Durrës

Durrës was founded under the name of Epidamnos around the 7th century BC, by ancient Greek colonists from Corinth and Corcyra in cooperation with the Taulantii, a local Illyrian tribe [1]. Also known as Dyrrachium, Durrës developed as it became an integral part of the Roman Empire and its successor the Byzantine Empire [1]. The Via Egnatia started in the city and led east across the fields, lowlands and highlands of the Balkan Peninsula to Constantinople [1]. Dyrrachium was chosen as the sole name of the city after the Roman Republic gained control of the region after the Illyrian Wars in 229 BC [1]. The territory of Durrës was populated at least starting from the Eneolithic and then, from protohistoric times, it was inhabited by Illyrian peoples [1]. Durrës became a Christian city quite early on; its bishopric was created around 58 and was raised to the status of an archbishopric in 449 [1].