Amvrakikos gulf is the northernmost large gulf of western Greece, with a perimeter of 70 miles, an area of approximately 406 km2 and a maximum depth of 60m. An almost closed and protected marine area, which is the water divider between Epirus and Aitoloakarnania. There, two of the largest Epirus rivers, the Louros and the Arachthos, together with their tributaries and torrents, are formed, while an abundance of ports, bays, capes, islets, three large lagoons, Rhodias, Logarou , and Tsoukalio , and several smaller ones. The only channel of communication between the gulf and the Ionian sea is the Preveza strait, 6 km long, only 600 m wide and 5-15 m deep.
In general, Amvrakikos can be characterized as a complex ecosystem, consisting of the double delta at the mouths of the two rivers, all the lagoons and the marine area that surrounds them. The warm sea waters in its interior, the reduced salinity , the shallow depth, the sediments of the rivers and the minimal turbulence from the open sea contributed to the development of a rich fauna and flora both aquatic and aquatic as well as terrestrial forms of life. More specifically, approximately 280 species of birds, more than 75 species of shellfish, 6 species of amphibians, 20 species of reptiles, as well as bottlenose dolphins , sea turtles, otters , etc., have been identified, several of which are on the verge of extinction. The fish population is also important. And the area around the bay, in which there are marshes, plains and swamps, stands out for its flora and its fertile character which favors the development of both agriculture and livestock.
So the first reference to him can be found in the work of the great historian Thucydides, who places both the sanctuary of Apollo and the Anactorium at the mouth of Amvrakikos . He then informs us that Amfilochos, the son of Amphiareus , founded a city in the Amvrakiko gulf which he called Argos, the same name as his hometown. This particular city, after suffering many calamities and because it was constantly pressured by the Ambrakiites , finally managed to settle them. It follows in the 4th BC. century the testimony of the historian Theopompos in his fragmentarily preserved history and more specifically in his “Greeks”, who, dealing with the number, position and importance of the Epirotian nations, singles out the Chaones and the Molossians among them. Initially the Chaones and then the Molossians ruled the entire Continental territory. In fact, the latter also had the oracle of Dodoni under their jurisdiction. So the Chaones together with the Thesprotians as well as their neighbors the Kassopaeans, a branch of the Thesprotians , occupied the fertile area from the Keraunian mountains to the Amvrakiko gulf.
In the following 3rd BC h. it dominates the voluminous historical work of Polybius, where the movements, battles and campaigns of Philip of Macedonia are also described in the narrative of his contemporaries. Therefore, during his operations in southern Greece and especially against the Aetoli, this bold and active leader either crossed the Amvrakiko gulf or made his circumnavigation , appreciating and recognizing his key position and strategic importance. Polybius therefore places the Amvrakic gulf between Epirus to the north and Acarnania to the west, it is 300 stadia long, 100 stadia wide and a narrow opening, less than 5 stadia, at the point of entry or exit of the ships at Actium where there is also a sanctuary of Akarnan . Finally, it is also part of the Sicilian sea. In another passage of his same work, Polybius characterizes the Amvrakikos again as part of the Sicilian sea but also belonging to the regions of Aetolia.
The pre-Christian literature is completed with the works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Strabo of the 2nd BC. h. So the first one, in his “Roman Archaeology”, informs us that Achisis with his ships, arriving at Aktio, anchored at the cape of the Amvrakiko gulf and from there headed and arrived at Amvrakia. In fact, in Actio, he saw a sanctuary of Aphrodite Aeneas near the temples of the other great gods, while corresponding sanctuaries of both Aphrodite and the hero Aeneas also existed in Ambrakia.
Various and numerous are the references to the Amvrakiko gulf in Strabo’s “Geographies”. So initially and describing the various seas, he considers that the Sicilian waters the entire western side of the Greek area from Crete and the Peloponnese, fills the Gulf of Corinth, while in the north it reaches the Ionian Gulf and the southern parts of Epirus that are bounded by the Amvrakic . In another passage of his work he mentions that following the road that passes through Epidamnos and Apollonia, on his right he encounters the Epirotian regions up to the Amvrakian gulf which are washed by the Sicilian sea, while on his left the Illyrian mountains and the nations the borders of the Macedonians. Accordingly, the areas after Amvrakikos, those opposite the Peloponnese, belong to the main part of Greece. Regarding the dismemberment of the coasts, he maintains that both the Ambracian and Corinthian gulfs are filled by the Sicilian sea.
Moving on to the description of Epirus, Strabo states that the Chaones , the Thesprotians and their neighbors the Kassopeans, a branch of the Thesprotians , occupy the coastal and fertile region from the Keraunian mountains to the Ambrakian gulf, possibly deriving the information from Theopompos or another common but unknown pattern. And he continues that the distance from the Keraunian mountains to the mouth of the Amvrakiko gulf is 1300 stadia, starting from the region of the Chaons and sailing south with Epirus on the left. Describing the ports of Epirus, the geographer places two more after the Glyki port, Komaros which forms an isthmus of 6 furlongs into the Amvrakikos and towards Nikopolis and the second which is located after Komaros near the mouth of the gulf, is larger and distant 12 stadia from Nicopolis. In addition, the Louros river flows into Amvrakikos, while between Lefkada and the gulf there is a lagoon called Myrtoudio . Regarding the residential organization of the area surrounding the gulf, we obtain information that initially Corinthians were sent from Kypselos and occupied the coast, reaching as far as Amvrakikos. In this particular period, Amvrakia and Anactorio were settled , while they also opened an isthmus in the peninsula and thus made Lefkada an island. And continuing with the history of Ambrakia, he argues that both this particular city and the rest of Epirotice had fallen into decline due to the continuous wars with the Macedonians and the Romans. Realizing the situation and the declining course of the cities, the Venerable Caesar cohabited with her in one. He named this new city, which was located in the Ambraki Gulf, Nicopolis in memory of his victory in the naval battle at the mouth of the Ambraki against Antony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra.
Overall, Amvrakikos gulf is relatively small. Its narrow mouth exceeds 4 stades, while its circumference is 300. However, it is suitable for anchorage in its entire extent. To the right of the entrance to the gulf are the regions of Akarnana , while to the left is Nikopolis and the region of Kassopeia. Near the mouth of the bay is the sanctuary of Acti Apollo. The temple is built on a hill. Below this is the grove and the shipyards where Caesar dedicated the enemy ships after the naval battle of Actium and which were later destroyed by fire.
Sporadic references to Amvrakikos are also found in the description of Aetolia. From the highest peaks of Parnassos, Oita and Pindos, the Aegean as well as the Amvrakikos and the Ionian are visible. Of course, the above opinion is judged by Strabo to be exaggerated, while on the contrary he considers as more likely the possibility that Amvrakikos and also the sea towards Lefkada and Corfu can be seen from Pteleon . The distance between Amvrakikos and Maliakos gulfs, through Oita and Trachinia , is 800 stadia. Accordingly, the distance between Amvrakikos and Thermaikos, passing through the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, exceeds 1000 stadia. Referring to Mount Oitis, he claims that it dominates and dominates the entire region from Thermopylae to the Amvrakiko gulf. And he continues that after Thermopylae there are springs of hot water which are honored as sanctuaries of Hercules, while above them is Mount Kallidromos . However, some call the entire area from Thermopylae to Amvrakiko gulf the Kallidromos. Overall, the Aitolians and Akarnanes live in neighboring areas, which are separated by Acheloos and Pindos. And the Aitolians own the area west of Acheloos up to the Amvrakiko gulf, the Amfilochos and the sanctuary of Acti Apollo. In fact, the first village of Akarnan after Amvrakikos is called Aktio, named after the sanctuary of Aktio Apollo and the location at the mouth of the gulf.
AD era begins with the work of the grammarian Harpocration , who in his “Dictionary” and in the entry Amvrakia mentions that it was a Corinthian colony, built in the Amvrakiko gulf. The second AD century is initially represented by two geographical works. More specifically, the Corinthian colony of Amvrakia, which is located approximately in the middle of the so-called Amvrakian gulf, is included in Dionysios Calliphon ‘s “Inscription of Greece”. Then, the mathematician Claudius Ptolemy, in his “Geography”, gives us the coordinates of Nicopolis, its longest day according to daylight hours and its distance from Alexandria, clarifying that it is Nicopolis which is located in Amvrakikos trick In the same century, Aelius Herodianus, in his “On Catholic Prosody” work, considers Thesprotia a city and country located outside the Amvrakikos gulf, Sivota an island and port towards the Amvrakikos and the Acarnanian city of Aktio, the homonymous with the sanctuary of Apollo , the location and city at the mouth of the gulf, as the first Akarnan city after Ambracian. Finally, Cassius Dion, in his “Roman history”, informs us that Caesar, after occupying the position where Nicopolis was later founded, found that from this particular point he could supervise the entire Amvrakikos as well as the open sea towards the Paxos, while on the contrary the two ports of the area were not visible from the ships outside Amvrakikos. From the same author we learn that the sanctuary of Acti Apollo is located at the starting point of the Amvrakiko gulf, opposite the ports of Nikopolis.
Continuing with the pre-eminent Byzantine era and in its first phase the Proto-Byzantine , we find references in the “Ethnics” of Stefanos, who also considers Thesprotia a city and country located outside the Amvrakikos gulf, Sivota an island and a port to the Amvrakikos, while Aktio as the location of the sanctuary of Apollo, a toponym at the mouth of the gulf and the Acarnanian city near Amvrakikos where nudist, equestrian and naval competitions are held in honor of Apollo. In Photius’ Dictionary and in the entry Amvrakia we again find the Corinthian colony in the Amvrakiko gulf. The same entry has an identical answer in the Middle Byzantine Dictionary of Souda. Accordingly in the Etymologicum Genuinum as in Etymologicum Magnum of the 12th century, Amvrakia is characterized as a Continental city from which the region as well as the Gulf of Amvrakion were named.
After Souda’s Dictionary which introduced us to the mid-Byzantine period, we continue with Eustathius’ ” Additions to Homer ‘s Iliad “. In one of his comments on the Acheloos, he states that the oldest tradition held that ancient Greece was located in the area around Dodoni and the Sellos, from where the Acheloos flowed and then through Aetolia poured into the Amvrakikos. For this reason in the oracle of Dodoni and before every oracle, the priests commanded the faithful to sacrifice to Acheloos. The same passage also answers the anonymous comments of the Iliad . Accordingly, in the “Memoirs to Dionysius the Traveller” Eustathius characterizes the Ambracians as an Epirotian nation, who were so named after Ambracia the daughter of Augius and Ambracus the son of Thesprotos . Amvrakiotikos gulf was also named after the above two persons . The same passage exists in its entirety in the anonymous comments in the browser’s work.
Finally, a special testimony is that of Apollonius Rhodios of the 3rd BC. c., who in the narrative of his “Argonauts” also refers to the Amvrakiko gulf, but placing it in the region of Libya. A small reference to Amvrakikos also answers the anonymous comments on the Argonauts.
Overall, there are several, but not satisfactory in relation to its strategic importance, references to the Amvrakian gulf, mainly in the pre-Christian writings and in relation to Amvrakia, Nikopolis or Aktio. The information is mainly contained in geographical – travel or historical works but also in the dictionaries of the medieval period. The passages in several cases appear identical or show significant similarities, indicating common patterns as well as knowledge of earlier works. However, the information about the geomorphology and extent of the gulf, the cities and the different regions that surrounded it , the nations that inhabited it, its participation in various events and generally about its importance for the region and the Continent in general are valuable.