Editing Epidamnos (section)

== Greek period (7th century BC – 3rd century BC) ==
Epidamnos was established in a strategic coastal location, facilitating maritime trade and interaction with the Illyrians, making it a vital trading hub between Greek city-states and local [[Taulantii]] tribe. The Taulantii tribe played a key role in the city's development, and evidence suggests a degree of cultural fusion between the Greek settlers and the indigenous Illyrians. Illyrians influenced the city but never ruled it independently.

Politically, Epidamnos was originally governed as an oligarchy, with power concentrated among the aristocracy. Allegedly, individual trading with the local Illyrians was forbidden and all traffic was through the authorized city agent or {{lang|grc-Latn|poletes}}.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}. The exiled oligarchs appealed to Corcyra while the democrats enlisted the help of Corinth, initiating the struggle between the two cities. These internal struggles led to broader regional conflicts, with Corcyra and Corinth intervening in Epidamnos' affairs, setting the stage for the [[Peloponnesian War]] (431–404 BC), as described by [[Thucydides]]. 

Over time, internal conflicts led to a shift toward a more democratic system, as noted several times by Aristotle in ''[[Politics (Aristotle)|Politics]],'' who took Epidamnos as an example of governments with tight oligarchy that appointed a ruling magistrate.

In the fourth century BC the [[city-state]] was part of the kingdoms of [[Cassander]] and [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus]]. The general vicinity of Epidamnos was called '''Epidamnia'''.<ref>James Augustus St. John, ''The History of the Manners and Customs of Ancient Greece'', 1842, Volume 3, page 275 (reprint 2003, {{ISBN|1-4021-5441-0}})</ref> During the Hellenistic era, the city was briefly controlled by the Macedonian rulers [[Cassander]] and [[Pyrrhus of Epirus]] in the 4th century BC. Pyrrhus, one of the most formidable opponents of Rome, used Epidamnos as a strategic base in his campaigns.