International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Elida Miraj
Albanian Association of Byzantine Studies, Tirana, Albania; 
[e-mail]
The Early Christian Mosaics from Dyrrachium
Coloniae Juliae Augustae Dyrrachinorum
, the most strategic city in the Adriatic coast, one of two 
principal gates of Christian diffusion into Balkans (the other is Salona), was a main centre of a province, 
part of a large region, often named 
Dysrrahia
always within the limits of the Macedoine Province. 
In the late-antique period, a series of large-scale works were carried out, including the 
construction of basilicas, villas, the round forum or 
macellum
, the chapel in the amphitheatre, the 
sewer system, etc. 
Often, during the excavations for the new construction of the city, are discovered fragments of 
these villas decorated with frescos, mosaics, etc. One of the interesting mosaics, excavated years ago, 
is Roman Polychrome one with the floral motives and the inscription: MARTINIA. It decorated a 
villa where one of the rooms paved with mosaics has an apse. 

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Another mosaic is composed with the figure of Orpheus which is surrounded by both animals 
and vegetations. Around this principle ‘icon’ the mosaic is composed by geometrical and floral 
motives. This scene enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the Empire and is probably one of 
the last testimonies before the earthquake of 346 A.D. and the division of Roman Empire at c. 395 
A.D. After that city began the new type of life and the new construction, although both paganism 
and Christianity faced difficult cultural chooses in both the third and the fourth centuries.
One of the very interesting Early Christian constructions is the chapel adapted on the structures 
of the amphitheatre. There are not data about the precise date of the abandonment of amphitheatre, 
but of course this happened in the second half of IV century, after the earthquake of 345/346 A.D. 
The chapel is mostly known for the VI
th
century mosaics on the walls. These mosaics are 
composed with 
eikons 
in three panels, on the two different and quite perpendicular walls, under the 
sloped construction of the amphitheatre’s 
vomitorium
that was part of the nave.
The other monument is the Early Christian Basilica, dated in the V
th
or VI
th
century, dedicated 
to Saint Michael and located in Arapaj, a village 6 kilometres south-east of Dyrrachium city. This 
Basilica is known for the beautiful and very special mosaic. The surface of the mosaic is 54 m
2
, 
situated at the side funerary or martyrodom. This polychrome mosaic is composed with two 
emblems: one with Eucharistic scene, and the other with Bucolic scene. 
The mosaics discovered in Durres are very fine examples of the Early Christian period and 
demonstrate the importance of the city as the principal gate into Balkans.