Epidamnos ''(Ancient Greek: Επίδαμνος, Albanian: Epidamn)'', later known as Dyrrachium ''(Latin: Dyrrhachium, Greek: Δυρράχιον, Albanian: Dyrrah)'', was a prominent city on the Adriatic coast, located in modern-day Durrës, Albania. It was founded in 627 BC by Greek settlers from

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

and Corcyra (modern

Corfu Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regio ...

). Rhodes, P. J. ''A History of the Classical Greek World 478–323 BC''. 2nd edition. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010, p. 88. and evolved into a significant political, commercial, and military hub throughout antiquity. Initially a Greek colony, it became a major Illyrian center, then a key Roman and Byzantine stronghold, before continuing its historical trajectory under later empires.

Greek period (7th century BC – 3rd century BC)

Epidamnos was established in a strategic coastal location, facilitating maritime trade and interaction with the Illyrians, making it a vital trading hub between Greek city-states and local

Taulantii Taulantii or Taulantians ('swallow-men'; Ancient Greek: , or , ; ) were an Illyrians, Illyrian people that lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria (modern Albania). They dominated at various times much of the plain between the rivers Dri ...

tribe. The Taulantii tribe played a key role in the city's development, and evidence suggests a degree of cultural fusion between the Greek settlers and the indigenous Illyrians. Illyrians influenced the city but never ruled it independently. Politically, Epidamnos was originally governed as an oligarchy, with power concentrated among the aristocracy. Allegedly, individual trading with the local Illyrians was forbidden and all traffic was through the authorized city agent or .. The exiled oligarchs appealed to Corcyra while the democrats enlisted the help of Corinth, initiating the struggle between the two cities. These internal struggles led to broader regional conflicts, with Corcyra and Corinth intervening in Epidamnos' affairs, setting the stage for the

Peloponnesian War The Second Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), often called simply the Peloponnesian War (), was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek war fought between Classical Athens, Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Ancien ...

(431–404 BC), as described by

Thucydides Thucydides ( ; ; BC) was an Classical Athens, Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts Peloponnesian War, the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been d ...

. Over time, internal conflicts led to a shift toward a more democratic system, as noted several times by Aristotle in ''

Politics Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

,'' who took Epidamnos as an example of governments with tight oligarchy that appointed a ruling magistrate. In the fourth century BC the

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...

was part of the kingdoms of Cassander and Pyrrhus. The general vicinity of Epidamnos was called Epidamnia. During the Hellenistic era, the city was briefly controlled by the Macedonian rulers Cassander and

Pyrrhus of Epirus Pyrrhus ( ; ; 319/318–272 BC) was a Greeks, Greek king and wikt:statesman, statesman of the Hellenistic period.Plutarch. ''Parallel Lives'',Pyrrhus... He was king of the Molossians, of the royal Aeacidae, Aeacid house, and later he became ki ...

in the 4th century BC. Pyrrhus, one of the most formidable opponents of Rome, used Epidamnos as a strategic base in his campaigns.

Roman period (3rd century BC – 4th century AD)

Epidamnos was seized by the Romans in 229 BC during their first campaign against Illyrian forces, the first Illyrian War, however, the city managed to maintain semi-autonomy and turned into a roman colony. Due to its strategic location along the Adriatic, Rome transformed the city into an important transit point, renaming it Dyrrachium to avoid the negative connotations of "Epidamnos" (which resembled the Latin word '' damnum'', meaning "loss"). Despite this, the name Dyrrachion had already been used on local coins as early as the 5th century BC, due to the fact that in the Roman period, ''Dyrrachium'' was more common. Pausanias (6.x.8) says ''"the modern Roman city is not the ancient one, being at a short distance from it. The modern city is called Dyrrhachium from its founder."'' Dyrrachium played a crucial role as the main port for Roman travelers crossing the

Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...

from Brundisium (modern Brindisi) in Italy. It served as the starting point of the Via Egnatia, the major military and trade route connecting Roman Illyria with Macedonia and

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

, leading to key cities such as Thessalonica and

Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion () was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' continued to be used as a n ...

(later

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

). In 48 BC, Dyrrachium became a battleground during the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey. Pompey successfully defended the city but failed to capitalize on his advantage, leading to his decisive defeat at Pharsalus. Under the Roman Empire, the city remained an important administrative center, and in AD 345, a devastating earthquake led to its reconstruction on its old foundations.

Byzantine and medieval period

Dyrrachium became the capital of the newly established

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

of Epirus Nova in the late 3rd century AD, reinforcing its religious and administrative importance. Its

bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

was elevated to a metropolitan see, overseeing the dioceses of the province. The city's fortifications were reinforced under Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century to defend against barbarian invasions. In the 9th century, Emperor Nikephoros I reorganized the province as the '' Theme of Dyrrachium'', an important Byzantine military district. The city served as a key stronghold against Slavic and Norman incursions, playing a pivotal role in the empire's defense of the Adriatic coast. The Normans, under Robert Guiscard, besieged and captured Dyrrachium in 1081, only for the Byzantines to reclaim it later. Throughout the Middle Ages, control of Dyrrachium frequently shifted between the Byzantines, Venetians, and the Despotate of Epirus. The Byzantines continued to refer to the city by its original name, Epidamnus, as late as the 13th century, as recorded in the ''Synopsis Chronike''.Synopsis Chronike, published by K. Sathas, Paris, 1894, p. 344 (pdf 594), line 31, and pdf pages 617, 684
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Legacy and modern significance

Dyrrachium, now Durrës, remains one of Albania's most historically significant cities. Its ancient ruins, including remnants of Roman roads, an amphitheater, and Byzantine fortifications, stand as testaments to its rich and complex past. Its strategic location on the Adriatic continues to make it a crucial economic and cultural center in the region.

References

External links