Epirus
Epirus (‘Ηπειρος) is a region in the northwest of Greece. It is bordered to the east by the land regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, to the west by the Ionian sea, and to the north by the country of Albania.
The region is quite mountainous, dominated in the west by the deep canyons and steep peeks of the Pindus Mountain range (Πίνδος). It is also home to one of the deepest gorges in the world, Vikos Gorge (Φαράγγι του Βίκου), and is a region rich with waterfalls, rivers, forests, and medicinal herbs.
Due to its location between the Ionian Sea and the Pindus Mountains, Epirus is the rainiest region on the mainland and home to several mythologically-significant rivers, including the Aoös (Αώος), the Arachthos (Άραχθος), and the Acheron (Αχέρων or Αχέροντας). The largest lake in the region is Lake Pamvotida (Λίμνη Παμβώτιδα) beside the city of Ioannina, modern Greece’s seventh largest city.
Ancient Oracles of Epirus
Due to its geography and terrain, Epirus was one of the more remote regions of the ancient Greek world. Despite that, it was home to two significant oracles.
The ancient Oracle of Dodona (Δωδώνα), sacred to Zeus and Dione, is nestled at the foot of Mount Tomaros (Τόμαρος) in a valley lush with natural springs and made fertile by frequent thunderstorms. Dodona is believed to be the oldest oracle in ancient Greece, second in importance only to Delphi, and pilgrims and querents would consult the sacred Oak trees that grew there (Read more about the Oaken Oracle of Dodona here).
The ancient Oracle of Necromanteion (Νεκρομαντεῖον), sacred to Hades and Persephone, is located on the banks of the Acheron River. As an Oracle of the Dead, pilgrims would go there to seek communion with those who had died as they believed that the Acheron (River of Misery or Woe) was the entrance to the Underworld, where Charon (Χάρων) would ferry souls to Hades. (Today, there is an archaeological site near the village of Mesopotamos that claims to be the sacred site, but it is disputed by historians who believe it is simply a farmhouse estate, not the ancient site of the chthonic gods.)
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