Ὤρικος, Ὤρικον Oriku , Orikumi | |
 The site of ancient Orikos | |
  Oricum Location in Albania | |
| Location | Orikum,Vlorë County, Albania |
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| Region | Epirus orIllyria |
| Coordinates | 40°19′8″N19°25′43″E / 40.31889°N 19.42861°E /40.31889; 19.42861 |
| Type | harbor, settlement |
| History | |
| Periods |
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| Cultures |
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| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Government of Albania |
Oricum (Ancient Greek:Ὤρικον, Ὤρικος or Ὠρικός;Latin:Oricum orOricus;Albanian:Oriku orOrikum) was aharbor on the Illyrian coast that developed in anAncient Greekpolis at the south end of theBay of Vlorë on the southernAdriatic coast. It was located at the foot of theAkrokeraunian Mountains, the natural border between ancientEpirus andIllyria.[1] Oricum later became an importantRoman city between theprovinces ofEpirus Vetus andEpirus Nova inMacedonia. It is now anarchaeological park ofAlbania, near modernOrikum,Vlorë County.[2] Oricum holds such a strategic geographical position that the area has been in continuous usage as a naval base from antiquity to the present-days.[3]
It appears that the site of Oricum was uninhabited before the 6th century BC.[4] In the early period contacts between the Greeks and the local Illyrians were evidently absent in the hinterland of the site.[5] Early Greek sources describe Orikos as a harbor (Greek:λιμήν,limen). Findings from the proto-urban period in Orikos provide evidence of extensive contacts primarily with the Greek world.[6] Like other ports of southern Illyria, the site of Orikos was a place of exchange of products and a meeting point between the outside world and the Illyrians located in the hinterland.[7] In theClassical period Orikos was likely part of theperaia ofKorkyra.[8]
The polis of Orikos was founded as a southernGreek colony rather than an indigenous foundation.[9] The settlement developed towards mid-5th century BC,[6] and it was built on a Greek model.[10] It is firstly identified as a Greek polis within the territory of IllyrianAmantia in thePeriplus of Pseudo-Scylax (mid-4th century BC).[11] At the beginning of theHellenistic period Oricum appears to have already acquired the status of polis with its own territory.[12]Pyrrhus gained control of Oricum, incorporating it into theState of Epirus during his rule (early 3rd century BC).[13][14] After the Romanvictory against the Illyrians, in 228 BC Oricum became part of theRoman protectorate in Illyricum.[15] During theMacedonian Wars Oricum was involved in the conflicts betweenRome andMacedon in the Illyrian territory that Rome had aimed to protect and control periodically for thirty years, since theFirst Illyrian War.[16][17][18]
Oricum experienced a phase of great prosperity in the period between the late 3rd and the early 1st centuries BC, much like other cities in northern Epirus at the time.[19][20] In the Roman period Oricum was one of the principal harbors of the new province of Epirus Nova, in theprovince of Macedonia.[21] During the conflicts of theGreat Roman Civil War betweenCaesar andPompey in Illyria, Oricum was one of the ports of the Illyrian coast that obeyed to Pompey. However it became the first one taken by Caesar, who used it as an important naval base in his military operations.[22] The inhabitants of the city were described asGraeci ("Greeks") by Caesar.[23] The city experienced a decline during theRoman imperial era, when the nearby port of Aulon (modernVlorë) appears to have gained more prominence.[24]
Oricum, placed at the end of theKaraburun Peninsula (ancientAkrokeraunia), constitutes the eastern point of the narrowest stretch of the sea – theStrait of Otranto – which connects theIapygian promontory in southeastern Italy with Albania. From pre-colonial times until the Hellenistic period the Strait of Otranto was the main east-west sea route, which, with a distance of around 72 km, required about twelve hours of navigation with very favorable wind. In Roman times, a shift to the north took place, using theBrundisium-Dyrrachium route, which was considered safer, although being longer.[25]
The Akrokeraunian Mountains have served as a navigation landmark for the ships. From Italy the navigators could have turned left towards Illyria or right towards Epirus and beyond towards the Aegean Sea; from the south they could have continued straight towards Illyria, or turned left towards Italy; from the north, they could have continued straight towards Epirus and beyond the Aegean, or turned right towards Italy. The usage as navigation landmark instead of stopping points of the Akrokeraunian Mountains is due to the fact that, except for a few small bays, its topography does not feature large harbors. The closest ports are those of Oricum,Aulona andTriport to the north, andPanormos to the south. But in classical antiquity these port towns have always been overshadowed by the more prominent port ofApollonia.[26] Admitting that Triport corresponds toThronion, which was conquered by Apollonia around mid-5th century BC, Apollonia's territory was close to Orikos, which would explain Orikos' probable imitation of an Apollonian coin type, intended to facilitate trade.[27]
The harbor at Orikos ensured the link to the northern routes, while the routes toKorkyra and to the southeastern destinations, such as theAmbracian Gulf, were granted byPanormos, a harbor located in the middle of theCeraunian Mountains.[28] Orikos is located on the large valley ofDukat, at the foot of the Karaburun Peninsula and on the road leading to theLlogara Pass. This mountain pass connects the valley of Dukat in Illyria with the ancientPalaeste in Epirus to the south of the Karaburun Peninsula in open sea. However the Llogara Pass is difficult to cross, as highlighted also byCaesar in theDe Bello Civili describing his military operations in the area during theGreat Roman Civil War in winter 48 BC.[29][30][31][32][33] Oricum was not a very favorable harbor, because it was located far from the main sea and land routes. The city based its economy on the natural resources of the Acroceraunians: timber for ships and limestone from the quarries of the peninsula. The solid limestone was cut into large square blocks by digging channels on three sides. From the archaic period until Roman imperial times the limestone was transported toApollonia andDyrrhachium[34]
Orikos is firstly mentioned in ancient sources byHecataeus of Miletus andHerodotus (fl. 6th century BC), where it is identified as aλιμήν (limen harbor in Greek)[35][36] in his description of the coast of Epirus.[37] Hecataeus also states that Oricum is located on the northern edge of the Acroceraunian which marks the border of Epirus.[38] In thePeriplus of Pseudo-Scylax (4th century BC) Orikos is identified for the first time as aGreekpolis ('Ελληνίς πόλις) located within the territory ofAmantia, the latter being regarded as an Illyrian city.[39] According to Pseudo-Scylax Oricum marked the end of Illyria and the beginning of Chaonia and Epirus a fact already known from the 6th century B.C by Hecataeus.[40] Also according toPseudo-Scymnus in the 2nd century BC the end of the Illyrian land was around Oricum in theBay of Vlorë.[41] Pseudo-Scymnus as well as Lucian attribute to Oricum a Greek foundation.[42]Ptolemy locates Oricum in Chaonia. SimilarlyFlavius Philostratus in the 2nd century AD states that Oricum was located in Epirus.[29]
Placed on the foot of the Ceraunian Mountains, in a broader context Oricum is located in a border zone between the Epirotes, more specifically the Chaones located south of the Acroceraunians mountains, and the Illyrians whose southernmost territory is located at the foot of this mountain. Being on that geographic border caused misunderstandings among ancient authors about Oricum's location in Illyria or Epirus.[29] From a geographical perspective, the territory of Epirus hardly goes beyond the Ceraunian Mountains, which represent a natural border that is difficult to cross. Available data indicate that Orikos became part of state ofEpirus only during the Kingdom ofPyrrhus of Epirus (early 3rd century BC).[29]
The territory of Orikos is delimited by high mountains on its western, southern and eastern sides:Maja e Çikës in the southeast; the Lungara massif in the east that stretches north towardsKaninë andDrashovicë nearVlorë; Rrëza e Kanalit and the Karaburun peninsula in the southwest. Those mountains form the triangular shape of the Dukat plain. The region is opened in the north towards theBay of Vlorë on theAdriatic Sea.[43][29] The site of Oricum forms an island that is separated from the edge of the Bay of Vlorë by a lagoon, which was sufficiently deep to have allowed the sheltering of Caesar's ships during his arrival in the port. Two channels placed on the sides of the island connect the lagoon with the Bay. The Acroceraunian Mountains protect the area from the winds that come from the south and from the west.[44] Oricum has a very fertile hinterland. The mountains surrounding the Dukat valley continuously supply it with water, and a very thick forest covers the Llogara pass.[29] There was a significant number of rural settlements in the hinteland of the ancient city.[45]
Strabo mentions that Oricum owned a seaport,Panormos. In another passage he mentionsPanormos as a large harbor at the centre of the Ceraunian Mountains, which has tentatively been identified with present-dayPorto Palermo on theIonian coast. The area of Oricum is separated from the Ionian coast by the Ceraunian Mountains, and connected to it only by the difficult Llogara Pass at over 1000 meters of altitude. Rather than conjecturing a phase in which Oricum might have extended its area of regional influence as far asPorto Palermo wresting it from theChaonians and the city ofChimara, it is much more likely that Strabo uses the termPanormos (lit. "safe landing place") to define, in two different passages two distinct ports: one of the harbors of the Bay of Vlorë placed along the south-eastern coast of the Acroceraunian/Karaburun promontory that directly pertained to Oricum, andPorto Palermo on the Ionian coast.[28]
Orikos was originally on an island, but already in ancient times it became connected to the mainland; it covered an area of 5 hectares (12 acres), but archaeological remains are scarce.[46] The establishment of trading posts on small offshore islands was a common practice by Eretrian colonists from Euboia.[47] Eretrian presence in Oricum would indicate that at that time theCorinthians were not interested in the Illyrian mainland.[48]
The earliest traces of human life in the area of Oricum (rock shelter at Rrëza e Kanalit) belong to theLate Paleolithic andMesolithic.[6]
Two Illyriantumuli used in a period spanning from theBronze Age to theIron Age have been found in Dukat, in the hinterland of Oricum.[49] Exchanges with the other side of theAdriatic and theAegean World are found in the area. The architectural similarity with the tumulus ofTorre Santa Sabina inBrindisi,Apulia, provides evidence of communication and interaction between the two shores of the Adriatic.[50] The earlier graves offered a variety ofMiddle Helladic findings, Aegean type knives andMinyan ware probably of local manufacture.[51] Naue II type swords, typical of 12th centuryMycenaean Greek culture found through Albania and Greece were also unearthed.[52] Around the 11th–10th centuries BC the first imports from southern Italy appear in the Dukat plain.[6]
In the early historical period the findings from the hinterland of Oricum reveal no contacts between the Greeks and the local Illyrian population.[5] Despite the absence of archaeological evidence, Euboeans and Phoenicians might have established trade routes along the eastern shores of the Adriatic (including the site of Oricum) following the same networks that had been traversed previously during theMycenaean period.[53]
It is not known whether Orikos was originally aEuboean colony on the Illyrian coast as reported in ancient literature.[54][55][56] As a Euboean foundation it would date back to about the mid 8th century BC,[57][58] probably established as anEretrianemporium,[59] or as a harbor by Eretrian refugees fromKerkyra after this island was conquered by theCorinthians, although the latter hypothesis is less likely.[60] Archaeological evidence has shown that the site of Oricum was not inhabited before the 6th century BC,[4] however the lack of artifactual confirmation does not necessary mean that the Euboean seafarers did not reach these parts at an earlier era.[53] The site appears to possess all the characteristics of places that were typically chosen byGreek expedition movements of the 8th–6th century BC to establish new settlements.[61]
Little is known about the exact status of the port and the origins of the city's urbanisation.[54][10] Orikos, likeEpidamnos, could have served as a stopover for merchant ships coming fromCorinth and heading towards thePo delta and the port ofSpina, where many Corinthian vases from the 6th century BC are found.[62] Findings from the proto-urban period provide evidence of extensive contacts primarily with the Greek world.[6] As in the ports of Apollonia and Dyrrachion,Korkyrean merchants certainly conducted trade activities in the port of Orikos, as evidenced by the presence of Korkyrean coins from the 5th–4th centuries BC. The ports of southern Illyria were places of exchange of products and a meeting point between the outside world and the Illyrians located in the hinterland of the coastal cities.[7] The settlement developed towards the middle of the 5th century BC,[6] and it was built on a Greek model.[10]
The first account that described it as a Greekpolis was provided around the mid-4th century BC byPseudo-Skylax.[39]
In the Classical period Orikos was likely part of theperaia ofKorkyra, which was mentioned byThucydides.[8] A 5th century BC oracular tablet inDodona written in theCorinthian alphabet contains the inquity of a citizen of Orikos.[63] The inscription mentions thechôra of Orikos.[50]
Based on inquiries from Oricum to Dodona it has been suggested that in Oricum some dialectal variations of the localnorthwest Greek dialect might have existed as in the rest of northern Epirus.[64]
In c. 450 BC the nearby polis of Apollonia was expanded towards the south after the victory it achieved againstThronium in theBay of Aulon.[65] This may indicate Apollonia's incursion into the region of Chaonia as well as the annexation of barbarian territory on the left bank of the Aous, as far south as Oricum.[66]
From epigraphic material it can be inferred that at the beginning of theHellenistic period Oricum had already acquired the status ofpolis with its own territory. A tablet dating to the third quarter of the 4th century BC reports that Orikos and Kerkyra have made an alliance (sympoliteia).[12][67] During his rule (early 3rd century BC)Pyrrhus of Epirus gained control of Oricum.[29][14]
No fortifications are found in the city and its territory most probably because Oricum was surrounded by mountains and due to the friendly relation towards its neighbors: the Chaonians, Apollonia and the Amantes.[30]
Hellenistic brick-structured graves were largely found inApollonia,Amantia and Oricum in southern Illyria, as well as in parts ofChaonia, specifically inPhoenice. These types of graves appeared for the first time in Apollonia around the second half of the 4th century BC, and began to spread widely in the areas of Amantia and Oricum around the second half of the 3rd century BC. In the hinterland of Oricum another type of grave appeared, brick-structured graves with false archways. The building characteristics of the graves indicate that Oricum had developed a local tradition in burial architecture.[45]
Oricum became among the largest cities in northern Epirus that prospered during the last two centuries of the Hellenistic era compared to those of the coast of southern Epirus that witnessed depressed economies.[19] The city ethnonym of Orikos is attested in a 3rd century BC Korkyrian decree and a 3rd century BC oracle inquiry from Orikos as well as on coins of the city dating to the 3rd-2nd centuries BC.[8]
The city seems to have been completely independent in the period 230–215 BC.[68] After the Roman victory in theFirst Illyrian War, Illyrian Queen Teuta was forced to retreat to theBay of Kotor, and in 228 BC the Romans imposed a protectorate on the islands ofIssa andCorcyra, as well as on the cities ofEpidamnos,Apollonia and Oricum. The protectorate area corresponded to the usage of the Roman concept ofIllyricum.[15] It had military importance underRoman rule, being among the Greek towns in Illyria serving as a base during Rome's wars with theIllyrians and withMacedonia (which occupied it for a time).[69] In 214Philip V of Macedonia raided the Illyrian coast with 120lembs, briefly taking Oricum and besiegingApollonia.[17] Oricum asked Rome protection against Philip,[68] and the city was quickly recovered by Roman propraetor of the fleetMarcus Valerius Laevinus.[17] Laevinus crossed the sea to Illyria, intervening immediately because in Philip V's hands, Oricum and Apollonia would have been good naval bases for a Macedonian attack upon Italy.[70] After Philip V's defeat against the Romans, the Illyrian territory was divided into two parts: the independent kingdom ofPleuratus which comprised the northern territory of theArdiaei withScodra andLissus,Dassaretia withPelion,Lychnidus; and the Roman protectorate which comprised the territories of the ports of Orikos, Apollonia and Dyrrhachium.[71]
During thecivil war betweenCaesar andPompey in Illyria,Lissus,Dyrrhachium,Apollonia and Orikos obeyed Pompey. Pompey's mastery of the ports of the Illyrian coast forced Caesar to land atPalaeste, south of the Acroceraunian mountains.[72] Oricum was the first city taken byJulius Caesar after his arrival on theAcroceraunia, and he provides a vivid description of its surrender in Book 3 of hisDe Bello Civili:[73]
But as soon as Caesar had landed his troops, he set off the same day for Oricum: when he arrived there, Lucius Torquatus, who was governor of the town by Pompey's appointment, and had a garrison of Parthinians in it, endeavored to shut the gates and defend the town, and ordered the Greeks to man the walls, and to take arms. But as they refused to fight against the power of the Roman people, and as the citizens made a spontaneous attempt to admit Caesar, despairing of any assistance, he threw open the gates, and surrendered himself and the town to Caesar, and was preserved safe from injury by him. (III:12)
Caesar also calls the inhabitants of Oricum "Graeci", no doubt due to the fact that they spoke Greek.[23]
Oricianterebinth ("Oricia terebintho") is mentioned byVirgil[74] andSextus Propertius.[75]
Later Oricum "became more of a civilian settlement, and the few remains which can be seen today date from the 1st century BC or later. 2nd century senatorHerodes Atticus built a theater at Oricum however it was later destroyed by an earthquake.[76] Herodes stayed there for a time period probably as part of his exile.[77] The city experienced a decline during theRoman imperial era. In that period the nearby port ofAulona appears to have gained more prominence. The restoration of the city by Herodes Atticus and the omission of the name of the city in theTabula Peutingeriana, unlike that of Aulona which is recorded, provide evidence of its decline.[24]
In the 11th–12th centuries, Oricum, now known asJericho (Greek:Ἱεριχὼ), formed aByzantine province along withKanina andAulon.[78] As theProvincia Jericho et Caninon, it appears in the imperialchrysobullgranted to Venice in 1198 byAlexios III Angelos.[78]
During theOttoman Empire the harbor of Oricum was renamedPashaliman, 'the Pasha's harbour', and the lagoon still bears this name, as does the nearbyAlbanian navy base.[79][3]
Theperiegesis ofPseudo-Scymnus (c. 100 BC) reported the tradition according to which the city was founded byEuboeans on the Illyrian coast, blown off their route on their return home fromTroy by strong winds.[80][81]
It remains uncertain whether the myth of the foundation reported in theperiegesis is to be considered as historically relevant or whether it is merely an attempt to attribute a gloriousHomeric past to the city aiming to justify a Greek presence on the Illyrian coast. The first hypothesis can be supported by some other elements in literary traditions, seeming to witness to a Euboean presence in the area of Orikos dating back to the 8th century BC, but on the other hand the archaeological material found so far in the region does not precede the 6th century BC.[56]
Various other events described in Greek mythology are associated to Oricum;Geryon was said to have pastured his cattle in the area around Oricum,[82] whileHelenus stopped at Oricum.[83]
3rd century B.C. authorApollonius of Rhodes mentions in his workArgonautica that a sanctuary ofApollon Nomios was located at Oricum which included altars of theNymphs and theMoirai founded byMedea.[84]Aphrodite andEros were also worshiped.[85]
From around 230 to 168 BC the city issued its own coins with the Greek legendΩΡΙΚΙΩΝ ('of the Oricians').[86]
A monumental fountain (nymphaeum), previously thought to be a theatre, was also used as a cistern with diameter of 10 m (33 ft). No drinkable water springs were nearby so the city had to collect rain water.[87]
Below, there is also an as yet unexcavated temple, and at a certain distance lies an altar that is dedicated toDionysus.[88] A large portion of the city found is still underwater, as a helicopter ride can show the outlines of houses underwater, indicating that the coast around the port of Oricum had slowly submerged into the sea.
Traces of walls have been found around the city, evidence shows that it was repaired during Byzantine times.
About the supreme official of Oricum publications by local archaeologists state that it was either theprytanis or thestrategos; the prytanis is an institution of Epirote origin, while the title of strategos reveals influence from nearby Corfu.[89]
Near the city can be found theMarmiroi Church. This is a church of dating back to the reign of the Byzantine emperorTheodore I. It has a small 6 by 9 meters (20 by 30 ft) main hall and a dome approximately 3 meters (9.8 ft) in diameter that is supported by four Roman arches. The inner walls feature fragments of typical Byzantine murals.[1]Archived 2016-12-24 at theWayback Machine
The exact status of the port of Oricum is unknown , although its buildings are obviously Greek
From the fragments devoted to Epirus the first refers to the coast: 'μετά δε Βουθρωτός ποίλς, μετά δε Ωρικός λιμήν΄. Ths verbatim quotation proves that Hecataeus presented the coast of Epirus from south to north.
Στα σωζόμενα αποσπάσματα του Εκαταίου τα γεωγραφικά όρια της ηπείρου ταυτίζονται με την περιοχή βόρεια του Αμβρακικού κόλπου («της ηπείρου της περί Αμπρακίαν τε και Αμφιλόχους»),17 έως το βόρειο άκρο των Ακροκεραυνίων («Εκαταίος λιμένα καλεί Ηπείρου τον Ωρικόν»)
Au Ier siècle ap. J.-C., Lucain12 attribue à Orikos la même origine grecque très ancienne que celle que nous trouvons dans le mythe de fondation du Pseudo-Skymnos.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)(table) Dukat, Middle Helladic, ..The knives found in Albania are of Aegean type: they have a straight back, a lightly curved cutting edge and rivets on the base (ig. 4). In the earliest models (MH advanced), which are also present during the beginning of the LH, the rivets assume a triangular position, like the knives of Vajzë (grave 12), Dukat... In the early phases, instead, many open shapes of Minyan type, probably locally made, were found in the grave goods, like at Vajzë (grave 12), Vodhinë (graves 15 and 16) and Dukat
The Naue II swords were series of swords used in Mycenaean Greece... Naue II swords, a type known from Greece and Albania in the same period, that is the 12 century BC, the final age of the Mycenaean civilization. ... The Type II swords found at... Dukat
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)The maritime routes toward the Strait of Otranto were frequented by Greeks as early as ca. 800 B.C., and the Euboeans settled in Corcyra and Oricum in the Bay of Valona (facing Otranto) about the mid - eighth century .
To sum up: a colonising Euboean presence at both Corcyra and Orikos may seem acceptable at least for the mid-eighth century, replaced at Corcyra by Corinth probably ca 733 (or possibly some twenty-five years later). The archaeological evidence from Otranto seems to suggest that this Greek presence was preceded by proto-colonial traffic and was directed not only with a view to commerce in the Epirote lands and the Ionian sea, sailing up the coasts, but also across the Otranto Straits, to Italy and possibly also to the Adriatic (the sea north of the Straits). The evidence points to contacts already ca 800 and the first half of the eighth century and may be thus termed proto-colonial
Herodes was rumored to have been exiled as well for a time after his trial to Oricum in Epirus
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link){{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
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