Atintanians

Atintanes or Atintanians (Greek: Ἀτιντάνες) was an ancient Greek tribe in Epirus, Chaonia inland of the Epirote coast, in a region called Antintania. Thucydides, Polybius and Strabo write of them.

At the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, Atintanes and Molossians appear under the leadership of Sabylinthus, regent of king Tharrhypas, as allies of Sparta against Acarnania. In epigraphy, Kleomachos the Atintanian was given ateleia (full fiscal rights) in Epirus by the symmachoi (allies) of Epirotes, when king was Neoptolemus son of Alexander and Derkas, prostatas (archon) of the Molossians (c. 300 BC). In the sanctuary of Dodona a fragmentary inscription of 4th century BC mentions Atintanes. In the lexicon "Ethnika" of Stephanus of Byzantium, Atintania appears as a region of Macedonia, named after Atintan, a son of Makednos in the version of Lycaon. In the Treaty of Phoenice, 205 BC, Atintania was assigned to the Macedonian Kingdom.

There was perhaps an Illyrian tribe named Atintani north of Via Egnatia. Appian mentions them close to Epidamnus. The two tribes were a great distance from each other. By the time of the Epirus nova if such an Illyrian tribe existed it became Hellenized.