city state · Greece and the Aegean
Ambracia
Origins
Ambracia was founded c. 625 BCE by Corinthians under Gorgus, a son of the tyrant Cypselus, on the Arachthos river north of the Ambracian Gulf. It controlled fertile land and routes into Epirus, and Cypselid relatives ruled it as tyrants until the early 6th century BCE.
Rule and society
Ambracia was a loyal ally of Corinth and Sparta. In the Peloponnesian War it fought the Acarnanians and Amphilochian Argos, and in 426 BCE the Athenian general Demosthenes destroyed its army at Idomene. It traded timber and goods with Epirus. Pyrrhus of the Kingdom of Epirus made it his capital and adorned it with palaces and statues.
Decline and legacy
After joining the Aetolian League, Ambracia was besieged by Marcus Fulvius Nobilior in 189 BCE, who carried its works of art to Rome. It declined, and Augustus moved its people to Nicopolis. Modern Arta stands on the site.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Ambracia was part of Kingdom of Epirus295 BCE – 232 BCE
- Ambracia was part of Aetolian League230 BCE – 189 BCE
- Ambracia was conquered by Roman Republic189 BCE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ambracia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ambracia
- MLA
- “Ambracia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ambracia. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Ambracia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ambracia.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ambracia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ambracia (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻