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The Chaonians (Χάονες, Χαόνων, in Greek), were an ancient tribe of Chaonia, which covered the northwestern portion of Epirus. They were an ancient proto-tribe who some believe had pelasgian roots. It is not known for certain whether they were a Greek tribe or perhaps an Illyrian tribe or something else. The Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax does not include the Chaonians among the Illyrian tribes, but it does not specify whether they were a Greek people. On their central frontier they had another Epirote kingdom the Molossians, to their southwest the Thesprotians and to their north the Illyrian.
Ancient sources According to Strabo, the Chaonians, along with the Thesprotians and the Molossians, were the most famous among the fourteen tribes of Epirus, because of the fact that they once ruled over the whole of Epirus - the Chaones earlier and later the Thesprotians and Molossians. Plutarch [1] tells us that the Chaonians were one of the three principal clusters of Greek-speaking tribes that had emerged in Epirus, the other two were the Thesprotians and the Molossians, who were the most powerful among all other tribes in the Region. They were regarded as uncivilized by their neighbors and there are some inclination that they knew little about cultivation and ate uncooked foods. They developed a system relying on an annual leader. By the 5th century BC they were eventually conquered and had combined to a large degree with Thesprotians , Molossians and Illyrian peoples. The Chaonians were part of the League of Epirus until 170 BC when they were annexed into the Roman Empire.
See also
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