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The Question of the Relative Autochthony of the Albanians in Epirosand the Albanian Immigration Movements of the Fourtheenth entury!

the case of the region of "#iro$ast%r&by Konstantinos Giakoumis

The issue of the Albanian presence in the lands of Epiros 1became repeatedly asubject of nationalistic conflict between Greek and Albanian scholarship. The generalideological scheme was on the one hand that it was only in the 13th and especially the1th !entury that Albanians originating from Elbasan region migrated to Epiros"#acedonia and Thessaly and from there to farther distant districts" including $oumeli%central Greece& and the 'eloponnese" regions inhabited by Greek populations" and onthe other hand that the Albanians ha(e been the indigenous population in Epiros. )t isneedless to analyse how this scheme ser(ed the idea of national purity in *ones claimed

by both Greece and Albania in the beginning of the +,th century.The first (iewpoint was upheld chiefly by -older Greek scholarship" which either

disregarded much of the e(idence presented in support of the second (iewpoint or e(enmanipulated them to fit into its ideological patterns. '. Karolidis" at the beginning of+,th century" wrote/ -)f #r. 0aut*er" as many other Europeans" call Epiros ow Albania" this must

be understood from an ethnological point of (iew only in the sense that in Epiros there are Greeks whospeak Albanian and that the word Albanian in Epiros must mean Greek2Epirote +. The eistence ofan Albanian2speaking population in Epiros was attributed by Apostolos 4akalopoulos toa process of -Albani*ation of the Greek population3. 5uch (iews were mechanicallymaintained in more recent popular books on the Greek2Albanian relations. 6owe(er" itis a well2documented fact that in the 13th and 1th centuries there was an Albanianinfiltration into Epiros7" which was part of a wider immigration mo(ement of 0alkan

people at the end of the #iddle Ages and has been attributed to disintegration of thetarget territories.

The second (iewpoint was mostly supported by Albanian historiography" which"in contrast" alleged that Epiros was solely inhabited by Albanians. 8or eample"according to the Albanian historian '9llumb :hufi who misinterpreted ;ttoman

1The term -Epiros is used for historic reasons and in strictly geographic and cultural contets %thenorthernmost limit being $i(er 4ijos9&. As will be shown" Epiros was inhabited both by Greeks andAlbanians %)llyrians&< hence" there is no relation here with the political implications gi(en to this termfrom the end of 1=th!entury onwards. >owadays parts of Epiros belong to both Greece and Albania.+Karolidis '. %1=,+&" -?9@BC D ?9@BFC" " (. 7" p. 3.34akalopoulos A. %1=1&" (. 1" pp. 3323.'apadopoulos A. %1==+&" . "Athens/ i(anis 2 >ea 5ynora Ed." pp. +=23,.7;n the subject of the Albanian immigration of the 1 thand 17thcenturies" see Hucellier A. %1=I1&" pp.3" 1721" 771277+< Hucellier A. %1=I&" -JLFMNOC" LPQBRQPSRP D UF9QRLDV RSBFN UWQ QX9 QFY ZPRC[B RQ BP\QPN PUF]^" " (. 3_7" p. 31< 'oulos ). %1=7,&" -` PUFCDRQ[B ?9@B\B P FNBCB" !"# " (. 3" pp. 327< 5tojko( $. 2 KacoriTh. %1=&< ochalas T. %1=1&" -Vber die Einwanderung der Albaner in Griechenland %Eine*usammenfassende 0etrachtung&"$%&&'()*)%+,'& -/*,%0*'1 2, 3+,+('4 5+&'67% 8*',)%,% ') 9(,'&)%:+%;% ysta*opoulou2'elekidou #. %1==1&" pp. 33+2333< Ara(antinos '.%1=I&" (. +" pp. 1,21+ and (. 3" pp. +2++ and 3237,< ;ikonomou 'h. %1=I,&" -ZPR[BD^UPNF %3=7 L..213, L..&. %SBQFLF RQFND^ PURDWUR&" B" BC" (. " p. 3+Iaupaktos ohnApokaukos to a certain George Hysipati" who was considered to be an ancestor of thefamous 5hpata family1=. 8urthermore" ) suggest that names that appear in two acts ofthe Anje(ins of >aples dated 13,+, using the forms" Albos" 5patos" !atarucos"0ischesini" Aranitos" ecenis" Turbaceos" #archaseos" 5curas" eneuias" 0ucceseos"ogoresc et #ateseos are either well2known" less2known or totally unknown names ofAlbanian clan leaders at that time. Are we obliged to see in this a possible earlierAlbanian immigration in the Epirote lands" as Kostas Komis did in the case of the

etymology of the toponym -'re(e*a+1 ) belie(e that the use of hypotheticalimmigrations as a basis to interpret sources as indicating the presence of Albanians inthe Epirote lands prior to the 13 th21thcentury somewhat arbitrarily ser(e the conceptof national purity in *ones with clear lines of communication" mutual relations %aslinguistic research has pro(ed++& and common traditions" religion as well as principallanguage of communication< and in a period when co2eistence and understandingamong people of different nations %in the modern sense of the term& were far better theyare today. >e(ertheless" the immigration mo(ements of the 1th century aredocumented facts" as ) shall point out below.

112/%P." pp. +,2+,I.1+2/%P." pp. =72=.132/%P." pp. 1I721II" 1," note +++ and pp. 11" 17" 11" 1.12/%P." p. 1I7" note 3,7" pp. 1II21I= and note 31," p. 1=,.172/%P." p. 1I7.12/%P." p. 1I1.18or these words" see 2/%P." pp. 1I121I+< for (iews on the close proimity of the Greek idioms ofHropull and 'ogon to that of Hel(in9 2 5arand9" see 2/%P." pp. 1I+21I3" +,2+,I.1ITafel G. 2 Tomas G. %1I7&" p. 1++.1=0ees >. 2 5eferli E. %1=&" -nedierte 5chriftstWche aus des Kan*lei des ohannes Apokaukos"MNO*,)%,%&07Le'=>(%'07%&07 5*7(/07'(" (. +1" document >o. +. 8or (iews on this name as beingancestral to the name -5hpata" see :hufi '. %1==&" p. and note 13+.+,Thalloc*y . 2 irecek K. 2 5ufflay #. %1=13&" pp. 1a" document >o. 73 and 121I" document

>o. 7=.+1

Komis K. %1===&" pp. 1I2+1.++5ee notes 1,21 %on 5pyrou and his work&.

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Testimonies from the 1th century narrati(e sources not only confirm thepopulation mo(ements" but also describe the nature and character of the Albanian socialimmigrant groups. 0y*antine sources present the Albanians as nomads" poor andautonomous" who attempted predatory raids against fortified cities+3. The firstappearance of the Albanians -en masse is recorded in a letter of #arino 5anudo

Torcelo who mentions the presence of large Albanian crowds in Thessaly" who" mo(ingfrom place to place" had destroyed the lands outside the castles+. This kind of Albanian

presence within the territories of the Hespotate is not recorded before 133" when theAlbanians around 0erat and Kanina re(olted and carried out raids and plunderingsagainst cities and castles. After the death of Andronicus ))) in 131" the Albaniansaround 'ogoniani and i(isda staged re(olts at the same time as those in Thessalyattacking and pillaging 0erat and other cities of the despotate.

)t is known that the Albanians" continuously on the lookout for new pastureland"mo(ed out of Arbanon and the region of Elbasan. They descended in two majorimmigrant2groups to the 5outh following the ais of the (alleys and the ri(ers. The firstgroup" with a great number of interim stops of uneual duration reached Thessaly (ia

the regions around Kastoria. The second" again with many incremental stops of di(erselength" arri(ed in >orthern Epiros+7. The chief preoccupations of the immigrant clanswere cattle2breeding" robbery and war2making. The chronicle of the Toccoscharacterised them as -swineherds+" implying hea(y cattle2breeding+. acking e(enessential pro(isions" they har(ested the lands and mo(ed on. Apart from the clan2leaders" who held the castles together with a number of soldiers" the rest of the

population li(ed in scattered" temporary" small settlements %-katund&+I< when thesecurity of the castle was threatened" the Albanian shepherds ran to its defence+=. Thedifferent clans acted independently one from the other.

After the death of 5tefan Huan and the battle of Acheloous" the Albanian clansestablished themsel(es in Epiros. The indigenous population" decimated by the

demographic crisis of the 1thcentury and especially by the 0lack Heath 3,probably didnot react negati(ely to the new comers" from whom neither linguistically nor culturallywas it alienated. Thus" at the beginning of the 17 th century the Albanians wereconsolidated in Epiros. Apart from the clan of 5hpata" who took control of Arta" the!hronicles also mentioned the clans of the #alakash" #a*ara" enebis and ulan.

aonikos !halkokondyles is eplicit when it comes to uestions concerningAlbanian immigration to the pro(ince of Gjirokast9r and the character of the Albanianimmigrant themsel(es31/ [ ` ` ] [` [ ` `` ] ] ` ! ` " [ # ` $%[& ` [` ' #( ]#

" ` ` & [&" ` [+3'anagiotopoulos 4. %1=I7&" pp. I23.+Tafel G. 2 Tomas G. %1I7&" p. 7,,. 5ee also 'simouli 4. %1==I&" p. 3, and note 1.+78or a definition of this particular" see note 1.+5chir G. %1=7&" (erse 1+.+0y hea(y cattle2breeding ) mean the breeding of hea(y animals" such as swine" cows" cal(es" oen"etc. in contrast to light cattle2breeding" meaning the breeding of light animals" such as sheep andgoats.+I5chir G. %1=7&" (erses 11" +,7" +++7.+=2/%P." (erses =,= and ff.3,Giakoumis %+,,1&" chapter 1" section on the demographic history of the regions of Gjirokastr< seealso Giakoumis K." -A Hemographic 6istory of Gjirokastr and )ts 'ro(inces %1th2+,th !entury

AH&" Q=(0%0*" forthcoming.31HarkR E. ed. %1=++&" (. 1" chapter " p. 1=" (erses 172++.

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` #(" [& ` [) [ [ ` [ * %-The Albanians" originating in Hurr9s andmarching towards the south" subdued Thessaly" most parts of central #acedonia"Gjirokast9r and Kastoria for themsel(es. After arri(ing at Thessaly" they set their handson the land and ra(aged the cities< they eploited the land for their our purposes" forthey were nomads and did not yet settle permanently in any place&. As noted earlier"the Albanians left the regions of the triangle ;hrid2Hurr9s2Kruj9 and mo(edsouthwards. According to the sources" there were two migrant groups" the one whichtra(elled (ia ;hrid and ended in Thessaly while the other" mo(ing through K9lcyr9"reached Gjirokast9r and the despotate. The purpose of their occupation was to searchfor new pasturelands The combination of fertile plains and mountains rich in grasslandsin the region of Gjirokast9r was ideal for the poor nomadic Albanians who did nothesitate to ra(age cities when they lacked pro(isions. pon arri(al" these nomads didnot normally settle permanently in one place" but rather li(ed in temporary" impromptusettlements" the -katunds" perhaps following the eample of the antagonist nomadic4lachs" who must ha(e had already consolidated themsel(es in the region as did the4lachs of Thessaly3+.

)t is known that the clan of enebis arri(ed and settled in the pro(ince ofGjirokast9r. As noted abo(e" the enebis family is first mentioned in two Anje(indocuments of 13,33" where they are mentioned as land holders in regions controlled bythe Anje(ins" a territory which etended" according to :hufi" along the coastal *oneamong 6imarr9" Gjirokast9r and 're(e*a3. The enebis clan was possibly includedamong the -Albanians around 'ogoniani and i(isda" who" according to ohn!antacu*enus" ha(ing penetrated as far as K9lcyr9 in 133" sacked 0erat and othercities of Epiros" after the death of Andronicus ))) 'alaeologus %17 une 131& 37. Thefirst notification in the !hronicle of )oannina concerning the enebis as rulers of the

pro(inces of Gjirokast9r and Hropull is in the last uarter of the 1thcentury3.)n 13I,

they are mentioned together with the #a*ara as participants in the battle of 'olit*esagainst the allied forces of the despot Thomas and )sayim" the head of the ;ttomanfrontier forces %W bey&" in which the Albanians were defeated. )n 13I+ Thomas'reliubos with the help of the ;ttoman forces subordinated the Albanian clans of ulanand enebis in the north of )oannina and recaptured the pro(inces of 4ella" Hropull and4agenitia3. Two years later" )sayim %later called 5hahin 'asha& occupied Hropull%13I&3I. 5hortly thereafter" the enebis regained control" probably contingent upon asmall tribute due to the ;ttomans as a token of (assalage. )t seems" howe(er" that a3+There is e(idence of the presence of 4lachs at least from 131" when the 4lachs of the (illage 5uh9are mentioned in a chrysobull of the Hespot 5ymeon 'aleologus Ara(antinos '. %1I7&" (. +" pp. 311231< cf. 5tergiopoulos K. %1=3&" fD g"J h"CH B " Athens"

p. 3< 'apadopoulos >. %1=&" pp. +12++" +2+. )n the 4=R*&&* P'R)'(of 17+, an entire ,*7%N'of4lachs was registered Huka 8. %1==1&. 4lachs were also mentioned in the (illages of 4odhino andu(in9 :hufi '. %1==&" p. 7. ;n the 4lachs of Thessaly" see $i*os A. %1==,&" -The 4lachs of arissain the 1,thcentury"MNO*,)%,,+&*d%0*" (. )" fasc. +" pp. +,+2+,.33Thalloc*y . 2 irecek K. 2 5ufflay #. %1=13&" pp. 1a" document >o. 73 and 121I" document

>o. 7=.3:hufi '. %1==&" pp. 2I and note 133.37)oannis !antacu*eni eimperatoris %1I3,&"3%&)+(%*(=4 ?%/(% 28 T(*'0' ') ?*)%,' " 0onn/ eber Ed."(. +" p. I1. ohn !antecu*enus located the sacks in the cities of Acarnania< for a sur(ey of the use ofthe term in ohn !antecu*enus see/ 'simouli 4. %1==I&" p. 37< for the penetration of the Albanians inK9lcyr9 see 'simouli 4. %1==I&" p. 3.3'simouli 4. %1==I&" pp. 7127+.38or these e(ents see 4ranousis . %1=7&" pp. =,2=+< Ara(antinos '. %1I7&" (. 1" p. 1" 'simouli 4.

%1==I&" pp. 71" ,.3I4ranousis . %1=7&" pp. =+2=3< >icol H. %1=7&" pp. 17,2171< 'simouli 4. %1==I&" p. 1.

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gradual slackening in performing the obligations of (assalage pro(ided incenti(e for anew ;ttoman attack under E(reno* bey against Gjin enebis at the end of 13=72

beginning of 13=3=. )n 13== the despot of )oannina" )sa[ 0uontelmonti" whilst at peacewith 5hpata" mo(ed against Gjin enebis. 6is army consisted of men from the#alakash and #a*arak clans" as well as from agor2Hropull and great agori. At the

battle of #esopotamon in the region of 4agenitia %today the Hel(in9 region& )sa[ wasdefeated outright and held in capti(ity,.As a conseuence of the (ictory" Gjin enebisetended his territory to the entire northern part of 4agenitia. )n accordance withnegotiations for the release of the capti(e despot )sa[" the 4enetians addressed Gjinenebis as -albanensem ahannem se(astokratora" while in 1,, they pleaded for

peace to -Geomi enebissi ui tenet terram de la 5ayata1. Thus" the turn of thecentury found the enebis well established in the pro(inces of Gjirokast9r.

The enebis dominated these lands until 11I" when the ;ttomans entered to thesecond stage of conuest and occupied the castle of Gjirokast9r epelling the clan +.The conseuences of the resistance of enebis against the transformation of (assaltributes into complete anneation were o(erwhelming/ the !hronicle of Tocco describe

them as the complete etermination and displacement of the Albanians from the regionsof Gjirokast9r3. >e(ertheless" it is my opinion that the chronicles description iseaggerated" since" according to 'simouli" the poor branches of the enebis familymust ha(e responded positi(ely to the in(itation of the ;ttomans to re2settle theseregions. #y opinion is supported by a passage in aonikos !halkokondyles" who" indescribing the attitude of the Albanians who remained in the rebellion of Hepa enebis%13+&7 referred to them as ] ` ` [ #[* [ ] %-the rest of the Albanians li(ing aroundGjirokast9r&. The more powerful branches of the enebis clan" after wanderingthrough the Epirote pro(inces" in which they were not allowed to settle by the despot!harles Tocco" finally passed to 'eloponnese. enebis branch of the family" being

citi*ens of 4enice found refuge in !orfuI.There is insufficient e(idence for reliable conclusions about the sort of reception

that the Albanian immigrants recei(ed. 5canty and highly limited e(idence" such as thepresence of Albanian2speaking populations in the regions in uestion prior to theimmigrations of the 13th21thcentury" cannot" as ) ha(e shown abo(e" offer secureconclusions. )t is possible that some of the 4lachs" pre(iously settled in the region" thelocal intelligentsia and" certainly" the old" ruling class" all of whom were affected by the

presence of immigrants and their powerful rulers" must ha(e resisted in some way theambitions of the new2comers to rule these lands. )t is the same circles" who in 13==allied themsel(es to the despot )sa[ in the latters campaign against Gjin enebis. Thenarrati(e sources" though" do not describe the social influence of this class.

3=4ranousis . %1=7&" pp. =I2==< 'simouli 4. %1==I&" p. +.,Ara(antinos '. %1I7&" (. +" pp. " 1,7< 'simouli 4. %1==I&" p. 71.14ranousis . %1=7&" p. 1,," >icol H. %1=7&" p. 1" note +1< 'simouli 4. %1==I&" pp. 7+" ,.+8or the ;ttoman ad(ance and consolidation in Epiros duing the 17th century" see Giakoumis K."-The ;ttoman Ad(ance and !onsolidation in Epiros during the 8ifteenth !entury" in Q7' Q=(V&"

possibly (. I %The ;ttomans/ The !lassical Age&" Ankara" forthcoming.35chir G. %1=7&" pp. =2I+ and (erses 3123++3" 3+233,3.'simouli 4. %1==I&" pp. 727.7;n this rebellion" as well as other rebellions around that year" see Giakoumis K. %+,,1&" chapter 1"where the rele(ant literature is cited.HarkR E. ed. %1=++&" (. +" chapter " p. +=" RQ. 123.5chir G. %1=7&" pp. =2I+ and (erses 3123++3" 3+233,3< 'simouli 4. %1==I&" pp. 7127+ and

727< Hranolli . %1=I&" pp. 177217< :hufi '. %1==1&" pp. 121 and note I1 on p. 1.I5chir G. %1=7&" pp. =2I+ and (erses 3123++3" 3+233,3< 'simouli 4. %1==I&" p. 7.

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)n the present study ) attempted to challenge the opinions of -older Greek andAlbanian historiography that the regions of Gjirokast9r were inhabited solely either byGreek or Albanian populations by piecing together historical and linguistic e(idence. )maintained that Greek2speaking and Albanian2speaking populations had all along beenli(ing together in Epiros in the period in uestion. 8urthermore" ) presented e(idence

that in 1th century immigrant Albanians taking ad(antage of the decimation of thelocal Epirote population owing to the 0lack Heath also migrated in the regions ofGjirokast9r and suggested that the reactions of local milieu against the new settlers"as epressed by their participation in the campaign of )sa[ against Gjin enebis %13==&should be attributed to the disintegration of the pre(ious local elites rather than toresistance against a -foreign in(asion. 8urther linguistic research of the thoroughnessof A. 5pyrous work is a P'&%P'(*)=4for the ad(ance of our knowledge on the subjectdealt in this article.

0irmingham" ;ctober +,,1

'iteratureAra(antinos '. %1I7" reprint/ 1==&" ijklkmjnopn qrs tuvpjkw qxl qv kyzjxl{||rl}~l ~n} ||wj}~l xjl S}nqjkwn ~nq v}jl qn vl nwqnpswylqn nuz qkw xqrjpkw qkws yj} qkw Ya" (. 1 2 +" Athens/ reprint byElias $i*os.

Ara(antinos '. %1I" reprint/ 1=I&" vj}mjno qrs tuvpjkw v}s qjpn yjr"introduction of the reprint by K. Th. Himaras" (. 123" )oannina/ q... Ed.

Hark E. ed. %1=++&" ?*+,%0% A7*0+0*,PN*' 3%&)+(%*(=4 $'4+,&)(*)%+,'& *PR%P'4 0+P%0=4 ('0',&=%)1 '4',P*d%) *,,+)*)%+,%/=&;=' 0(%)%0%& %,&)(=%)9=>',%=& $*(V" 0udapest.

Hranolli . %1=I&" -Hiaspora shiptare n Grei gjat shekullit :)4 %a diaspore

albanaise en Grvce au cours du :)4 sivcle&" . %1=&"t jzuk|}s qrs kjvpkw tuvpjkw ~nq qrl kwj~k~jnqpnl

WY`LY[Y`X" Athens.

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'simouli 4. %1==I&"k|} ~n} kw|}qvs" Athens/ !entre of #odern Greek 5tudies 2>ational 8oundation of $esearch.

'uto A. 2 'ollo 5. %1==&" qkjpn qrs |nlpns" Thessaloniki.5chir G. %1=7&" A(+,*0* P'% Q+00+ P' A'R*+,%* P% *,+,%4+" !orpus 8ontium

6istoriae 0y*antinae" (. 1," $oma/ Accademia >a*ionale dei incei.

5pyrou A. %+,,,&" k v||rl}~z m|x}~z }Spxyn qrs uvj}ks v|plkw ~n} mpxlnjlqn" 'h.H. thesis submitted in the 8aculty of 'hilology 2 5ector ofinguistics" ni(ersity of Athens" Athens.

5tojko( $. 2 Kacori Th. %1=&" ->j regjistr osmano2turk i shek. :4 pr shiptart e'elopone*it"