Nymphaeum (Illyria)

This article is about the ancient harbour in Illyria. For other uses, see Nymphaion (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Nymphaion (fire sanctuary).

Nymphæum or Nymphaion (Ancient Greek: Νυμφαῖον, Νύμφαιον or Νυμφαίη; Latin: Nymphaeum) was an ancient harbour on the coast of Illyria, three miles to the north of Lissus.[1][2][3] The site has been identified with the area of modern day Shëngjin, Albania.[4][5]

Perhaps emerged since the 5th century BC, Nymphaeum would have been presumably one of the earliest Greek colonies on the Albanian coast.[6] The harbor of Nymphaeum was mentioned by Pliny the Elder (23 CE – 79), Lucanus[7] (39 AD – 65 AD), Livy (59 BC – AD 17) and Julius Caesar[8] (100 BC - 44 BC). The harbour was used by Marcus Antonius and his fleet when they arrived in Illyricum during Caesar's Civil War.[4]

References

  1. ^ Matthews 2008, p. 289.
  2. ^ Charlton T. Lewis
  3. ^ George W. Mooney, Ed.
  4. ^ a b Pitassi 2009, pp. 172–173.
  5. ^ Wilkes 2000, p. 754.
  6. ^ Cabanes 2008, p. 175.
  7. ^ Luc. Pharsalia 5.720, "Past Lissus' shelter which they vainly sought, till bare to northern blasts, Nymphaeum's port..."
  8. ^ Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt...

Bibliography

  • Cabanes, Pierre (2008). "Greek Colonisation in the Adriatic". In Tsetskhladze, Gocha R. (ed.). Greek Colonisation: An Account of Greek Colonies and Other Settlements Overseas. Vol. 2. Brill. pp. 155–186. ISBN 9789047442448.
  • Matthews, Monica (2008). Caesar and the Storm: A Commentary on Lucan, De Bello Civili, Book 5, Lines 476-721. Peter Lang. ISBN 978-3039107360.
  • Pitassi, Michael (2009). The navies of Rome. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 978-1843836001.
  • Wilkes, J. J. (2000). "Map 49 Illyricum. Compiled by J.J. Wilkes, 1995". In Talbert, Richard J. A. (ed.). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World: Map-by-map Directory. Vol. 1. Princeton University Press. pp. 749–760. ISBN 0691049459.