Arta, Greece in the context of "Ambracia"

Gjin Bua Shpata (sometimes anglicized as John Spata) (fl. 1358 – 29 October 1399) was an Albanian ruler of the despotate of Arta in Western Greece with the title of Despot. Together with Pjetër Losha, he led raids into Epirus, Acarnania and Aetolia in 1358. He was recognized as Despot by the titular Eastern Roman Emperor in the early 1360s and ruled Aetolia (1360s–?), Angelokastron (?–1399), Naupactus (1378–1399), and Arta (1370s–1399). He was born sometime in the first half of the 14th century in Epirus, as his father was a ruler in the region.

Arta (Greek: Περιφερειακή ενότητα Άρτας) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Arta.

The Romaniote Jews or the Romaniotes (Greek: Ῥωμανιῶτες, Rhōmaniôtes; Hebrew: רומניוטים, romanized: Romanyotim) are a Greek-speaking ethnic Jewish community. They are one of the oldest Jewish communities in existence and the oldest Jewish community in Europe. The Romaniotes have been, and even remain historically distinct from the Sephardim that have settled in Ottoman Greece after the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal after 1492.

Their distinct language was Yevanic, a Greek dialect that contained Hebrew along with some Aramaic and Turkish words, but today's Romaniotes speak Modern Greek or the languages of their new home countries. Their name is derived from the endonym Rhōmanía (Ῥωμανία), which refers to the Eastern Roman Empire ("Empire of the Romans", Βασιλεία Ρωμαίων). Large Romaniote communities were located in Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Arta, Preveza, Volos, Chalcis, Thebes, Corinth, Patras, and on the islands of Corfu, Crete, Zakynthos, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes, and Cyprus, among others. Additionally, the historically large community of Jews in Bulgaria was Romaniote until the arrival of Sephardim and Ashkenazim fleeing persecution in other parts of Europe.

The Despot of Epirus was the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, one of the rump states of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade. The name "Despotate of Epirus" and the title "despot of Epirus" are modern historiographical names, and were not in use by the despots themselves. In the Byzantine Empire, the title of despot (Greek: δεσπότης, romanized: despótēs) was a prestigious court title and did not designate rule over some specific territory. Though several of the early Greek rulers of the Epirote realm did use the title of despot, it was never in reference to the lands they governed, but instead in reference to their position in the imperial hierarchy.

It was only with Epirus falling into the hands of foreign dynasties that the title of despot became applied not to the imperial hierarchy, but to the territory, sometimes to the dismay of the local population. "Despot of Epirus" is not recorded in contemporary documents for the rulers of foreign origin, but several other versions are, such as "despot of Arta" and "despot of Ioannina", the two capitals of the despotate at different points in time. Some rulers used the version "despot of Romania" (Romania essentially referring to the territories of the Roman Empire, i.e. Byzantium) or "despot of the Romans" (claiming rulership over the Romans, i.e. the Byzantines/Greeks).

The Arachthos (Greek: Άραχθος) is a river in the eastern Epirus region of Greece. Its source is in the Pindus mountains, near the town Metsovo (Ioannina regional unit). The Arachthos is 110 km (68 mi) long and its drainage area is 2,209 km (853 sq mi). Its upper course is known as Metsovitikos. From its confluence with the Dipotamos near the village of Batza it is called Arachthos. It flows towards the south, passing between the Athamanika and the Xerovouni mountains. Here it reaches the Plaka Bridge, the largest one-arch stone bridge in Greece. It enters the large Pournari Reservoir, in the Arta regional unit, which is about 18 km² and prevents flooding of the city of Arta and also supplies water to most of Epirus. The town of Peta is situated near the dam. Arta, about 8 km downstream of the dam, is the largest town on the river. Arta's historic landmark is the stone Bridge of Arta over the Arachthos. The river continues through the lowlands south of Arta, and finally empties into the Ambracian Gulf near Kommeno, 16 km southeast of Arta.