size until the Angevins eventually lost their rule in Albania and led the territory ruled by several different Albanian chieftains until the mid 14th century which for a short period of time were conquered by the short-lived empire of Serbia. After its fall in 1355 several chieftains regained their rule and significantly expanded until

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1092-628: Is evidenced further from the participation of local bishops in councils in Constantinople : whereas only the bishop of Dyrrhachium participated in the Ecumenical Councils of 680–1 and 692 , a century later the bishops of Dyrrhachium, Nicopolis, Corfu, Cephallonia, and Zakynthos are attested in the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. In about the middle of the 8th century, the Theme of Cephallenia

1183-417: Is indicated by the fact that the new church was built on the site of an older church dedicated to St. Mary (Shën Mëri) but Progoni dedicated the new church to Shën Premte , the patron saint of Arbanum. He had maintained the semi-independence of this area under an agreement in which he accepted the high suzerainty of Zeta and the rulers of Zeta didn't get involved in internal affairs of the region in return. In

1274-511: Is the case of other areas like Lezha and Sarda. During the 7th century as Byzantine authority was reestablished after the Avar-Slavic raids and the prosperity of the settlements increased, Komani saw increase in population and a new elite began to take shape. Increase in population and wealth was marked by the establishment of new settlements and new churches in their vicinity. Komani formed a local network with Lezha and Kruja and in turn this network

1365-556: Is the most detailed primary source for Arbanon and this period of Albanian history in general. In 1166, we know that prior Arbanensis Andrea and episcopis Arbanensis Lazarus participated in a ceremony held in Kotor , then under the Serbian Grand Principality . A year later in 1167, Pope Alexander III , in a letter directed to Lazarus, congratulates him for returning his bishopric to Catholic faith and invites him to acknowledge

1456-483: Is unclear, but in 146 BC, it was grouped in the larger Roman province of Macedonia . During Caesar's Civil War , Julius Caesar used Bouthroton as a naval base, and later drew up plans for a colonia there for his civil war veterans shortly before his death. Augustus later took up these plans and made the city a colony for his own veterans, after his victory over Mark Antony at the War of Actium . New residents expanded

1547-609: The Angevins out of the interior by 1281. The Sicilian Vespers further weakened the position of Charles, and the Kingdom was soon reduced by the Epirotes to a small area around Durrës. The Angevins held out here, however, until 1368, when the city was captured by Karl Thopia . After the fall of the Principality of Arber in territories captured by the Despotate of Epirus , the Kingdom of Albania

1638-617: The Despotate of Epiros (until 1230) and then Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria until his death in 1241. He then oscillated between Doukas and the Nicaeans until he was finally annexed by the Nicaeans in the phase of reconstitution of the Byzantine Empire in 1252–1256. During the conflicts between Michael II Komnenos Doukas of Epirus and the Emperor of Nicaea John III Doukas Vatatzes , Golem and Theodore Petraliphas , who were initially Michael's allies, eventually defected to John III in 1252. However,

1729-483: The Diocese of Moesia , until it was divided in ca. 369 into the dioceses of Macedonia and Dacia , when they became part of the former. In the 4th century, Epirus was still a stronghold of paganism , and was aided by Emperor Julian ( r.  361–363 AD ) and his praetorian prefect Claudius Mamertinus through reduction in taxes and the rebuilding of the provincial capital, Nicopolis . According to Jordanes ,

1820-458: The Epirus region of northern Greece and took possession of Durrës . A prince from the overthrown Byzantine ruling family, Michael Comnenus , made alliances with Albanian chiefs and drove the Venetians from lands that now make up southern Albania and northern Greece, and in 1204 he set up an independent principality, the Despotate of Epirus , with Ioannina in northwest Greece) as its capital. In 1272

1911-478: The Gothic War , in which the Byzantines were trying to annex his kingdom. In response to these raids, and to repair the damage done by two destructive earthquakes in 522, Justinian initiated a wide-ranging programme of reconstruction and re-fortification: Hadrianopolis was rebuilt, albeit in reduced extent, and renamed Justinianopolis, while Euroea was moved further inland - this has been traditionally identified with

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2002-657: The Principality of Kastrioti , the descendant of Gjergj Thopia , Andrea II Thopia , managed to regain control of the Princedom. Finally, it was united with other Albanian Principalities forming the League of Lezhë in 1444. Another principality was the Principality of Kastrioti , created by Gjon Kastrioti , and later captured by the Ottoman Empire . Finally, it was liberated by the national hero of Albania , Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg . The Principality of Dukagjini extended from

2093-689: The Visigoths raided the area in 380. With the division of the Empire on the death of Theodosius I in 395, Epirus became part of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire . In 395–397, the Visigoths under Alaric plundered Greece. They remained in Epirus for a few years, until 401, and again in 406–407, during Alaric's alliance with the Western Roman generalissimo Stilicho in order to wrest Eastern Illyricum from

2184-496: The 11th century. Research greatly expanded after 2009 and the first survey of Komani's topography was produced in 2014. Until then, except for the area of the cemetery the size of the settlement and its extension remained unknown. In 2014, it was revealed that Komani occupied an area of more than 40 ha, a much larger territory than originally thought. Its oldest settlement phase dates to the Hellenistic era. Proper development began in

2275-575: The 6th and 7th century. About fifty years later, the Bulgars conquered much of the Balkan Peninsula and extended their domain to the lowlands of what is now central Albania. In general, the invaders destroyed or weakened Roman and Byzantine cultural centers in the lands that would become Albania. In the mid-9th century most of eastern Albania became part of the First Bulgarian Empire , during

2366-626: The Albanian Despotate of Arta and Angelocastron were united under the rule of Despot Gjin Bua Shpata . The territory of this despotate was from the Corinth Gulf to Acheron River in the North, neighboring with the Principality of Gjon Zenevisi , another state created in the area of the Despotate of Epirus . From 1335 until 1432 four main principalities were created in Albania. The first of them

2457-520: The Balkan provinces was raided by barbarians every year. However, this is considered rhetorical hyperbole by modern scholars, as only a single Slavic raid to the environs of Dyrrhachium, in 548–9, has been documented. Procopius further reports that in 551, the Ostrogothic king Totila sent his fleet to raid the shores of Epirus, in an attempt to interdict the Byzantines' lines of communication with Italy during

2548-639: The Catholic church of Gëziq in the Ndërfandë near modern Rreshen in Mirdita. The inscription is written in Latin and has been produced after Progoni's death. The inscription shows that Progoni, who had been reaccepted in the Catholic Church, had provided funds for the building of the church, which he might have planned to become the seat of the Diocese of Arbanum or a new diocese in the centre of his remaining domain. This

2639-537: The Drin river valley. Kruja and Lezha represent significant sites of the culture. The population of Komani-Kruja represents a local, western Balkan people which was linked to the Roman Justinianic military system of forts. The development of Komani-Kruja is significant for the study of the transition between the classical antiquity population of Albania to the medieval Albanians who were attested in historical records in

2730-759: The Eastern Empire. From 467 on, the Ionian Islands and the coasts of Epirus became subject to raids by the Vandals , who had taken over the North African provinces and established their own kingdom, the Kingdom of the Vandals , centred on Carthage . The Vandals seized Nicopolis in 474 as a bargaining chip in their negotiations with Emperor Zeno , and plundered Zakynthos, killing many of its inhabitants and capturing many others and taking them into slavery. Epirus Nova became

2821-530: The Kingdom saw armed conflict with the Byzantine empire. By 1282 the Angevins were weakened by the Sicilian Vespers but held control of the nominal parts of Albania and even recaptured some and held out until 1368 when the kingdom's territory was reduced to a small area in Durrës. Even before the city of Durrës was captured, it was landlocked by Karl Thopia's principality. Declaring himself as Angevin descendant, with

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2912-591: The League, of which Gjergj Kastrioti was the supreme feudal lord, was the most significant attempt to build up an all-Albanian resistance against the Ottoman occupation and, simultaneously, an effort to create, for the span of its short-lived functioning, of some sort of a unified Albanian state. Under Skanderbeg's command, the Albanian forces marched east, capturing the cities of Dibra and Ohrid . For 25 years, from 1443 – 1468, Skanderbeg's 10,000 men army marched through Ottoman territory, winning victory after victory against

3003-676: The Malësia region to Prishtina in Kosovo. Under pressure by the Ottoman Empire , the Albanian Principalities were united into a confederation, created in the Assembly of Lezhë on 2 March 1444. The league was led by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg , and by Lekë Dukagjini following his death. Skanderbeg organized a meeting of Albanian nobles: the Arianiti , Dukagjini , Spani, Thopias , Muzakas , and

3094-513: The Middle Ages in central and northern Albania, southern Montenegro and similar sites in the western parts of North Macedonia . It consists of settlements usually built below hillforts along the Lezhë ( Praevalitana )- Dardania and Via Egnatia road networks which connected the Adriatic coastline with the central Balkan Roman provinces. Its type site is Komani and its fort on the nearby Dalmace hill in

3185-461: The Middle Ages, whereas the coasts of Epiros further south, despite their control by Serbs and Greeks, were primarily inhabited by Albanians according to Ducellier. The fortresses of Kruja was the seat of the state. Progon gained possession of the surroundings of the fortress which became hereditary. Arbanon was a beneficiary of the Via Egnatia trade road, which brought wealth and benefits from

3276-608: The Principality of Arbanon. It would also protect him from expansion by post-Byzantine successor states like the Despotate of Epiros. In his preserved correspondence with Pope Innocent III , Progoni as leader of the iudices of Arbanon, who signed as his followers, asked the Pope to send missionaries to spread Catholicism in his land. The Pope responded that Nicolaus, the Catholic archdeacon of Durrës had been instructed to make preparations for

3367-505: The Progoni family as judices , and notes their dependence on Vladin and Đorđe Nemanjić (r. 1208–1216), the princes of Zeta . In its last phase, Arbanon was mainly connected to the Despotate of Epirus and also maintained allied relation with the Kingdom of Serbia . In 1252, Golem submitted to the Empire of Nicaea . In the 11th century AD, the name Arbanon (also Albanon ) was applied to

3458-693: The Romans. Arbona was perhaps an island in Liburnia or another location within Illyria. In the 6th century AD, Stephanus of Byzantium, in his important geographical dictionary entitled Ethnica (Ἐθνικά), mentions a city in Illyria called Arbon (Ἀρβών), and gives an ethnic name for its inhabitants, in two singular number forms, i.e. Arbonios (Ἀρβώνιος) and Arbonites (Ἀρβωνίτης), pl. Ἀρβωνῖται. He cites Polybius (as he does many other times Polybius' own attitude to Rome has been variously interpreted, pro-Roman, … frequently cited in reference works such as Stephanus' Ethnica and

3549-622: The Suda. in Ethnica). Many scholars note that the Principality of Arbanon was the first Albanian state to emerge during the Middle Ages . Arbanon is generally considered to have retained large autonomy until Demetrius death in 1216, when the principality fell under the vassalage of Epirus or the Laskarids of Nicaea. Between 1190 and 1204, Arbanon was a principality of the Byzantine Empire and possessed

3640-410: The archbishop of Ragusa as his superior. After some resistance from local officials, the bishopric of Arbanon was put under the direct dependence of the Pope, as documented in a Papal letter dated in 1188. Little is known about archon Progon who was, between 1190 and 1198, the first ruler of Kruja and its surroundings. The Kruja fortress stayed in the possession of the Progoni family , and Progon

3731-444: The area in its last phase positioned its then territory between Durrës and Lake Ohrid in a west to east axis and between the Shkumbin river valley and Mat river valley in a south to north axis. The fortress of Krujë was the military and administrative center of the region throughout its existence. There are scarce sources about Arbanon, with the exception of the chronicles of Byzantine historian George Akropolites , whose work

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3822-427: The area was ruled by the Greco-Albanian lord Gregorios Kamonas , the new spouse of Demetrius' Serbian former wife Komnena Nemanjić , and by Golem (Gulam), a local magnate who had married Kamonas' and Komnena's daughter. Arbanon was eventually annexed in the winter of 1256–57 by the Byzantine statesman George Akropolites . Golem subsequently disappeared from historical records. Akropolites' historical writings are

3913-431: The arrival of the Ottomans after the Battle of Savra . After the Battle of Savra in 1385 most of local chieftains became Ottoman vassals. In 1415–1417 most of the central and southern Albania was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire and its newly established Sanjak of Albania . In 1432-36 local Albanian chieftains dissatisfied with losing their pre-Ottoman privileges organized a revolt in southern Albania. The revolt

4004-406: The bishop, clergy and people of Euroea fled their city, carrying with them the relics of their patron saint, St. Donatus , to Cassiope in Corfu. The restoration of Byzantine rule seems to have proceeded from the islands, chiefly Cephallonia, which was certainly under firm Imperial control in c.  702 , when Philippicus Bardanes was banished there. The gradual restoration of Imperial rule

4095-505: The capture of Durrës in 1368 Karl Thopia created the Princedom of Albania . During its existence Catholicism saw rapid spread among the population which affected the society as well as the architecture of the Kingdom.A Western type of feudalism was introduced and it replaced the Byzantine Pronoia . The 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century was the period in which sovereign principalities were created in Albania under Albanian noblemen. Those principalities were created between

4186-534: The castle. Skanderbeg's death in 1468 did not end the struggle for independence, and fighting continued until 1481, under Lekë Dukagjini , when Albanian lands were finally forced to succumb to the Ottoman forces. In the latter part of the Middle Ages, Albanian urban society reached a high point of development. Foreign commerce flourished to such an extent that leading Albanian merchants had their own agencies in Venice, Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik , Croatia ), and Thessalonica (now Thessaloniki , Greece ). The prosperity of

4277-430: The cities also stimulated the development of education and the arts. Albanian, however, was not the language used in schools, churches, and official government transactions. Instead, Greek and Latin, which had the powerful support of the state and the church, were the official languages of culture and literature. The new administrative system of the themes, or military provinces created by the Byzantine Empire, contributed to

4368-470: The city and the construction included an aqueduct , thermae , houses, a forum complex and a nymphaeum . During this period, the size of the town was doubled. A number of new structures were built next to the existing ones, especially around the theatre and the temple of Asklepios . Augustus also separated Epirus and Achaea from Macedonia in 27 BC, but it remained part of the province of Achaia until sometime between 104 and 117 AD, when Trajan made it

4459-415: The consistently larger and better supplied Ottoman forces. Threatened by Ottoman advances in their homeland, Hungary , and later Naples and Venice , their former enemies, provided the financial backbone and support for Skanderbeg's army. On 14 May 1450, an Ottoman army, larger than any previous force encountered by Skanderbeg or his men, stormed and overwhelmed the castle of the city of Krujë . This city

4550-405: The construction of the Via Egnatia to the north. Due to both its traditionally reputed livestock and its proximity to the Italian peninsula, Epirus became a major exporter of cattle and luxury goods like racehorses to Italy, where the latter were in great demand for the popular chariot races in Rome. Epirus also had significant populations of Italian settlers with large estates, attracted by

4641-433: The devastation of raids by Visigoths, Huns, and Ostrogoths. Not long after these barbarian invaders swept through the Balkans, the Slavs appeared. Between the 6th and 8th centuries they settled in Roman territories. In the 4th century, barbarian tribes began to prey upon the Roman Empire. The Germanic Goths and Asiatic Huns were the first to arrive, invading in mid-century; the Avars attacked in AD. 570; and Slavs invaded in

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4732-434: The eventual rise of feudalism in Albania, as peasant soldiers who served military lords became serfs on their landed estates. Among the leading families of the Albanian feudal nobility were the Thopia , Shpata , Muzaka , Arianiti , Dukagjini and Kastrioti . The first three of these rose to become rulers of principalities that were practically independent of Byzantium. Principality of Arbanon During this period,

4823-454: The fall of the Principality of Arber in its territories and in territories captured by the Despotate of Epiros was created the Kingdom of Albania , which was established by Charles of Anjou . He took the title of King of Albania in February, 1272. The kingdom extended from Durazzo (modern Durrës) south along the coast to Cape Linguetta , with vaguely defined borders in the interior. A Byzantine counter-offensive soon ensued, which drove

4914-424: The fall of the Serbian Empire and the Ottoman invasion of Albania. In the summer of 1358, Nikephoros II Orsini , the last despot of Epirus of the Orsini dynasty, fought against the Albanian chieftains in Acheloos , Acarnania . The Albanian chieftains won the war and they managed to create two new states in the southern territories of the Despotate of Epirus. Because a number of Albanian lords actively supported

5005-432: The first ruler, believed to have ruled in ca. 1190. He was succeeded by his sons Gjin (r. c. 1200–08) and Dimitri (r. 1208–16). After this dynasty, the principality came under Greek lord Gregory Kamonas and then his son-in-law Golem . Dimitri's widow, Serbian princess Komnena Nemanjić , had inherited the rule and remarried Kamonas. Arbanon declined after a rebellion against Nicaea in favour of Epirus in 1257–58. After

5096-493: The founding of Ioannina . Procopius also claims that no less than 36 smaller fortresses in Epirus Vetus—most of them not identifiable today—were either rebuilt or built anew. In the late 6th century, much of Greece, including Epirus, fell under the control of the Avars and their Slavic allies. This is placed by the Chronicle of Monemvasia in the year 587, and is further corroborated by evidence that several sees were abandoned by their bishops by 591. Thus, in c.  590

5187-428: The initial Nicaean conquest where the Emperor Theodore II Laskaris appointed Constantine Chabaron as the ruler of the Principality, proved short-lived, for the events prompted the Rebellion of Arbanon in 1257. Golem is last mentioned in the historical records among other 'notables' of Arbanon, in a meeting with George Akropolites in Durrës that occurred in the winter of 1256–1257. Akropolites subsequently annexed

5278-414: The inscription which also serves as the last will of Progoni, the church is dedicated to his people ( nationi obtulit ) and his successor is designated, Progon - son of Gjin Progoni - as protosebastos . After the death of Demetrius in 1215 or 1216, the power was left to his wife Komnena. She was soon married off to Gregory Kamonas , who himself had earlier been married to Gjin’s daughter and needed

5369-412: The king of Naples , Charles I of Anjou , occupied Durrës and formed an Albanian kingdom that would last for a century. Internal power struggles further weakened the Byzantine Empire in the 14th century, enabling Serbian most powerful medieval ruler, Stefan Dusan , to establish a short-lived empire that included all of Albania except Durrës. Arbanon was an autonomous principality that existed between

5460-430: The last Bulgarian strongholds to be submitted by the Byzantines. Durrës was one a centre of a major Bulgarian uprising in 1040–41 following the discontent of the Bulgarian population by the heavy taxes levied by the Byzantines. Soon the rebellion encompassed the whole of Albania, but it was quelled in 1041, after which Albania again came under Byzantine rule. In 1072 another uprising broke out under Georgi Voiteh but it

5551-402: The late 12th century and the 1250s. Throughout its existence, the principality was an autonomous dependency of its neighbouring powers, first Byzantium and, after the Fourth Crusade , Epirus , while it also maintained close relations with Serbia . Arbanon extended over the modern districts of central Albania, with the capital at Kruja , and it did not have direct access to the sea. Progon was

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5642-500: The late antiquity and continued well into the Middle Ages (13th-14th centuries). It indicates that Komani was a late Roman fort and an important trading node in the networks of Praevalitana and Dardania. Participation in trade networks of the eastern Mediterranean via sea routes seems to have been very limited even in nearby coastal territory in this era. In the Avar-Slavic raids, communities from present-day northern Albania and nearby areas clustered around hill sites for better protection as

5733-425: The leaders of the free Albanian principalities from high mountains, in the town of Lezhë , where the nobles agreed to fight together for mutual gain against the common Turkish enemy. They voted Skanderbeg as their suzerain chief. The League of Lezhë was a confederation and each principality kept its sovereignty. In the light of the modern geopolitical science, the League of Lezhë represented an attempt to form

5824-419: The local noblemen. During 1271 they made several trips between Albania and Italy eventually succeeding in their mission. On 21 February 1272, a delegation of Albanian noblemen and citizens from Durrës made their way to Charles' court. Charles signed a treaty with them and was proclaimed King of Albania "by common consent of the bishops, counts, barons, soldiers and citizens" promising to protect them and to honor

5915-407: The main primary source for late Arbanon and its history. The principality was known as Árvanon (Ἄρβανον) in Greek , as Arbanum in Latin , and as Raban in the early 13th-century Serbian document Life of Stefan Nemanja . The term represents the name of a south Illyrian tribe attested in Ancient Greek as Ἀλβανοί ( Albanoi ), later on denoting a proper name for an ethnic Albanian until it

6006-406: The mission. Shortly after, however, Demetrio stopped the process because he didn't consider it important any longer. He had defeated Đorđe Nemanjić, a Venetian vassal whom he bordered to the north and thus felt less threatened by Venice. Nemanjić had previously promised military support to Venice if Progoni attacked Venetian territory, in a treaty signed on 3 July 1208. In 1208, he also had secured

6097-404: The more economically developed Byzantine civilization. Epirus Nova The province of Epirus ( Latin : Provincia Epiri , Ancient Greek : Ἐπαρχία Ἠπείρου , romanized :  Eparchía Ēpeírou ) was a province of the Roman Empire , covering the region of Ancient Epirus . Rome first annexed the region in 167 BC, in the aftermath of the Third Macedonian War , and initially put

6188-409: The possession of the coastal duchy of Durrës to pass to Michael and abandoned its direct control of central Albania. The agreement had dire consequences for the principality, which surrounded by hostile forces, seems to have been reduced by the end of the life of Dhimitër Progoni to the area north of Shkumbin and south of Drin. Evidence for this period has been provided by the foundational inscription of

6279-437: The principality to its climax. The area the principality controlled, ranged from the Shkumbin river valley to the Drin river valley in the north and from the Adriatic sea to the Black Drin in the east. In Latin documents, Demetrius is also referred to as iudex . In Byzantine records, he is titled as megas archon and after the consolidation of his rule as panhypersebastos . In 1209, in search for allies, he also signed

6370-407: The privileges they had from Byzantine Empire. The treaty declared the union between the Kingdom of Albania (Latin: Regnum Albanie ) with the Kingdom of Sicily under King Charles of Anjou ( Carolus I, dei gratia rex Siciliae et Albaniae ). He appointed Gazzo Chinardo as his Vicar-General and hoped to take up his expedition against Constantinople again. Throughout 1272 and 1273 he sent huge provisions to

6461-419: The region in the larger Roman province of Macedonia , which at the time covered the whole of the Hellenistic world in mainland Europe. In 27 BC, Epirus and Achaea were separated from Macedonia and grouped into the senatorial province of Achaea , with the exception of its northernmost part, which remained part of the province of Macedonia. Under Emperor Trajan , sometime between 103 and 114 AD, Epirus became

6552-491: The reign of Khan Presian . The area, known as Kutmichevitsa , became an important Bulgarian cultural center in the 10th century with many thriving towns such as Devol , Glavinitsa ( Ballsh ) and Belgrad ( Berat ). Coastal towns such as Durrës remained in the hands of the Byzantines for most of that period. When the Byzantines managed to conquer the Bulgarian Empire in 1018–19, the fortresses in eastern Albania were some of

6643-488: The sovereignty of Arbanon against external threats, the most important of whom were for much of his reign the Republic of Venice and later the Despotate of Epiros. In 1208-09, he considered conversion to Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy for the first time in order to obtain support against his Venetian rivals. As Venice had been given the nominal rights to control Albania, conversion to Catholicism would nullify Venetian claims over territory controlled by another Catholic state,

6734-537: The statelet and installed a Byzantine civil, military and fiscal administration. Arbanon extended over the modern districts of central Albania, with the capital at Kruja . It was a small territory in the 11th and 12th centuries, stretching from rivers Devoll to Shkumbin . According to Alain Ducellier , Arbanon did not have direct access to the sea. Robert Elsie notes that the coastal cities of modern Albania did not have noticeable Albanian communities throughout

6825-634: The successful Serbian campaign in Thessaly and Epirus, the Serbian Tsar granted them specific regions and offered them the Byzantine title of despotes in order to secure their loyalty. The two Albanian lead states were: the first with its capital in Arta was under the Albanian nobleman Pjetër Losha , and the second, centered in Angelokastron , was ruled by Gjin Bua Shpata. After the death of Pjetër Losha in 1374,

6916-437: The terms Arbanitai and Albanoi , with a range of variants, were used interchangeably, while sometimes the same groups were also called by the classicising name Illyrians . The Albanians, during the Middle Ages, referred to their country as Arbëria ( Gheg Albanian : Arbënia ) and called themselves Arbëreshë ( Gheg Albanian : Arbëneshë ). In the first decades under Byzantine rule (until 461), Epirus nova suffered

7007-696: The territories of modern Albania became part of the Byzantine Empire . Beginning in the first decades of Byzantine rule (until 461), the region suffered devastating raids by Visigoths , Huns , and Ostrogoths . In the 6th and 7th centuries, the region experienced an influx of Slavs . The Albanians appear in medieval Byzantine chronicles in the 11th century, as Albanoi and Arbanitai , and in medieval Latin sources as Albanenses and Arbanenses , gradually entering in other European languages, in which other similar derivative names emerged. At this point, they are already fully Christianized. In later Byzantine usage,

7098-483: The towns of Durrës and Vlorë. This alarmed the Byzantine Emperor, Michael VIII Palaiologos, who began sending letters to local Albanian nobles, trying to convince them to stop their support for Charles of Anjou and to switch sides. However, the Albanian nobles placed their trust on Charles, who praised them for their loyalty. But Charles of Anjou imposed a military rule on Kingdom of Albania. Throughout its existence

7189-560: The wedding to happen to legitimize the succession of power. After he took control of Kruja, he strengthened relations with the Grand Principality of Serbia , which had weakened after a Slavic assault on Scutari . Demetrius had no son to succeed him. Komnena had a daughter with Kamonas, who married a local magnate named Golem (Gulam). The latter continued to rule as a semi-independent ruler in Arbanon under Theodore Komnenos Doukas of

7280-558: Was also crushed. Later the region was recovered by the Second Bulgarian Empire . The last Bulgarian Emperor to govern the whole territory was Ivan Asen II (1218–1241) but after his successors the Bulgarian rule diminished. The Serbs controlled parts of what is now northern and eastern Albania toward the end of the 12th century. In 1204, after Western crusaders sacked Constantinople , Venice won nominal control over Albania and

7371-606: Was established by Charles of Anjou . He took the title of King of Albania in February 1272. The kingdom extended from the region of Durrës (then known as Dyrrhachium) south along the coast to Butrint. After the failure of the Eighth Crusade, Charles of Anjou returned his attention to Albania. He began contacting local Albanian leaders through local catholic clergy. Two local Catholic priests, namely John from Durrës and Nicola from Arbanon, acted as negotiators between Charles of Anjou and

7462-412: Was established; this, along with the Theme of Nicopolis , which was established in the 9th century, covered the former region of Epirus Vetus. The Theme of Dyrrhachium , established in the 9th century, covered what was once Epirus Nova, and Byzantine rule in Epirus in the early Middle Ages would continue through these new provinces. The province, especially the northern towns, benefitted greatly from

7553-471: Was excommunicated. He used the title princeps Arbanorum ("prince of the Albanians") to refer to himself and was recognized as such by foreign dignitaries. In the correspondence with Innocent III, the territory he claimed as princeps Arbanorum was the area between Shkodra , Prizren , Ohrid and Durrës ( regionis montosae inter Scodram, Dyrrachium, Achridam et Prizrenam sitae ). In general, Progoni brought

7644-521: Was integrated in the wider Byzantine Mediterranean world, maintained contacts with the northern Balkans and engaged in long-distance trade. After the region fell to the Romans in 168 BC it became part of Epirus Nova that was in turn part of the Roman province of Macedonia . Later it was part of provinces of the Byzantine empire called themes . When the Roman Empire was divided into East and West in 395,

7735-599: Was not able to do more than to hold his own possessions within the very small area in the North Albania where almost all his victories against the Ottomans took place. By 1479 the Ottomans captured all Venetian possessions, except Durazzo which they captured in 1501. Until 1913 the territory of Albania would remain part of the Ottoman Empire. The Komani-Kruja culture is an archaeological culture attested from late antiquity to

7826-449: Was particularly symbolic to Skanderbeg as he had been previously appointed suba of Krujë in 1438 by the Ottomans. The fighting lasted four months, with an Albanian loss of over 1,000 men and over 20,000 for the Ottomans. The Ottoman forces were unable to capture the city and had no choice but to retreat before winter set in. In June 1446, Mehmed II , known as "the conqueror", led an army of 150,000 soldiers back to Krujë, but failed to capture

7917-554: Was replaced with Shqiptar in the 18th century. It is attributed directly to a Latin rendering of the tribal name Albanoi by Orel. Versions of "Arbën" have been observed since the 2nd century BC, the History of the World written by Polybius, mentions a location named Arbona (ancient greek Ἄρβωνα, latin Arbo) in which some Illyrian troops, under Queen Teuta, scattered and fled to in order to escape

8008-486: Was succeeded by his son Gjin , who died in 1208 (or 1207), and later by his other son Demetrius (Dhimitër). Demetrius was the third and last lord of the Progoni family , ruling between 1208 (or 1207) and 1216 (or 1215). He succeeded his brother Gjin and brought the principality to its climax. Since the beginning of his rule, Dhimitër Progoni sought out to create friendly networks in foreign policy in order to preserve

8099-552: Was suppressed until another revolt was organized by Skanderbeg in 1443, after the Ottoman defeat in the Battle of Niš , during the Crusade of Varna . In 1444, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg was proclaimed as the leader of the regional Albanian chieftains and nobles united against the Ottoman Empire in the League of Lezhë disestablished in 1479. Skanderbeg's rebellion against the Ottoman Empire lasted for 25 years. Despite his military valor he

8190-658: Was the Muzakaj Principality of Berat , created in 1335 in Berat and Myzeqe . The most powerful was the Princedom of Albania , formed after the disestablishment of Kingdom of Albania , by Karl Thopia . The principality changed hands between the Thopia dynasty and the Balsha dynasty, until 1392, when it was occupied by the Ottoman Empire . When Skanderbeg liberated Kruja and reorganised

8281-541: Was the area between Shkodra , Prizren , Ohrid and Durrës ( regionis montosae inter Scodram, Dyrrachium, Achridam et Prizrenam sitae ). In general, Progoni brought the principality to its climax. The area the principality controlled at this time, ranged from the Shkumbin river valley to the Drin river valley in the north and from the Adriatic sea to the Black Drin in the east. George Akropolites , who wrote in detail about

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