Butrint, ancient Buthrotum, has taken many forms in different ages,
shaped by the near-constant interaction between the place, its lagoonal
landscape and the Mediterranean. Though Butrint does not appear on any
of the records of early Greek colonization to identify it as a Corcyrean
settlement, strong links must have existed between it and the
metropolitan Corinthian colony of Corfu.
Blessed with springs that possessed healing qualities, a small polis was
created - extended to incorporate a healing sanctuary dedicated to
Asclepius. Julius Caesar, harboring at Butrint in urgent need of
supplies to sustain his struggle against Pompey, must have viewed the
sanctuary, ringed by largely dried-out marshland, as the perfect site to
settle veterans as a colony. It was an obvious cornerstone in
controlling the passage from the Adriatic to the Aegean. The early
settlers seem to have been limited in number and possibly mainly of
civilian status. However, the political changes to the city's
magistrature were immediate, and within a relatively short time-span
fundamental changes to the physical make-up of the city were set in
motion.
Its new Roman status also located Butrint as a directly before the
highest authorities in Rome, and within fifteen years or so, under
Augustus's guidance following his victory at Actium, the city was
refounded as a colony and awarded a pivotal role in Virgil's
court-sponsored foundation epic, The Aeneid. Now linked to the Victory
City of Nicopolis rather than in the shadow of Corfu, Butrint prospered.
The urban fabric evolved, sometimes faltered, but was essentially
sustained until the later 6th century A.D. This present volume is an
assessment of the Roman archaeology, a compilation of studies and field
reports that focuses upon the foundation and early history of the
colony.
