Ancient Greece, Illyria, Apollonia As Roman Protectorate (C.229-100 Bce), Drachm (C)

An important city on the Adriatic with ancient trade links to Italy. Apollonia became a protectorate of the Roman Republic in 229 BCE, before formally becoming a province 148 BCE. This relationship allowed the city to prosper and it would become home to a renowned school of philosophy. An earthquake during the Later Roman Empire changed the course of the river Aous, causing the harbor to silt up and creating a malaria-ridden swamp, destroying the towns trade and driving its inhabitants away. Abandoned in late antiquity, it remained buried until rediscovered by archaeologists in the 18th century and subsequently excavated.