Cassope was an ancient Greek city in Epirus

Epirus

The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...

, today in Preveza Prefecture

Preveza Prefecture

Preveza is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Preveza.-Geography:The regional unit of Preveza is located northwest of the Ambracian Gulf. The Ionian Sea lies to the west. The terrain is mostly hilly. The mountains of Xerovouni are in...

. It is considered one of the best examples of a city built along the lines of a Hippodamian plan in Greece.

Geography

Cassope is situated on the south-east slopes of the Zalongo

Zalongo

Zalongo is a former municipality in the Preveza peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Preveza, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 5,043 . The seat of the municipality was in Kanali. Nearby is the 18th century Zalongo...

 mountain, near the village of Zalongo

Zalongo

Zalongo is a former municipality in the Preveza peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Preveza, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 5,043 . The seat of the municipality was in Kanali. Nearby is the 18th century Zalongo...

. It is built on the edge of a cliff, which dragged down a part of the site when it collapsed. Its approximate location is 39.8.50N 20.40.31E.

History

First settlements on site are known from the Paleolithic

Paleolithic

The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...

, however the prominent city of Cassope was founded in the middle of the 4th century B.C. and served as the capital of the Cassopaea. It belonged to the Aetolian League

Aetolian League

The Aetolian League was a confederation of tribal communities and cities in ancient Greece centered on Aetolia in central Greece. It was established, probably during the early Hellenistic era, in opposition to Macedon and the Achaean League. Two annual meetings were held in Thermika and Panaetolika...

. Cassope was destroyed by Roman forces in 177-176 B.C. and abandoned in 31 B.C. when the remaining inhabitants resettled to Nikopolis.

Archeology

Extensive excavations were performed by a Greek team under Sotiris Dakaris in 1952 and 1955, and in 1977-1983 by a team from the University of Ioannina together with the German Archaeological Institute

German Archaeological Institute

The German Archaeological Institute is an institution of research within the field of archaeology , and a "scientific corporation", with parentage of the federal Foreign Office of Germany-Origin:...

, co-led by Dakaris, Wolfram Hoepfner, Konstantina Gravani, and Ernst-Ludwig Schwandner

Ernst-Ludwig Schwandner

Ernst-Ludwig Schwandner is a German architecture historian and classical archaeologist.Ernst-Ludwig Schwandner received his doctorate in 1975 from the Technischen Universität München with a thesis on the older temple of Aphaia on Aegina under the supervision of Gottfried Gruben...

.

External links

• Zalogo page of the Preveza prefecture
• Cassope page of the Zalogo municipality
• Cassope page of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture
• Travel information page for Cassope
• Google Maps location