Epidamnos
Δυρράχιον / Ἐπίδαμνος (in Greek) | |
The amphitheater of Durrës | |
Dyrrhachion (Epidamnos) Shown within Albania | |
| Alternative name | Dyrrhachium (Lat.), Dyrrah, Durrës |
|---|---|
| Location | Durrës, Durrës County, Albania |
| Region | Adriatic coast, Illyria |
| Coordinates | 41°16′N 19°30′E / 41.267°N 19.500°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| Part of | Durrës |
| History | |
| Founded | 7th century BC |
| Periods | Archaic Greek; Classical; Hellenistic; Roman; Byzantine; Medieval |
| Cultures | Greek, Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine |
Dyrrhachion (Latin: Dyrrhachium; Ancient Greek: Δυρράχιον), originally founded as Epidamnos (Ancient Greek: Ἐπίδαμνος, Albanian: Epidamn), was a prominent city on the Adriatic coast, located in the territory of the Illyrian Taulantii and corresponding to modern Durrës, Albania. Founded around 627 BC by settlers from Corinth and Corcyra (modern Corfu), the city developed into a major political, commercial, and military hub. While established as a Greek colony, Epidamnos stood within Taulantii territory and long remained entangled with Illyrian power, before becoming a key Roman and later Byzantine stronghold.