Editing History of Albania (section)

=== Greeks and Romans ===
[[File:Dyrrachium coin.jpg|thumb|176x176px|[[Ancient Greek]] coin of [[Durrës|Dyrrachium]].|left]]
[[File:Apollonia, Albania (by Pudelek) - Monument of Agonothetes.JPG|thumb|304x304px|[[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]] archaeological park]]
[[File:5th century roman mosaic albania.jpg|thumb|306x306px|5th century mosaic from a Roman villa]]
Beginning in the 7th century BC, Greek colonies were established on the Illyrian coast. The most important were [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]], Aulon (modern-day [[Vlorë]]), [[Epidamnos]] (modern-day [[Durrës]]), and [[Lissus (Illyria)|Lissus]] (modern-day [[Lezhë]]). The city of [[Buthrotum]] (modern-day Butrint), a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]], is probably more significant today than it was when [[Julius Caesar]] used it as a provisions depot for his troops during his campaigns in the 1st century BC. At that time, it was considered an unimportant outpost, overshadowed by Apollonia and Epidamnos.<ref>An Inventory of Archaic and [[Classical antiquity|Classical]] Poleis by Mogens Herman, {{ISBN|0-19-814099-1}}, 2004, page 343, "Bouthroton (Bouthrotios)"</ref>

The lands comprising modern-day Albania were incorporated into the Roman Empire as part of the province of [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]] above the river [[Drin (river)|Drin]], and Roman [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Macedonia]] (specifically as [[Epirus Nova]]) below it. The western part of the [[Via Egnatia]] ran inside modern Albania, ending at [[Dyrrachium]]. [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]] was later divided into the provinces of [[Dalmatia (Roman province)|Dalmatia]] and [[Pannonia]].

The [[Roman province]] of ''Illyricum'' or<ref>Ludwig Schaaff, ''Enzyklopädie der klassischen Altertumskunde'', 2002, {{ISBN|0-543-80046-6}}, page 17</ref><ref>An ancient geography, classical and sacred. By S. Augustus Mitchell. by Michigan Historical Reprint Series, 2005, {{ISBN|1-4255-3778-2}}, page 215</ref> ''Illyris Romana'' or ''Illyris Barbara'' or ''Illyria Barbara'' replaced most of the region of [[Illyria]]. It stretched from the [[Drin River|Drilon]] River in modern [[Albania]] to [[Istria]] ([[Croatia]]) in the west and to the [[Sava]] River ([[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]) in the north. [[Salona]] (near modern [[Split (city)|Split]] in Croatia) functioned as its capital. The regions which it included changed through the centuries though a great part of ancient [[Illyria]] remained part of [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]].

South Illyria became [[Epirus Nova]], part of the Roman province of Macedonia. In 357 AD the region was part of the [[Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum]] one of four large [[praetorian prefecture]]s into which the [[Later Roman Empire|Late Roman Empire]] was divided. By 395 AD dioceses in which the region was divided were the [[Diocese of Dacia]] (as Pravealitana), and the [[Diocese of Macedonia]] (as Epirus Nova). Most of the region of modern Albania corresponds to the [[Epirus Nova]].