Tharypas was king of the Molossians in Epirus from at least 429 B.C.E. to 385 B.C.E. He was the son of king Admetus (whom he succeeded; the same one who sheltered Themistocles), and Phthia I. The reign of Tharypas marks a long period of alliance between Epirus and Athens, with the additional purpose of checking the rising power of Macedon. […]
Alexander I the Molossian or Molossus was born in about 370 B.C.E. and was king of the Molossians and Epirus circa 350-331. He was the son of Neoptolemus I (r. 370-360) and brother of Olympias of Epirus and Troas. Alexander was a member of the royal house of the Aeacidae. Youth In 360, Arybbas, uncle of Alexander, assumed sole kingship […]
Naim Kryeziu is, no doubt, the best Albanian right winger in history. Kryeziu belongs to the same generation of talented Albanian footballers as Riza Lushta. He played for notable clubs such as SK Tirana (now current KF Tirana; on and off during 1934-1939), A.S. Roma (1939-1947), and S.S.C. Napoli (1947-1953). Early Career Naim Kryeziu was born in the charming town […]
Altin Haxhi (1975) is one of the best left-backs to have played for the Albanian team. He started his professional career with KS Luftetari, the biggest club in the southern city of Gjirokastra. Early Career Haxhi grew up as a footballer in the ranks of his hometown team KS Luftetari, then carrying the old name Shqiponja. He joined the youth […]
Arybbas was king of the Molossians and Epirus circa 360-350 B.C.E. He was the son of Alcetas I (r. 389-388; 385-370) and brother of Neoptolemus I (r. 370-360). Arybbas was a Molossian (the largest tribe in Epirus) and a member of the royal house of the Aeacidae. He likely co-ruled Epirus or specific regions of it during the reign of […]
Many consider Altin Lala one of the most consistent footballers to ever play for Albania. Lala possessed all the qualities that make up an excellent defensive midfielder, despite having a short height of only 1.72 meters (5’8). Such traits included abundant energy, remarkable pace, intelligent positioning, confident tackling, decisive interceptions, and even morale-boosting charisma. Early Career Altin Lala was born […]
Sulejman Demollari, also known as Sul Demollari, was born in 1964 in Tirana. He is considered one of the best Albanian football players of the democratic transition period. The talented Albanian midfielder became a football icon of the 90s football generation. Sulejman Demollari is among the most diverse midfielders to wear the Albanian national jersey. Apart from playing as a […]
Balsha II Balsha (r. 1379-1385), was the youngest son of Balsha I (the attested founder of the Albanian principality of Balsha). He succeeded his brother Gjergj I Balsha (George I Balsha, r. 1372-1379) as the ruler of the principality. His other brother, Strazimir I Balsha, had also ruled the principality in 1362-1372. Balsha II called himself “prince of Arbëria”, “faithful […]
Ptolemy, commonly known as Ptolemy I of Epirus, was the son of Pyrrhus I of Epirus (r. 302-296; 297-272 B.C.E.) and Antigone. His father was the famous Pyrrhus, who fought the Romans and Carthaginians. As for his mother, she was the daughter of Berenice and a Macedonian nobleman named Philip; Berenice later married Ptolemy I Soter (r. 305-282 B.C.E.), the […]
Gjergj I Balsha (George I Balsha; r. 1372-1379) was the most important of the three heirs of Balsha I. In his stamps, attested in Ragusan documents of 1373 and 1379, Gjergj Balsha writes his name (in Cyrillic letters) as Gjorga I Balshe. The name appears in the same manner on coins of that same era. Gjergj Balsha succeeded his brother-turned-monk […]