Speaker
Description
Dated to c. 250-210 on independent grounds, a newly published bronze khalkous (1.9g) of the Khaones (E. Baldi and W. Bubelis in Butrint 7) likely belongs to the dynamic political situation in Epeiros in 234/3 BC, when the Molossian Kingdom fell and its partner the Epeirote Symmachy was replaced by the Epeirote Koinon. The new khalkous features types (Artemis/thunderbolt in wreath with abbreviated ethnikon) that are consistent with earlier Khaonian coins and yet closely parallel contemporary issues of the Molossians and the Symmachy. The khalkous thus expresses not only the Khaones’ equal and independent status with respect to the other Epeirotes but also the Khaones’ shared identity as Epeirotes at a key moment when their political relationships required negotiation. By functioning as a symbol of Khaonian claims to autonomy, therefore, the khalkous therefore provides important new evidence for how the Khaones positioned themselves in the formation of the new Koinon.
