Phoenice

Phoenice stands on a long hill above the Bistrica plain near Saranda and was the capital of the Chaonians and, according to Polybius, the wealthiest city in Epirus, the place where the Peace of Phoenice was agreed in 205 BC ending the First Macedonian War. The site covers a large area with a wall circuit, a theatre cut into the northern slope, a temple, houses, cisterns and a later basilica, excavated by Italian and Albanian missions over many decades. The hill gives a wide view over the plain toward Butrint and the sea. It is far less visited than Butrint a short distance away and has correspondingly little infrastructure, which for some visitors is the appeal.

History

The capital of the Chaonians, one of the three main tribes of ancient Epirus, gained public buildings on its acropolis from the second half of the 5th century BC, and its walls were extended under Pyrrhus; around 233 BC, after the murder of Queen Deidamia II ended the monarchy, it became the seat of the federal Epirote League. In 231 BC the Illyrians of Queen Teuta took the city when its garrison of 800 Gaulish mercenaries handed it over, and their killing of Roman merchants here led in time to the First Illyrian War, and in 205 BC the treaty that ended the First Macedonian War between Macedon and Rome was signed here. Justinian I fortified a neighbouring hill in the 6th century, when Phoenice was a bishop's see with a baptistery and a basilica, but the city vanished after the 6th century and life moved to nearby Mesopotamon (Wikipedia, Phoenice).

What you'll find

• A theatre in the northern slope - the auditorium cut into the hill.
• A long wall circuit - the fortification around the ridge.
• Cisterns and house foundations - the excavated fabric of the city.
• The Bistrica plain view - the country toward Butrint and the sea.

When to go

April to October. Two hours. Mornings for temperature; there is little shade. It is quiet at all times, unlike Butrint nearby. The site can be combined with Butrint in one day.

Practical notes

The site is at foundation level and interpretation is limited. There is little shade. The theatre is partly overgrown. Opening hours are loose and the ticket office is sometimes unstaffed. It suffers by comparison with Butrint.

Nearby

Saranda is west; Butrint lies south along the coast.

Key facts