Ancient Orraon
An ancient Epirote city of the 4th century BC on a hill above the Ambracian Gulf, with houses that still stand two storeys high.
- Founded
- 4th century BC, under King Alcetas I
- Destroyed
- 167 BC, by the Romans
- Houses
- 100, with 12 streets
- Move
- To Nikopolis, after Actium
Orraon was an ancient Greek city of Epirus, on a hill beside the Ambracian Gulf, west of Ammotopos, guarding the passage to the Ioannina basin. The municipality's tourist guide suggests it as an optional detour in its three-day programme.
History
It was founded in the 4th century BC, under King Alcetas I. The Romans destroyed it in 167 BC, but it was rebuilt soon after. By 37 BC it had 100 houses, twelve streets and a graveyard. Its people were later forced to move to Nikopolis, which Augustus founded after Actium.
What survives
Most houses, built of local limestone, still stand two storeys high and the street plan is still visible: twelve narrow parallel streets running north–south, crossed by two wider ones, with blocks about 15 m wide. Near the main gate in the northeast, at the highest point, stands a cistern with a surrounding wall and stairs to the bottom. The municipality's guide mentions a particularly well-preserved house with walls 5–7 m high.
