 Eastern port of Apollonia | |
  Apollonia Shown within Libya | |
| Alternative name | Sozusa |
|---|---|
| Location | Marsa Susa,Jabal al Akhdar,Libya |
| Coordinates | 32°54′07″N21°58′11″E / 32.90194°N 21.96972°E /32.90194; 21.96972 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | 7th century BC |
| Abandoned | 7th century AD |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | yes |
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Apollonia (Greek:Ἀπολλωνία) inCyrenaica (modernLibya) was founded by Greek colonists and became a significant commercial centre in the southernMediterranean. It served as the harbour ofCyrene, 20 km (12 mi) to the southwest.
Apollonia became autonomous from Cyrene at latest by the time the area came within the power ofRome, when it was one of the five cities of the LibyanPentapolis, growing in power until, in the 6th century AD, it became the capital of theRoman province ofLibya Superior or Libya Pentapolitana. The city became known asSozusa, which explains the modern name ofMarsa Susa[1] orSusa, which grew up long after the cessation of urban life in the ancient city after the Arab occupation of AD 643.[2]
Sozusa was an episcopal see and is included in theCatholic Church's list oftitular sees.[3]
The early foundation levels of the city of Apollonia are below sea level due to submergence in earthquakes, while the upper strata of the later Byzantine Christian periods are several meters above sea level, built on the accumulated deposits of previous periods. The existence of buildings in the sea was noted by Beechey (1827), with some rough drawings, and Goodchild (1950s) andAndré Laronde also published archaeological surveys of the site.[4] In 1958 and 1959 Nicholas Flemming, then an undergraduate at Cambridge University, led teams of undergraduates trained in scuba diving and underwater surveying to map the large sector of the city beneath the sea. The results of this work were published, complete with maps and diagrams of underwater buildings in the references cited below. Carlo Beltrame and colleagues have recently made an underwater photographic survey of some of the buildings.
TheCrete earthquake and tsunami of 21 July 365 AD apparently caused extensive damage to the city and harbor.
TheApollonia (Susa) Museum houses many artifacts found on the ancient site.
The remains of the ancient port in Apollonia are extremely well preserved because they are underwater. The difference in sea level, indeed, was estimated to be around 3.70-3.80 m.[5]The port is relatively early in date, dating from the 6th/7th Century BC, and this makes it unique as no other complete port is this old.[6]
The Palace of the Dux was excavated by Goodchild between 1959 and 1962.[7] It was last used as the Byzantine Duke's Palace and contains over 100 rooms. A marble inscription testifies to its use as a Roman military commander's house, however the identification of the name and status of the man who built the palace is problematic.[8]
The well-preserved Greek theatre stands facing the sea outside the old city walls. This monument dates to the 3rd century BC and is therefore one of the oldest sites in Apollonia. The structure was modified under Domitian, suggesting its use as an arena for gladiatorial fights.[9]The 5th century saw the abandonment of the theatre and the re-use of the columns from the stage as spolia in the eastern basilica. Thecavea has 28 seat levels.
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