PHOENI´CE
PHOENI´CE (
Φοινίκη), a city of Chaonia in Epeirus, situated a little inland north of Buthrotum (
Strab. vii. p.324), upon a river, the ancient name of which is not recorded.
It is described by Polybius, in B.C. 230, as the strongest, most powerful, and richest of the cities of Epeirus. (
Plb. 2.5,
8.)
In that year it was captured by a party of Illyrians, assisted by some Gallic mercenaries; and the Epirots, who had marched to the rescue of the place, were surprised by a sally of the Illyrians from the city, and put to the rout with great slaughter. (Polyb.
l.c.) Phoenice continued to be an important city, and it was here that a treaty of peace was negotiated between Philip and the Romans towards the close of the Second Punic War, B.C. 204. (
Liv. 29.12;
Plb. 26.27.) Phoenice appears to have escaped the fate of the other Epeirot cities, when they were destroyed by order of the senate, through the influence of Charops, one of its citizens. (
Plb. 32.22.)
It is mentioned by Ptolemy (
3.14.7) and Hierocles (p. 652), and was restored by Justinian. (Procop.
de Aedif. 4.1.) Procopius says that it was situated in a low spot, surrounded by marshes, and that Justinian built a citadel upon a neighbouring hill.
The remains of the ancient city are found upon a hill which still bears the name of
Finiki. “The entire hill was surrounded by Hellenic walls.
At the south-eastern extremity was the citadel, 200 yards in length, some of the walls of which are still extant, from 12 to 20 feet in height. . . . . About the middle of the height is the emplacement of a very large theatre, the only remains of which are a small piece of rough wall, which encircled the back of the upper seats; at the bottom, in the place of the scene, is a small circular foundation, apparently that of a town of a later date. Between it and the north-western end of the citadel are the remains of a Roman construction, built in courses of tiles.” (Leake
Northern Greece, vol. i. p. 66.)
