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Archaeological investigations have revealed that for hunderds of years the Illyrian and Greek inhabitants
of the site appear to have lived in separate communities.Aristotel took Apollonia as a model in his analysis
of oligarchy. The ancient philosopher being unable to find any element of democracy whatsoever in its political
organisation,with descendants of the original Greek colonists controlling
the very large Illyrian serf population. The economic prosperity of
apollonia grew on the basis of tradein slaves ,and the local pastoral
agriculture ,with coins having been found as far as the Danube basin.
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In the years from 214 BC onwards the city was involved in the war between
the Illyrian Taulanti and Casander,the King of Macedonia; and in 229 BC came under Roman control.
In 148 BC it was integrated into the province of Macedonia.For 200 years it was of central importance
in the Roman effort to colonise the east and may have been an originalterminus of the Egnatian Way.
In the civil war between Pompey and Julius Caesar it was a vital stronghold for Caesar.In 45
and 44 BC, Octavian ,later to become the Emperor Augustus studied for six months in Apollonia.
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It was in Apollonia that Octavian heard the news of Julius Caesar´s death,
in 44 BC it was noted by Cicero,
in the Philipics,as magna urbs et gravis,
a great and important city. Strabo mentions a Fountain of Cephissus near the gymnasium
at Apollonia.Under the Roman Empire it remained a prosperous centre,but began to decline
as the Vjosa silted up and the coastline changed after the earthquake. Apollonia was an early centre
of Christianity in the region,with a bishop attending the Counsil of Ephesus in 431,
and the Counsil of Chalkis in 451.
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Entering the site through the small iron gate,you walk towards the central
group of ancient religious and mercantile buildings.In spring,this part of the
site is particulary beautiful thanks to profusion of wild flowers here.
Tortoises are also wery common. Passing the foundations of Roman houses to the left of the path you
see the bouleuterion,an elegant and compact building from the Hellenism period
whose facade with six marble Corinthian columns was restored in the 1960s.
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Most of the marble architrave is original.The building measures 15m by 20m
and the columns stand 9m high.The interior behind the columns is a U-shaped room
surrounded by marble-faced brick walls.A Greek inscription on the architrave states
that the building was constructed by Quintus Villius Crispinus Furius Proculus,in honour of his
deceased brother.His identity is unknown. Excavation in the interior of the building has
revealed that it was used as the office of the imperial administration in the city,in particular
for the official concerned with administration of the imperial cult ceremonies.
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The date of the inscription is also unknown,but the bulding as a whole is thought to date
from the second quarter of the 2C AD.Immediately beyond the bouleuterion is the odeon,a small Roman building dating from the 2C AD.
It seats about 600 spectators,and thesteps have been restored to allow it to be used for modern concert performances.
The two buildings are thought to have formed the edges of a small square. The remains of buildings on either side of the odeon were probably
used in connection with the imperial cult,of some other religious function.
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Welcome to Albania
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