Kodrion, Codrion or Codrio (Ancient Greek: Κόδριον, romanizedKodrion; Latin: Codrio/Codrion) was an ancient town in southern Illyria, located somewhere to the north of Mount Tomorr, in present-day Albania. The settlement have been presumably identified with the archaeological remains of a fortified site at Kalaja e Irmajt, in the district of Gramsh.[1][2][3] The town is mentioned in the events concerning the Illyrian Wars and Macedonian Wars.[4]

Roman writer Livy describes Codrio as a sufficiently strong and fortified town (oppidum).[5] It was located in a strategic position enough to warrant a Roman garrison after its capture.[6]

The name of the town is certainly pre-Roman. A Paleo-Balkan origin has been suggested, relating it to the Albanian: kodër (definite form: kodra) 'hill', and Romanian: codru '(wooded) mountain, forest', with the same root as the ancient toponym Scodra (present-day Shkodër).[7]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Morton 2017, p. 37
  2. ^ Hammond & Griffith 1972, p. 100: "[...] into the district of Gramsh, is probably to be identified with Codrion [...]"
  3. ^ Hammond 1976: "RRMAIT ("Kodrion") Albania: "To the N of Mt. Tomor. The earliest coins yielded by excavation are of Philip II of Macedon; the massive circuit wall with a fine gateway dates probably to the late 4th century BC. Names are preserved on tile stamps and amphora seals; weapons, tools, and fibulas were found. Kodrion figured in the wars between Macedon and Rome (Livy 31.27.4)."
  4. ^ Morton 2017, pp. 17–18
  5. ^ Morton 2017, p. 18
  6. ^ Morton 2017, p. 35
  7. ^ Poruciuc 1998, p. 120.

Sources

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  • Hammond, Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière; Griffith, Guy Thompson (1972). A History of Macedonia: Historical Geography and Prehistory. Vol. I. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-814294-2.
  • Hammond, N. G. L. (1976). Stillwell, Richard; MacDonald, William L.; MacAllister, Marian Holland (eds.). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400886586.
  • Morton, Jacob Nathan (2017). "Shifting Landscapes, Policies, And Morals: A Topographically Driven Analysis Of The Roman Wars In Greece From 200 Bc To 168 Bc". Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2484. University of Pennsylvania.
  • Poruciuc, Adrian (1998). Confluențe și etimologii. Polirom. ISBN 9789736830402.