Ancient Passarona
In the basin of Ioannina, among the villages of Gardiki, Vounoplagia and Zoodochos, 11 km. at the west side of Ioannina, is located by the archaeologists, the capital city of the colony of Molossoi, Passarona. It was found by the king Tharypas in 420 – 400 B.C. and made it capital, gathered a popoulation there and built its walls.
King Tharypas governed the area with the help of a “Council of Nobles”. Here, Evripides taught “ANDROMACHE” (an hymn to Molossoi). Here was born Olympiada, Alexander’s the Great mother, and king Pyrros. Here also escaped Themistocles convented to death by the habitants of Athens and went to Asia with the help of king Admitus.
It was destroyed by the Romans in 167 B.C. because it resisted. Aimilios Paul conquered the city, demolished the walls and burnt the Temple of Zeus the Aryan, in autumn of 167 B.C.
Nowadays is saved a ruined polygonal wall on the top of the hill of Gardiki (at the location “Ikonismata” of today) along with the turkish barricades of the 1912 – 1913 as well as the temple of Zeus the Aryan, the holy centre where the assemblies of Molossoi took place.
