Dyrrhachion

Historical Overview

The site of Dyrrhachion is located in modern Alabania along the eastern Adriatic coast. Its location along the coast made it an important site for trade and the circulation of goods and ideas during the Hellenistic Period (Davis et. al. 2003, 69). 

Dyrrhachion was founded as a Greek colony of Corcyra in the 7th century BCE by Epidamnus (Jones 2025, 98; Kagan 2013, 2). In the Hellenistic Period, the city fell under the rule of Kassander in 314 BCE and then Pyrrhus from 297-272 BCE (Jones 2025, 100). The Hellenistic Period is characterized by growing contacts with other regions in the Mediterranean. However, Roman involvement in Illyria did not begin until 229 BCE with the First Illyrian War (Meta 2021, 63). 

Art Historical and Economic Overview 

Dyrrhachion, also known as Durrës (modern) and Epidamnus (ancient), was a Greek colony founded by the city-state of Corcyra along the Illyrian coast in what is now Albania. Economically, Dyrrhachion served as an important port city in the Adriatic Sea, particularly in the Hellenistic period when the expansion of trade networks linked the Adriatic to the broader Mediterranean world. The city produced an abundance of agricultural products and livestock, making them a valuable trade partner to other Greek city-states, but also a target in warfare (Crane 1992, 3-4; Prifti 1986, 26-27; Istrianna 2017).

Zeus and Heracles were popular deities in Dyrrhachion, whose representations appear in visual culture around the ancient Mediterranean and western Anatolian Regions. Heracles was associated with the local foundation myth of the city. The coins of Dyrrhacion portray the cow suckling a calf motif (like the obverse of coins from Corcyra), the club of Herakles motif, and the stellate pattern meant to represent the Gardens of Alcinous, and various other symbolism of Zeus and Hera (Prifti 1986, 27).

Iconography in the Coins of Dyrrhachion

The iconography on the Late Classical-Early Hellenistic staters of Dyrrhachion is tied to the city’s history and identity. The obverse features a cow suckling its calf, likely related to the importance of livestock in Dyrrhachion and the goddess Hera. Other important features not seen on this coin, but found on others, include an eagle on the obverse and the head of Heracles on the obverse. 

The obverse of the Dyrrhachion coin in the CUAM collection features a cow suckling its calf, likely representing the city's major cattle industry. The motif may also connect to the goddess Hera's role in marriage and childbirth. The cow suckling its calf represents the people of Dyrrhachion's mastery of animal husbandry and uses the calf as an emblem of fertility and abundance (Prifti 1986, 26-27). It also represents the agricultural fertility of the land around the city. 

The obverse design recalls the staters of Corcyra, the city which founded Dyrrhachion. The use of similar images suggests there were continued connections between Dyrrhachion and its mother city, which is further indicated by their shared weight standard (Fried 1982, 3; Jones 2025, 100). Scholars have proposed a variety of interpretations for this stellate design and what it represents, including the Garden of Alcinoos, the stars of the Dioscuroi, flowers associated with the cult of Apollo Aristaios, the stable for the cattle of Apollo, or simply a floral pattern meant to duplicate the reverse of Corcyran drachms (Fried 1982, 3; Hind 1999, 285; Kitchel 1976, 123). The proposed interpretations all attempt to link the stellate pattern with Corcyra, and thus in the case of Dyrrhachion, this reverse demonstrates a close connection iconographically with the colony’s mother city.

The legend on the reverse of the coin, ΔΥΡ ("DYR" = abbreviation of Dyrrhachion), helps to identify this coin as a product of the mint at Dyrrhachion rather than Corcyra, despite the iconographic similarities between the coins of the two cities. A close examination of the Corcyran stater (fig. 2), shows instead the letters ΚΟΡ ("KOR" = abbreviation of Corcyra), similarly denoting the city of production. The club of Herakles may relate to the iconography on the bronze coins of Dyrrhachion that were produced contemporary to these staters, depicting the head of Heracles on the obverse and a bow, club, and quiver on the reverse. Heracles iconography was popular across the Mediterranean, particularly in Greek colonies as a traveling hero.

Bibliography

Anon, Dyrrhachium, -illyria ancient greek coins -wildwinds.com. 

https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/illyria/dyrrhachium/

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Kitchel, K. F. 1976. “The Golden Door of Alcinoos as a Coin-Type (Corcyra, Apollonia, Dyrrhacium).” In Antipolis 1, 123-128.

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