Appolonia, which we visited on May 6, 2026, was once a major Roman port. It was a cultured city, with a renowned school of philosophy. Julius Caesar sent his nephew, Octavius, to Appolonia to fnish his education. Octavius was at Appolonia when he learned that Julius Caesar had been murdered by Brutus. Octavius immediately returned to Rome and eventually became Augustus Caesar, the Roman emperor when Christ was born.
Appolonia's port silted up and Appolonia is now miles from the Adriatic Sea. Few people visit, which adds to its mournful charm.
Albania decided not to preserve the imposing Acropolis of Appolonia, but put an army base there during its Communist dictatorship years. Many other ruins remain, such as the amphitheater, mosaic floors, and columns.
When we visited Appolonia, school children were visiting. It looked like they were rehearsing for a program.
We visited the nearby Byzantine Monastery of St. Mary, which had an ornate nave and a museum with Roman statues and columns from Old Appolonia.
We traveled on to Durres, the second largest city in Albania, which is on the Adriatic Sea. It also has classical roots, including an amphiteater which once held 18,000 people.
We descended through a tunnel under the amphitheater to see the areas where gladiators prepared to enter the ring to fight either other gladiators or wild beasts.
We visited the cave-like areas, under the amphitheater, where Christians had worshipped and buried their dead. There were still Christian frescoes on the walls.
Finally, we reached Tirana, capital of Albania. We stayed at the old Tirana International Hotel, which was the top lodging in the country during Communist times. The few foreign leaders who visited isolated Albania when it was a satellite of first Russia and then China, stayed here.
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