Hadrianopolis (Epirus)

Hadrianopolis or Hadrianoupolis (Ancient Greek: Ἁδριανούπολις), was a town of ancient Epirus and Illyricum, founded by emperor Hadrian, and situated on the road from Apollonia to Nicopolis, about midway between those two towns.^[1] It was repaired and moved by Justinian I, and called Justinianopolis,^[2] and became one of the cities of the government of old Epirus and the see of a bishop.^[3] The small theatre and other vestiges in the plain below Libohovë mark the position of this city. Ten or twelve miles lower down the river are the ruins of a fortress or small town of the Byzantine age, called Dryinopolis. These remains are of a later age than the theatre, which belongs to Paganism. The probability is, that when Hadrianopolis fell into ruins Dryinopolis was built on a different site, and became the see of the bishop. Hadrianopolis in Epiro remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.^[4]

Its site is located near Sofratikë, Dropull, in Albania.^[5]^[6]

References

^ Tabula Peutingeriana
^ Procopius de Aed. 4.1.
^ Hierocles. Synecdemus. Vol. p. 651.8.
^ Catholic Hierarchy
^ Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 54, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
^ Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Hadrianopolis". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.