The area was first settled by the Greek tribe of the
Thesprotians and subsequently formed part of the
Kingdom of Epirus and later the
Roman Empire. The
Battle of Actium took place in the area in 31 BC, following which the city of
Nicopolis ("city of victory") was built by Augustus. The area became part of the
Byzantine Empire, and following the
Fourth Crusade, split off along with the rest of Epirus to form the
Despotate of Epirus. The area passed to
Ottoman rule in the 14th century, which lasted until 1913. Following the
Balkan Wars, the area was awarded to Greece in 1913, at which point the prefecture was created. The prefecture included the island of Lefkada, until the latter was split off in 1955 as a separate prefecture
Lefkada. ==Sights==