History of Albania

History of Albania

The area known as Albania today has been populated since prehistoric times. In antiquity, much of it was settled by the Illyrians, who are the ancestors of  present-day Albanians. It was around the turn of the third millennium B.C. that an Indo-European population settled there. The result of this melding of  cultures was the creation of a population incorporating the unique cultural and linguistic characteristics of the whole Balkan Peninsula. Based on this ancient population, the Illyrian people developed through the second millennium and the frst century B.C. After its collapse in the year 30 B.C., Illyria came under the control of the Roman Empire. Upon the division of the Roman Empire in 395 A.D., Illyria became a part of the Byzantine Empire.  The Greeks arrived in the 5th century B.C. to establish self-governing colonies in Epidamnos (now Durrës), Apollonia, and Butrint, and they established an expansive trading system with the Illyrians, who formed tribal states in the IV century B.C.  The expanding Illyrian kingdom clashed with Rome in 229 B.C. A lengthy struggle ensued and resulted in the extension of  Roman control over the entire Balkan area by 167 B.C. Under the Romans, Illyrians enjoyed relative peace and prosperity. Large agricultural estates fourished under slave labor. Like the Greeks, the Illyrians managed to preserve their own language and traditions despite centuries of Roman rule. Over time the people gradually replaced their old gods with the new Christian faith championed by Emperor Constantine. Trade continued to fourish during this time. The main route between Rome and Constantinople, the Via Egnatia, passed through the port at Durrës. When the Roman Empire was divided in 395 A.D., Illyria fell within the Eastern Empire, later known as the Byzantine Empire. Three early Byzantine Emperors (Anastasius I, Justin I and Justinian I) were Illyrian in origin. Ongoing invasions by Visigoths, Huns, Ostrogoths, and Slavs continued through the 5th and 6th centuries.

Language of Albania

Learn Albanian is the official language in Albania.

It comprises a separate, original branch

in the family of the Indo-European

languages, and can be linguistically traced

to its Illyrian origins. In its lexicon one can

see influences from Italian, old and new

Greek, Latin, and Slavic languages. Despite

these influences, Albanian has retained

its original, distinct nature and structure.

 The alphabet is comprised of 36 letters,

each pronounced the same way, regardless

of usage. This enables visitors to quickly

and easily learn a few essential phrases to

facilitate communication. Many Albanians,

particularly in larger cities, speak English.

Population

 The population of Albania numbers

3,150,886, with a density of 113 people per

square kilometer. Population is growing

by 0.73% per year. A slight majority of the

population, about 51%, lives in rural areas.

 The average life expectancy is 75 years for

females and 69 for males. The vast majority

of inhabitants are Albanian, with ethnic

minorities, comprised primarily of Greeks

and Macedonians, representing only about

2% of the population. Tirana is the capital

and largest city with 800,000 inhabitants.

Other important cities with significant

populations include Durrës, Elbasan,

Shkodër, and Vlora

The Epirotes

The Epirotes and Macedonians were not Greek people

-Second and final part-

What we have said of Epirotes, we can support even the ancient Macedonians. It is historically proven that, as the Epirotes, this nation had its own language, different from all the Greek dialects, had a kind of governance that was completely different from that of the Greeks, had its own laws, its customs, its military organization, which had nothing in common with that of Hellas. To demonstrate this thesis we will only turn to history. Let's start with Plutarch, who tells us how Alexander killed his friend Cleitus the heart:

Alexander, drunk with wine and anger, came out of his tent and spoke in Macedonian language to his guard and his soldiers. (Free translation).

According to various authors and historians, the Macedonian language was different from all the other languages ​​that were spoken in Greece. From this it can be seen that Alexander the Great did not use the Greek language because the Macedonians would not have understood. The language they knew and spoke the soldiers of Philip II and Alexander the Great could not be that the language of the ancient Pelasgians, the same that was spoken in Epirus, what he calls shqipe the eagle and which today is spoken everywhere in Albania. In many ancient writings are mentioned the Aetolians who were bordering on Epirus, and they spoke a mixed language, a little 'Greek and a little' pelasga, which was called barbaric. The reason why such a spoke dialect was that they (the Aetolians) on one side bordered with Greece and the other with the Epirus. This detail, which we confirmed by many historians, reinforces our contention that the language of Epirotes was the language of the Pelasgians and that this language, as we have said previously, it was completely different from the dialects spoken in different regions of Greece.

The Greek language was worked into society, in which we studied, as today is studied in some centers of Albania. It is likely that in the court of Philip II and his courtiers Pirro, high officials and rulers would write and speak in greek and cultivate writing and Greek literature. We must also consider that the Greek language was studied only in Epirus and Macedonia, this language was widespread in Asia and Africa, as well as in Rome and throughout Italy. This was because the greek language was advanced, the most appropriate at this time to connect different peoples who had business relations or policies. Then the Greek language was studied as it is now studying French, which has become a universal language *.

Nobody can deny that the Greeks have reached the highest point of glory through the progress of their civilization. Their language became the liturgical language of all. Not only that, their art, their relationships and their knowledge of them had elevated to first place among the ancient civilizations. But we do not believe that all those who spoke the Greek language were Greeks, or their ethnic group. What we have written so far shows that the Epirotes and Macedonians were the people who had a common origin as that of the Aetolians, the Ionians, etc.. Since their appearance on the political scene, they were kept separate from the Greeks and had formed an autonomous their society. They were people with characteristics that had nothing in common with the Greek civilization. They had their own independent political and social life, and never had the causes in common with Greece, or sympathy for his politics.

The only element of affinity were the pagan gods. But these deities were introduced by the Pelasgians and the Greeks that "embraced" their religion. The names of these deities have a clear meaning and convincing in the Albanian language.

Language history

The Epirotes and Macedonians were not Greek people 

-First part-

In 376 BC, Epirus surrendered to Cassander, king of Macedonia, but only three years after the Epirotes made a revolt and defeated him. Despite the many setbacks it suffered the Epirotes in those years, in the third century BC we see the emergence of a great personality Epirus: that of Pyrrhus. He, before going down in Italy, fought against the Macedonians and the Greeks that bordered their status. On this occasion, his soldiers, amazed at the speed that showed in fighting their leader, told him that it seemed to be an eagle. Pirro said to them that this was true, but added that their spears were served by the wings to take flight.

Plutarch, relating this anecdote in his Life of Pyrrhus, he would never have imagined that it is precisely this story that the Epirotes and all those who today call themselves Albanians are the origin of the term Shqiptar (Albanian).

Plutarch, who did not know the Pelasgian language (which was considered since the time of Herodotus a barbaric language), and that she had not seen near Epirus and its people, of course, could not give this etymological explanation, which we consider to leave philologists and scholars. Shqype means eagle (Shqiponja) in Albania. Shqypëri or Shqypëni (Albania in Albanian language) means: sell shqiponjës (the land of eagles). Shqyptar (Albanian) is equal to the bir shqiponjës (son of the eagle).

This fact, which has escaped both the ancient historians and both modern philologists, deserves the attention of scholars, because it represents incontrovertible evidence - for those of us who defend the thesis that the Epirotes were a different population from the Hellenic - they they had their own language, the language of the ancient Pelasgians. A language that the Greeks did not understand, and we can say with certainty to be the same language that is spoken today in Epirus, Macedonia, Illyricum and in some islands of the Archipelago, as well as in the mountains of Attica. The same language is now called arbëreshe or shqiptare (Albanian). With the intention of providing a secure element to philology to evaluate the importance of this article, we will say that the names Epirus, Macedonia, Albania, etc., are completely unknown to the Albanians, in their own language these words do not exist *. They themselves recognize as original Shqiptar (Albanian), and do not think at all that their country has a different name than what they seek, namely Shypëri or Shqypëni (Albania). The names of Epirus and Macedonia are of foreign origin, Greek, instead Albania is a modern name that Europeans gave the country the shqyptarëve (Albanians), in the fourteenth or fifteenth century. But the Albanians do not know what they are Epirus, Macedonia and Albania: it is unfamiliar names and meaningless in their language. Therefore, starting from Shkodra and to the Bay of Preveza, all the land between these two geographical points, and the sea front, are identified with the name of Shqypëri (Albania), a country that belongs to the Albanians, who have nothing in common with the Greeks. If you try to stop a farmer on the street and ask: Where are you from? He will reply: Jam Shqiptar (Albanian I). This response will be given without a doubt is by the people and by the people of the North and the South of Albania, Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox are. If you hear talk of Epirus or Albania, they would not understand and maybe you feel offended, believing himself to be insulted in some foreign language.