Hadrianopolis (Epirus)

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Hadrianopolis or Hadrianoupolis (Ancient Greek: Ἁδριανούπολις) was an ancient town in the valley of the river Drino, in the province of ancient Epirus and Illyricum. It is located near Sofratikë, Dropull, south of Gjirokaster, Albania. It lies on the site of a Greek Classical and Hellenistic settlement from the late 5th century BC. Hellenistic settlements were concentrated on the hills for defense, and for strategically dominating the valley, such as the nearby city of Antigonia. They controlled access through the mountains and to the sea. In the Roman period, under more peaceful times, the settlement shifted to the valley and the town lay on an important road midway between Apollonia and Nicopolis. The oldest buildings found are from the early Roman Imperial age; a small temple in opus quadratum and a circular structure later obliterated by the theatre. Under Hadrian (117–138 AD), the settlement was elevated to the status of city, becoming the capital and administrative centre of the region. It then reached its greatest expansion and monumentalisation with public buildings, including the theatre and baths. Organised on an orthogonal urban plan, the town occupies an area of 400 m by 300–350 m. The theatre's cavea of 58 m in diameter was built on a large artificial embankment with vaults of opus caementicium. During the 4th century AD it was restored and reorganised to host venationes (hunts of wild animals) and perhaps gladiator fights. The theatre's cavea still stands to a height of several metres. The baths visible today of the 3rd century AD replaced the previous Hadrianic complex with a smaller version. A necropolis has been found to extend over a significant area beyond the urban limits. After a period of crisis from the beginning of the 4th and until the end of the 5th century AD, the town...