Albanian Cultural Heritage

DURRËSI COUNTY
The earliest historical reference to the city
of Durrës is from 627, B.C.E. The modern
city is built on top of the ruins of the
ancient Epidamnos or Dyrrachion, which
became known as Dyrrachium in the
Roman period. According to Thucydides,
the city was colonized by Corcyreans
and Corinthians, who named the city
Epidamnos. The founder was Phalius, from
Corinth and a descendant of Heracles. The
earliest coins of Epidamnos, dating back
from the first half of the 5th century B.C.E.,
were marked with symbols of Corinthian
origin. Another account, by the historian
Appian, indicates that a non-Greek king
named Epidamnos lived in the area before
the Greeks arrived. He built the first city
and named it after himself. Dyrrhachos was
his grandson and the city was later named
after him.
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Epidamnos was involved in the
Peloponnesian War, and following
the war the name was changed to
Dyrrachion. The war led to many political
and architectural changes in the city.
Trade with the Illyrians flourished during
the ensuing years. Many Illyrian tombs
are discovered in the city cemeteries,
indicating that this period of time was
characterized by a significant cultural
exchange and that the people were
moving freely between the regions.
Dyrrachium was the battlefield between
the legions of Caesar and Pompey
during the Civil War of 49 - 48, B.C.E. The
city sustained damages as a result. In
the year 30 B.C.E., Dyrrachium became a
Roman colony and was named Colonia
Iulia Augusta Dyrrachinorum.