Apollonia (Albania)

Restored monument of the Agonothetes , part of the Buleuterion

Apollonia ( Albanian Apoloni / a , Greek Ἀπολλωνία Apollōnía ) is a ruin site in central Albania near the village of Pojan in Qark Fier , about seven kilometers west of the city of Fier . The city of Apollonia was founded in 588 BC. Founded as a Doric colony by Corfu with the participation of settlers from Corinth . For almost a thousand years, Apollonia was an important urban center in the Epirotian area. It is named after the god Apollo .

location

Apollonia was founded on a hill about one kilometer north of the Vjosa river , which flows into the Adriatic Sea after a few kilometers and was navigable up to the city in ancient times . The city's acropolis dominated the Myzeqe plain, which was very fertile in ancient times . Like Dyrrhachium , Apollonia was an important port city on the coast of Illyria in Roman times and one of the western starting points of the Via Egnatia to Thessalonica and Byzantium . In the 4th century AD, the urban area covered 81 hectares and was surrounded by a four-kilometer wall.

population

In addition to the descendants of the Greek colonists, numerous autochthonous Illyrians lived in the city , as Apollonia was in the tribal area of the Taulantier . For Aristotle , Apollonia was an important example by which he analyzed the political system of the oligarchy , because the descendants of the Greek colonists controlled the city and ruled over the majority of the population of Illyrian origin. Colonists from Italy also settled in Roman times, but they assimilated to the dominant Greeks. Even in the imperial era , Latin inscriptions remained the exception.

history

Drachma minted in Apollonia 2nd or 1st century BC Chr.

588 BC Apollonia was founded by Doric settlers from Corfu and Corinth. According to Herodotus , it took 480 BC. A contingent from Apollonia took part in the Battle of Salamis , the greatest naval battle in ancient history . Around 460 BC The city came into conflict with the neighboring Illyrian Amantians , from which it emerged victorious. 436 BC Together with other Greek cities, Apollonia supported the democratic party in Epidamnos (Latin Dyrrhachium ), which then defeated the aristocrats and took power. Middle of the 4th century BC BC the city was involved in the military conflict between the Illyrian king Bardylis and Philip II of Macedonia . Around the same time, the minting of silver coins began. From 314 B.C. Apollonia was at war with the Illyrian king Glaucias and was allied with Cassander of Macedonia. The victory over Glaukias in 312 BC BC brought the city full political autonomy. At times Apollonia belonged to the kingdom of Pyrrhus , but after his death in 272 BC it was Regain independence.

The Via Egnatia and Apollonia

Since 229 BC Apollonia was under Roman protection. The city was the most important base of the Romans on the Balkan Peninsula in the subsequent wars against Macedonia . 211 and 205 BC Attacks by Philip V were successfully repelled. 148 BC Apollonia became part of the Roman province of Macedonia and from then on had to pay taxes to the Romans. Later the city belonged to the province of Epirus . During the 1st century BC Various important Roman politicians, including Sulla and Cicero, visited the city of Apollonia. 44 BC The later Roman emperor Augustus studied in the Greek city. In the civil war between Pompey and Caesar , Apollonia stood on Caesar's side; 48 BC It was taken by Marcus Junius Brutus . A little later, Mark Antony fortified the strategically important place.

The city's friendly attitude towards Caesar and Augustus paid off politically: Apollonia became a free city (Latin civitas libera ) and no longer had to pay taxes to Rome . This privileged status was maintained throughout the Principate's era and helped ensure that Apollonia prospered. In addition to the profitable agriculture in the area, export-oriented industries (especially pottery) formed the basis for the city's wealth.

The Shën Meri monastery facing south

The decline of the trading center began in the 4th century when an earthquake changed the course of the Vjosa River and silted up the port of Apollonia. Christianity found its way into the city early on . Bishops of Apollonia were present at the councils of Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451). Under Emperor Justinian I the fortifications of the city were renewed for the last time; At the latest by the end of the 6th century, however, the place was abandoned because of the changed topographical conditions.

In the 9th century, Shën Meri Monastery was founded in the ruins of the city. The monastery church, which still exists today, was built in the 14th century. The ancient finds recovered from archaeological excavations are exhibited in the walls of the monastery. Some of the finds are also in the archaeological museum of the capital Tirana . During the turmoil caused by the collapse of the communist regime in Albania in 1990, the archaeological collection of Apollonia was looted. For a long time there were also robbery excavations on the site of the ruins.

Research history

The Italian traveler and humanist Cyriacus von Ancona is considered to be the rediscoverer of Apollonia. He visited the ruins in the first half of the 15th century and identified it as the city where Emperor Augustus had studied. In the 19th century the French consul in Ioannina , F. Pouqeville, and the Orthodox bishop of Berat , Anthimos, were interested in Apollonia. Both published a number of finds and inscriptions. They were followed as the first archaeologist in 1861 by the French Léon Heuzey . He made the first plan of Apollonia and excavated some statues that he brought to the Louvre in Paris .

The Austrian scientists Carl Patsch and Camillo Praschniker carried out the first major excavations in 1904 and 1916 to 1918. Most of their finds are now in Vienna .

A French team of archaeologists led by Léon Rey uncovered the city's great stoa , buleuterion , odeon and library in 1924 and in the following years . Under the Italian occupation, digging was carried out again in Apollonia, and a gymnasium south of the Marienkloster was discovered. Now you got a first idea of the enormous area over which the city stretched in antiquity. The Albanian archaeologist Hasan Ceka , the father of Neritan Ceka , continued the work from 1947.

A major Albanian- Soviet excavation campaign followed between 1958 and 1960 , during which the Diana Temple, several residential buildings, one of the main streets and 136 graves were uncovered. Most of the finds from this campaign were exhibited on site in the Marienkloster. Archaeological exploration of the city by Albanian archaeologists continued almost uninterrupted until 1982.

In 1992 a Franco-Albanian excavation campaign followed, led by Pierre Cabanes and Neritan Ceka. And since 1998 American and Albanian scientists have been working together in Apollonia. In addition to many other finds from antiquity, artefacts were also discovered that prove that people visited the castle hill as early as the Paleolithic . In the meantime, an excavation house has been built right next to the Marienkloster, which offers the archaeologists good working conditions. Despite decades of intensive exploration, only five percent of the area of Apollonia has been excavated.

Buildings

Apollonia is the largest and most important of the 30 cities in the entire ancient world named in honor of the god Apollon . It was one of the largest urban centers in Illyria and housed a multitude of secular and sacred buildings , large residential areas, mighty fortifications and many paved roads. The fortification walls enclose an area of 137 hectares over a length of four kilometers. It is estimated that around 60,000 people lived within the city walls. The most important monuments of Apollonia include the Buleuterion, the library, the Odeon, the Temple of Diana, the Prytaneion , the theater , the Nymphaeum , the Gymnasium, the great Stoa, the Doric temple and villas or town houses.

Buleuterion

Corinthian capital at the Agonothetes monument

In the city-states of ancient Greece there was a meeting room for the city council ( βουλή boulḗ ), the Buleuterion . In Apollonia this stood in the city center near the agora and included an agonothetical monument, which became a symbol of the archeology of Albania. This building was built in the last quarter of the 2nd century AD, i.e. during the Roman period. It was faithfully restored in 1976 by the Albanian specialist Koco Zhegu. The monument was named by archaeologists after two referees ( Agonothetes in Greek ) who are mentioned in an inscription on the building.

Library

According to the French archaeologist Léon Rey, the building at the east end of the agora was a library, but to this day the exact function of the building has not been clearly established. The building, which is square in plan, was built using the same technology as the Buleuterion.

Odeon

The Odeon of Apollonia

The Odeon , located on the north side of the Agora, was used for musical and cultural events as well as political meetings. The interior resembles a theater: there are 16 rows of seats and thus offers space for 300 people. The combination of Greek style and Roman technology make the Odeon, built in the middle of the 2nd century AD, one of the most architecturally interesting buildings in Apollonia. A small sanctuary is attached to the western wall of the Odeon, the floor plan of which measures five by five meters. Two Ionic columns adorn the facade, and by the altar are the bases of three statues. It is possible that the sanctuary served the occasions in the Odeon.

Temple of Diana

To the west of the Buleuterion is the temple in honor of the Roman goddess Diana , which was built in the last quarter of the 2nd century AD. The marble statue of Diana found in the interior led archaeologists to believe that the goddess of the hunt, the moon and childbirth, as well as the protector of women and girls, was greatly venerated in Apollonia.

Prytaneion

The Prytanen ran the affairs of state in many cities of ancient Greece and were the leading representatives of the city council. The seat of the Prytans of Apollonia was just behind the Buleuterion near the agora. The west-facing facade of the building is adorned with marble pillars adorned with Corinthian capitals . Excavations from 1960 uncovered a total of eleven statues from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, which the archaeologists consider to be evidence of the existence of a Prytaneion at this site.

theatre

The theater is located about 300 meters north of the agora . A hill slope was excavated for the construction, while an artificial dam was built on the northwest side for support. In late antiquity the theater was abandoned and a church was built in its place. For the construction of the monastery church of Shën Meri , stone blocks of the rows of seats were used.

Nymphaeum

Around 400 meters north of the theater are the ruins of the Nymphaeum , which were discovered in 1962. The large and ornate drinking fountain was fed by an underground water source that still flows today. The building, built in the 3rd century BC. BC, is the best preserved in Apollonia. It was only used for around 100 years before a landslide buried the entire complex.

Gymnasion

That in the 6th century BC The gymnasium , built in BC, stands south of the city center on the road that connected the south gate with the agora. It was used until the 3rd century AD and has been rebuilt repeatedly.

Great stoa

The large stoa (called Stoa B by archaeologists ) is right in front of the Odeon and led directly to the agora. The portico offered a view of the surrounding area and the Adriatic Sea. It is the best preserved structure from the Greek Classical period and was used well into the 2nd century AD. 36 octagonal Doric columns divide the avenue into two parallel footpaths. Possibly there was a second storey decorated with Ionic columns. The wall facing the hill had 14 niches that functioned both as a support for the building and provided space for sculptures by ancient philosophers. Some of them date back to well into the 2nd century AD and were discovered during Léon Rey's excavations. Archaeologists claim that the Stoa was particularly important for Apollonia's urban life, as it was in the best location in the city, from where the whole area could be observed. In the walk, philosophical debates were held and heated discussions were held, which revolved around important issues that affected the city's residents.

Doric temple

Outside the city walls near the south gate are the remains of the Doric temple, which was built around 480 BC. With stone blocks from nearby Karaburun . So far, the god worshiped in the temple could not be identified, but from a statue found on site it can be said with certainty that the god is in connection with the sea. Thus Poseidon , the god of the sea, Aphrodite , the protector of seafarers, and Hermes , the patron god of merchants, come into consideration.

Other structures

The ruins of a triumphal arch adorned with marble are at the entrance to the agora. The 14 meter long and ten meter high monument consisted of four columns and was passable through three arched gates.

With around 3,500 square meters and two courtyards surrounded by peristyles , the House of Athena is one of the largest villas in the ancient city. It is the largest residential building of Apollonia to date and was named after a statue of Athena found in it. In the eastern part of the building, the floors are decorated with many mosaic stones. Many figures from Greek mythology can be found as motifs . In the eastern room of the villa, in the middle of the room, an octagonal medallion shows a naked nereid riding a dolphin and being circled by seahorses. In another room, also in the eastern part of the building, the floor mosaic shows battle scenes between the hero Achilles and Penthesilea , the beautiful queen of the Amazons . The first scene shows two Amazons striking a kneeling Greek soldier who pleads for mercy with his hands in the air. In the second scene, Achilles wearing an Attic helmet holds the queen of the Amazons, Penthesilea, who was fatally injured during the fight, in his arms. The house of Athena was built in the 2nd century AD, but was abandoned as early as the 3rd century.

Another large villa is the villa with impluvium , which is located near the high school. It houses a basin in the atrium that was filled with water when it rained (Latin impluvium ). The house was built between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Archaeologists found inside a portrait of a philosopher and a headless statue of Athena in the style of Promachos . Another sculpture shows the titan Atlas carrying the vault of heaven. It is now in the National History Museum in the capital Tirana . In 2010, archaeologists discovered the bust of a Roman aristocrat .

Titular bishopric

The Roman Catholic titular diocese of Apollonia still exists today .

Ancient sources

literature

Camillo Praschniker : Muzakhia and Malakastra. Archaeological research in central Albania. In: Annual Books of the Austrian Archaeological Institute 21–22, 1920, Beiblatt, pp. 5–224.
Léon Rey: Fouilles de la mission française en Apollonie d'Illyrie et en Durazzo (1923-1924). In: Albania. Revue d'archéologie, d'histoire, d'art et des sciences appliquées 1, 1925, pp. 9-23.
Heide and Helmut Buschhausen: The Marienkirche of Apollonia in Albania. Byzantines, Normans and Serbs in the battle for the Via Egnatia . Byzantina Vindobonensia. Vol. 8. Verlag of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1976.
Michele Fasolo: Da Apollonia e Dyrrachium ad Herakleia Lynkestidos . Is. Grafico Ed. Romano, Rome 2003.
Neritan Ceka: Apollonia. Historia dhe Monumentit . Tiranë 2005. ISBN 99943-672-4-2 .

Web links

Commons : Apollonia - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ Mapguide of Apollonia Archaeological Park in Albania. UNESCO Office in Venice, November 22, 2011, accessed April 20, 2012 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Apollonia, the city of the Sun. (PDF; 1.6 MB) Apollonia Archaeological Park, 2011, accessed on April 20, 2012 (English).

40.716666666667 19.466666666667Coordinates: 40 ° 43 ′ 0 ″ N , 19 ° 28 ′ 0 ″ E

[1] Mapguide of Apollonia Archaeological Park in Albania. UNESCO Office in Venice, November 22, 2011, accessed April 20, 2012 .

[mapguide-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Apollonia, the city of the Sun. (PDF; 1.6 MB) Apollonia Archaeological Park, 2011, accessed on April 20, 2012 (English).