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Byllis was at first an Illyrian settlement of the Bylliones. The settlement was refounded as city, now a Hellenic Byllis. Later on the population became Latin speaking.

It was situated west of Avlona (modern Vlorë), on the coast, near the modern village of Gradica, or Gradiste, a Slav name substituted in later episcopal "Notitiae" for the old Illyrian name Byllis (Not. episc. III, 620; X, 702). Under the Romans, it was part of the province of Epirus Nova.

Hierocles (653, 4) knows only of Byllis. Felix, Bishop of Apollonia and Byllis, was present at the First Council of Ephesus, in 431. At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, Eusebius subscribes simply as Bishop of Apollonia; on the other hand, Philocharis subscribes as Bishop of Byllis only in the letter of the bishops of Epirus Nova to the Byzantine Emperor Leo I in 458.

In later years it retained only a titular bishop in the Roman Catholic church, whose title is often added to that of Apollonia among the suffragans of the archbishopric of Dyrrachium.

The Ancient Town

The elongated triangular urban area of 30 hectares was one of around 2200 meters long surrounding protected. This was originally 8-9 meters high, about 2.5 meters high and consisted in the lower rectangular area, in the stratified layers of limestone blocks. There were six trained as an entrance corridor doors, on their barrel vaults were built watchtowers. Of the four hectares of Agora in the city center are still remnants of adjacent columns halls (Stoa) received. The theater in the middle of the 3rd Century BC with a diameter of 80 meters, provided space for 7500 spectators. The population of Byllis to 7000 at the time estimated that it was therefore also for the surrounding villages thought. For drinking water served a 50-meter-long tank with a barrel vault.

The remains of five basilicas have been excavated so far. The largest basilica was the beginning of the 5th Century, the Central Area (Naos) consisted of three columns separated by vessels upstream were Narthex and portico. Attached was a small baptistery. As a church bishop told the investment end of the 5th and in the 6th Century, numerous extensions. Excellently preserved mosaic floors were uncovered (these are currently covered with sand). In the 6th Century under Emperor Justinian, the third city on its surface and by a reduced along with the original urban area segregated end wall. Its construction was also ashlar stones and steps of the ancient seat theater is used.

The general interest has been because of its historical significance until today, more on the city of Apollonia addressed. Byllis deserves, given the vast, only partially excavated ruins of field as the largest city foundation südillyrische similar attention. The excavations carried out carefully, so far without a restoration of foreign materials.

References

1. Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992,ISBN 0631198075,Page 97,"... the Bylliones beyond the river Aous in the hinterland of Apollonia . Their hill-settlement developed later into the town of Byllis, at Gradisht on the right bank of the Aous. ..."
2. An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation,ISBN 0198140991,2005,page 1333,"refounded as a Hellenic Byllis not yet a polls in 400"
3. Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992,ISBN 0631198075,,Page 273,"... Scodra and Dyrrhachium were seats of the metropolitans, and there were bishops at Lissus, Doclea, Lychnidus (Ohrid), Scampis, Apollonia, Amantia, Byllis and Aulona. The population of this area were Latin-speaking provincials , ..."

Bibliography

• Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992,ISBN 0631198075,
• Catholic Encyclopedia article

External links

• Illyria and Illyrians

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

40°32′25″N 19°44′15″E / 40.54028°N 19.73750°E / 40.54028; 19.73750

• Titular sees in Europe
• Former settlements in the Balkans
• Illyrian Albania
• Hellenistic Albania
• Roman Albania