AMA´NTIA
AMA´NTIA (
Ἀμαντία: Eth.
Ἀμαντιεύς,
Steph. B. sub voce Ἀμαντινός,
Ptol. 2.16.3; Amantinus,
Plin. Nat. 4.10. s. 17. § 35; Amantianus, Caes.
B.C. 3.12;
Ἀμαντες, Etym. M. s. v.; Amantes,
Plin. Nat. 3.23. s. 26. § 45), a town and district in Greek Illyria.
It is said to have been founded by the Abantes of Euboea, who, according to tradition, settled near the Ceraunian mountains, and founded Amantia and Thronium. From hence the original name of Amantia is said to have been Abantia, and the surrounding country to have been called Abantis. (
Steph. B. sub voce Ἀβαντίς, Ἀμαντία; Etym. M. s. v.
Ἄμαντες; Paus. 5.22.3.) Amantia probably stood at some distance from the coast, S. of the river Aous, and on a tributary of the latter, named Polyanthes. (Lycophr. 1043.)
It is placed by Leake at
Nívitza, where there are the remains of Hellenic walls.
This site agrees with the distances afforded by Scylax and the Tabular Itinerary, the former of which places Amantia at 320 stadia, and the latter at 30 Roman miles from Apollonia. Ptolemy speaks of an Amantia on the coast, and another town of the same name inland; whence we may perhaps infer that the latter had a port of the same name, more especially as the language of Caesar (
B.C. 3.40) would imply that Amantia was situated on the coast. Amantia was a place of some importance in the civil wars between Caesar and Pompey; and it continued to be mentioned in the time of the Byzantine emperors. (Caes.
B.C. 3.12, 40;
Cic. Phil. 11.11; Leake,
Ancient Greece, vol. i. p. 375, seq.)
