EPIDAMNOS
or Dyrrachion (Durazzo) Albania.
A city, ca. 30 km W of Tirana, founded in 627
B.C. by Corinth and Kerkyra. The name Dyrrachion is
found on coins; in the Roman period it was prevalent
(changed to Dyrrachium). Since the modern city is built
over the ancient town, it is primarily on the basis of
inscriptions and occasional finds that some idea of its
monuments has been formed.
Inscriptions offer evidence on the following monuments: an aqueduct constructed by Hadrian and restored
by Alexander Severus (the inscription comes from Arapaj, a short distance from Durazzo:
CIL III, 1-709); the
Temple of Minerva; the Temple of Diana (
CIL III, 1-602),
which is perhaps the one mentioned by Appian (
BCiv.
2.60); the equestrian statue of L. Titinius Sulpicianus
(
CIL III, 1-605); the library (
CIL m, 1-67). The last inscription mentions that for the dedication of the library
24 gladiators fought in pairs. The conjecture that there
was an amphitheater in the city is confirmed by a passage
from the
Vita di Skanderbeg by Marino Barlezio: amphitheatrum mira arte ingenioque constructum.
As a result of occasional discoveries, the following
data are available: a 3d c. mosaic pavement with the
representation of a female head found at a depth of
5 m (the head, surrounded by garlands of vegetables and
flowers, brings to mind those painted on Apulian vases);
remains of houses covered by other layers, the lowest of
which, of the Greek era, was found at a depth of 5 m.
Columns with Corinthian capitals and marble facing,
discovered on the nearby hillside at Stani, belong probably to the Temple of Minerva or to the Capitolium.
The necropolis is E of the hills that stand above the city.
The Stele of Lepidia Salvia, a sarcophagus (now at Istanbul) with a scene of the Caledonian boar hunt, and
numerous Roman tombs were found in the necropolis.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Strab. 5.283; 6.316,323,327; Ptol. 3.12;
Dion. Cass. 41.49;
Paus. 6.10.8; Pompon. 2.56; Plin.
HN
3.145; 4.36; 6.217; 14.30; 19.144; 32.18.
C. Praschniker, “Muzakhia und Malakastra,”
JOAIBeibl 21-22 (1921) col. 203ff; L. Rey, “Albania,”
Cahiers
d'Archeologie, d'art et d'Histoire en Albanie et dans les
Balkans 1 (1925) 26ff; P. C. Sestieri, “Vita pubblica e
monumenti di Durazzo in età romana, attraverso le inscrizioni,”
Epigraphica (1942) fasc. 3, pp. 127ff; id.,
“Sculture romane di Apollonia e Durazzo,”
Bull. del
Museo dell'Impero (1942) 3ff.
P. C. SESTIERI
