ILLYRIA, Dyrrhachium. Silver Drachm, 200-80 B.C. Ancient Greek. NGC F

Description: ILLYRIA, Dyrrhachium. Silver Drachm, 200-80 B.C. Ancient Greek. NGC F.Durrs was founded byAncient Greekcolonists fromCorinthandCorcyraunder the name ofEpidamnosaround the 7th century BC in cooperation with the localIllyrianTaulantii.Also known asDyrrachium, Durrs essentially developed as it became an integral part of theRoman Empireand its successor theByzantine Empire. TheVia Egnatia, the continuation of theVia Appia, started in the city and led across the interior of the Balkan Peninsula toConstantinoplein the east. History Earliest period The territory of Durrs was populated at least starting from theEneolithicand then, fromprotohistorictimes, it was inhabited by Illyrian peoples. Antiquity TheRoman amphitheatre of Durrsbuilt in the 2nd century AD. Though surviving remains are minimal, Durrs is one of the oldest cities in Albania. In terms of mythology, the genealogy of the foundation of Dyrrhachium includes among the founders Illyrian men (the Illyrian king Epidamnos and his grandson Dyrrachos), Greek men (theCorinthianFalio, descendant of Heracles), heroes (Heracleswho was given part of the lands) and gods (Poseidon, as father of Dyrrachos). Several ancient people held the site: the presence of theBrygiappears to be confirmed by several ancient writers, theIllyrianTaulantii(their arrival has been estimated to have happened not later than the 10th century BC), probably theLiburniwho expanded southwards in the 9th century BC. The city was founded by Greek colonists in 627 BC on the coast of the Taulantii. According to ancient authors, the Greek colonists helped the Taulantii to expel Liburnians and mixed with the local population establishing the Greek element to the port.A flourishing commercial centre emerged and the city grew rapidly.The fact that about the 6th century BC the citizens of Epidamnus constructed a Doric-style treasury atOlympiaconfirms that the city was among the richest of theAncient Greek world. An ancient account describes Epidamnos as 'a great power and very populated' city. Silverstaterof the Illyrian kingMonunius, c. 280 BC from the Dyrrhachion mint. Cow and suckling calf, rev. double stellate pattern, inscription: and the city symbol . After 323 BC Epidamnus-Dyrrhachium was involved in the intervention in Illyria of the Macedonians underCassander, who clashed with the Illyrians underGlaukias. In 314 BC the Macedonian king seized the city but the garrison he established there was in turn besieged and driven out by the Illyrian king and theCorcyrans. In 312 BC, after another unsuccessful attack of Cassander in the region, the city came under the protection of Glaukias. Those events marked the end ofMacedonianpresence on the Adriatic coast for almost one century.The city probably came under the control ofPyrrhus of Epirusat the beginning of the 3rd century BC. From about 280 BC the Illyrian kingMonunius, and his successorMytilosminted in Dyrrhachion silver and bronze coins respectively, bearing the king's name and the symbol of the city. The fact that their coins were struck in the city mint of Dyrrhachion stresses that they exercised to some extent their authority over the city. Epidamnus came under the control of the IllyrianArdiaeiunderAgron, who fortified the city (c. 250231 BC). When theRomansdefeated the Illyrians, they replaced the rule of queenTeutawith that ofDemetrius of Pharos, one of her generals. He lost his kingdom, including Epidamnus, to the Romans in 219 BC at theSecond Illyrian War. In theThird Illyrian WarEpidamnus was attacked byGentiusbut he was defeated by the Romans at the same year. Entrance in the ancient walls of Durrs ForCatullus, the city wasDurrachium Hadriae tabernam, "thetabernaof the Adriatic", one of the stopping places for a Roman traveling up theAdriatic, as Catullus had done himself in the sailing season of 56. After theIllyrian Warswith theRoman Republicin 229 BC ended in a decisive defeat for the Illyrians, the city passed to Roman rule, under which it was developed as a major military and naval base. The Romans preferred to use the nameDyrrachium(Greek: /Dyrrhachion) for the city. They considered the nameEpidamnosto be inauspicious because of its wholly coincidental similarities with the Latin worddamnum, meaning "loss" or "harm". The meaning ofDyrrachium("bad spine" or "difficult ridge" in Greek) is unclear, but it has been suggested that it refers to the imposing cliffs near the city. During theGreat Roman Civil Warin Illyria, theBattle of Dyrrachiumwas undertaken byJulius CaesaragainstGnaeus Pompey. The battle was a victory for Pompey, but it preceded the more decisiveBattle of Pharsalusin Greece where Caesar won. Under Roman rule, Dyrrachium prospered; it became the western end of theVia Egnatia, the greatRoman roadthat led toThessalonicaand on toConstantinople. Another lesser road led south to the city ofButhrotum, the modernButrint. The Roman emperorCaesar Augustusmade the city a colony for veterans of hislegionsfollowing theBattle of Actium, proclaiming it acivitas libera(free town). In the 4th century, Dyrrachium was made the capital of theRoman provinceofEpirus nova. It was the birthplace of the emperorAnastasius Iin c. 430. Sometime later that century, Dyrrachium was struck by a powerful earthquake which destroyed the city's defences. Anastasius I rebuilt and strengthened the city walls, thus creating the strongest fortifications in the western Balkans. The 12-metre-high (39-foot) walls were so thick that, according to the Byzantine historianAnna Komnene, four horsemen could ride abreast on them. Significant portions of the ancient city defences still remain, although they have been much reduced over the centuries. The Eastern Roman EmperorAnastasius Iwas born into anIllyrianfamily in Durrs. Like much of the rest of theBalkans, Dyrrachium and the surroundingDyrraciensis provinciaesuffered considerably frombarbarianincursions during theMigrations Period. It was besieged in 481 byTheodoric the Great, king of theOstrogoths, and in subsequent centuries had to fend off frequent attacks by theBulgarians. Unaffected by thefall of the Western Roman Empire, the city continued under theByzantine Empireas an important port and a major link between the Empire and western Europe. During the sixth century based on accounts ofProcopius, the city was mainly inhabited by a Greek population. Middle Ages The city and the surrounding coast became a Byzantine province, theTheme of Dyrrhachium, probably in the first decade of the 9th century. Durrs became aChristiancity quite early on; itsbishopricwas created around 58 and was raised to the status of anarchbishopricin 449. It was also the seat of anOrthodoxmetropolitan bishop. The city remained in Byzantine hands until the late 10th century, whenSamuel of Bulgariagained control of the city, possibly through his marriage withAgatha, daughter of the local magnateJohn Chryselios. Samuel made his son-in-lawAshot Taronites, a Byzantine captive who had married his daughterMiroslava, governor of the city. In circa 1005, however, Ashot and Miroslava, with the connivance of Chryselios, fled toConstantinople, where they notified EmperorBasil IIof their intention to surrender the city to him. Soon, a Byzantine squadron appeared off the city underEustathios Daphnomeles, and the city returned to Byzantine rule. Durrs Castlewas built by the ByzantineEmperor Anastasius I491518 CE, making the city one of the most fortified on theAdriatic. The walls were devastated by an earthquake in 1273 and were extensively repaired. In the 11th12th centuries, the city was important as a military stronghold and ametropolitan seerather than as a major economic center, and never recovered its late antique prosperity;Anna Komnenemakes clear that medieval Dyrrhachium occupied only a portion of the ancient city. In the 1070s, two of its governors,Nikephoros Bryennios the ElderandNikephoros Basilakes, led unsuccessful rebellions trying to seize the Byzantine throne.Dyrrachium was lost in February 1082 whenAlexios I Komnenoswas defeated by theNormansunderRobert Guiscardand his sonBohemundin theBattle of Dyrrhachium. Byzantine control was restored a few years later, but the Normans under Bohemund returned to besiege it in 110708, and sacked it again in 1185 under KingWilliam II of Sicily. In 1205, after theFourth Crusade, the city was transferred to the rule of theRepublic of Venice, which formed the "Duchy of Durazzo". This Duchy was conquered in 1213 and the city taken by theDespotate of EpirusunderMichael I Komnenos Doukas. In 1257, Durrs was briefly occupied by the King of Sicily,Manfred of Hohenstaufen. It was re-occupied by the Despot of EpirusMichael II Komnenos Doukasuntil 1259, when the Despotate was defeated by the ByzantineEmpire of Nicaeain theBattle of Pelagonia. In the 1270s, Durrs was again controlled by Epirus underNikephoros I Komnenos Doukas, the son of Michael II, who in 1278 was forced to yield the city to Charles d' Anjou (Charles I of Sicily). In c. 1273, it was wrecked by a devastatingearthquake(according toGeorge Pachymeres but soon recovered. It was briefly occupied by KingMilutinof Serbia in 1296. In the thirteenth century, aJewish communityexisted in Durrs and was employed in thesalt trade. In the early 14th century, the city was ruled by a coalition of Anjous, Hungarians, and Albanians of the Thopia family. In 1317 or 1318, the area was taken by the Serbs and remained under their rule until the 1350s. At that time the Popes, supported by the Anjous, increased their diplomatic and political activity in the area, by using the Latin bishops, including the archbishop of Durrs. The city had been a religious center of Catholicism after the Anjou were installed in Durrs. In 1272, a Catholic archbishop was installed, and until the mid-14th century there were both Catholic and Orthodox archbishops of Durrs. Two Irish pilgrims who visited Albania on their way to Jerusalem in 1322, reported that Durrs was "inhabited by Latins, Greeks, perfidious Jews and barbaric Albanians". When the Serbian TsarDuandied in 1355, the city passed into the hands of the Albanian family ofThopias. In 1376 theNavarrese CompanyLouis of vreux, Duke of Durazzo, who had gained the rights on theKingdom of Albaniafrom his second wife, attacked and conquered the city, but in 1383Karl Topiaregained control of the city.TheRepublic of Veniceregained control in 1392 and retained the city, known asDurazzoin those years, as part of theAlbania Veneta. It fended off a siege by theOttomanSultanMehmed IIin 1466 but fell to Ottoman forces in 1501.

Price: 249.99 USD

Location: Reading, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-02-28T02:24:43.000Z

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