#buthrotum

[2seeitall]

The Roman Forum, Butrint - Albania

Butrint (ancient Bouthrotos/ Buthrotum) was a port in western Epirus, present-day Albania. Julius Ceasar made Butrint a Roman colony in the 1st century BC and allowed his soldiers that fought against Pompey to settle there as a reward. An earthquake destroyed the forum and its adjacent buildings in the late 4th century AD.

[fieriframes]

[After leaving Buthrotum the Trojans sail to Acroceraunia.]

[catilinas]

oh troycarthagerome we’re really in it now

[whencyclopedia]

Butrint

Butrint (ancient name Buthrotum) is located on the fertile coast of Epirus in present-day Albania and was an important settlement in Hellenistic and Roman times due to its position on the route from Italy to mainland Greece down the Ionian Sea, its safe anchorage, inland access via Lake Butrint and its proximity to Corcyra (Corfu). Butrint is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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[aeneiddaily]

andromache... shes had to watch not one but two of her home cities fall to the same guy. so she built a little troy. or if you go with the buthrotum being the land of the dead theory she cant. rest until shes built something she can keep.

iulus looking like scamandrius despite being like. a distant cousin. despite the iulus + neoptolemus parallels in inheriting their fathers crimes. i gotta lay down actually.

SHE CAN'T REST UNTIL SHE'S BUILT SOMETHING SHE CAN KEEP!

[e-pistulae]

in today's letter: is anyone else tired. i almost miss buthrotum

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[jasmineleeplays]

We achieve "The True Royal Court" achievement after Queen Matilda's Royal Court rank became 4th in the world with 54 Court Grandeur, surpassing her liege Kaiser Konrad II of the Holy Roman Empire who is only 5th in the world.

Queen Matilda's son-in-law, Count Bohemond of Buthrotum who is the husband of the recently deceased Princess Beatrice, tries to seduce Queen Matilda into having sex with him to assuage his loneliness and longing for Princess Beatrice. Queen Matilda rejects him as not only is it inappropriate to her daughter's memory, but she is a Zealous and pious woman as well.

Queen Matilda's stepson and Court Poet, Ralph forges yet another Famed item - this time, Italian Flexible Mail. Given that she already has the Burnished Scale Armor of Illustrious quality, at first, Queen Matilda thought of giving this to Prince Goffredo's 2nd son Count Adelmio of Antwerpen. Later, however, she thought better of it and let her eldest grandson Count Goffredo III decide on the fate of the armor. She will hold on to it for now.

While Queen Matilda's combined forces with Basileus Eusebios and the King of Georgia in the Liberty War suffers ignominious defeat at the hands of Basileus Eusebios vassals at the Battle of Herpha, Queen Matilda gets invited to a Grand Wedding by Duke Jakob of Angria of House Zahringen.

During the Wedding proceedings, Queen Matilda set about trying to gain an alliance with Duchess Wartrun "Irontooth" of Steyermark given that she has 2.7k+ troops. She approaches Duchess Wartrun with rumours about a courtly plot, betting that Duchess Wartrun would be interested as an Intrigue character. The approach succeeds in gaining favour with her, however it does not lead to an alliance.

Meanwhile, there were 2 other normal marriages that took place:

Between Queen Matilda's grandson (Princess Beatrice's son) Nicola di Canossa and the Sardinian Asexual Giantess Elianora de Lacon-Gunale.

Between Basileus Eusebios of the Byzantine Empire and Queen Matilda's granddaughter (Prince Goffredo's daughter) Basilissa Anna of the Byzantine Empire who grew up to be a Brilliant Strategist (4-star Martial Education) with 19 Martial.

Both Nicola and Anna seem to however, take after their grandfather King Gottfried "the Hunchback" who was known for his extremely short stature.

[p-clodius-pulcher]

The author doesn’t mention it but the bit where Hannibal languishes in Capua and it becoming a replacement for Carthage is almost reminiscent of Aeneas in Buthrotum where a replacement for Troy is founded by Andromache

Losing sight of Rome in comforts that remind you of home etc etc, a pale imitation that will never fulfill you etc etc

[gaytrojanshit]

@ 95% of podcasts, books, other media content, etc. he deserves more than the one paragraph in the iliad, man has a whole story with andromache in buthrotum and for what?

[finelythreadedsky]

if i were a refugee from troy sent to found rome i would simply not stop in thrace

or crete

or buthrotum

or carthage

rip to aeneas but i’m different

[perkingthepansies]

When in Greece go to Albania

It’s only three miles from Corfu at its closest point so it would be rude not to. We sailed the hydrofoil from Corfu Town and here we are sipping a cappuccino at a smart restaurant in Sarandë, a port and resort on the Albanian Riviera – yes, they’ve got a riviera. We’re on a coach trip with a herd of Saga louts – Brits and Germans mainly. We had neither the wit nor the inclination to organise the tour independently. Albanian’s call their country Republika e Shqipërisë. No, I can’t pronounce it either so let’s just stick with Albania.

The Trojan Connection

Our first excursion is to the ancient city of Butrint – Roman Buthrotum back in the day and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After years in Turkey, I tend to be a bit blasé about old cities – Turkey’s got ‘em by the quarry-load. But I have to admit the site is pretty impressive with its Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman remains. And the setting on the edge of a lagoon is magical. According to Greek mythology, the city was founded by exiles from Troy. A fanciful tale? Maybe not.

We’ve meandered through a mozzie-infested thicket and over long-buried streets to various ruins in various stages of ruination, including a Byzantine basilica – reputedly the largest in the world after Hagia Sophia in old Constantinople. While imposing, I didn’t think it was that big but what do I know?

As we rambled, I Googled ‘Butrint’ and happened across the UK Butrint Foundation. Guess where it’s based? Yep, Norwich. Small world.

Pushy Fraulein

We’re back in Sarandë for lunch. Many of our fellow passengers would push their firstborn under a bus to get to the buffet first. It’s like feeding time at the zoo. I had to neck an Albanian beer to get over the shock of an ancient Teuton with fat ankles, bum bag and curly perm elbowing me out of the way to get her grubby hands on the köfte.

Eye Spy

Our afternoon excursion sped us through the Butrint National Park to the Blue Eye, a spring that bubbles forth from a deep pool. I don’t think I’ve ever seen waters so clear or iridescent. The images here are for real – no filters required.

Ooh, Aah, Kosovar

We have an hour or so to kill before our hydrofoil back to Corfu Town. Liam’s sniffed out a swish harbourside bar, with prices to match. I’m sipping Kosovar wine. I didn’t know they made wine in Kosovo. Sarandë is a handsome town – more modern than I was expecting but then I don’t really know what I was expecting. Actually, I’ve never visited an ex-‘Communist’ state before. I’ve been to yer actual Commie country – when I took the train 1,500 or so miles from London to Moscow during Brezhnev’s reign. And then there was Romania when Ceaușescu was on the throne. Both experiences were broadening but those eras are long gone. Albania is beautiful but it’s developing fast. There are mouths to feed and aspirations to fulfil. I just hope they don’t lose too much in the mad rush to be just like everyone else.

Here Endeth the Lesson

I’m guessing not many people know much about Albania. I certainly didn’t. But I know a little more now, courtesy of our guide, a splendid young man who speaks great English, and great German too by the sound of it. Throughout the day, he’s been giving us a potted history in bite-size episodes. He even mentioned the German occupation during the Second World War, something  I thought he might have skipped to avoid offence. It was done in such a matter-of-fact way, I’m sure no one was offended. Our young guide is looking to the future, not dwelling on the past. I’m rather taken with him (not in that way – get your minds out of the gutter). He ended the lesson by saying simply,

Don’t judge Albania by what you’ve heard. Judge Albania by what you see – good and bad.

He got a round of applause – and a tip.

Coming soon – Postcards from Corfu Town.

  Postcards from Albania When in Greece go to Albania It’s only three miles from Corfu at its closest point so it would be rude not to.

[knowledgeistreasure]

Butrint, (Buthrotum) Albania.

Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, then a brief occupation by the Venetians, the city was abandoned in the late Middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of ruins representing each period in the city’s development....https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/570

[catilinas]

translating e-pistulae like marce tulli shut UP about buthrotum who give a shit. and then reading the aeneid like buthrotum <3 is so sexy <3 and haunted <3

[effulgentpoet]

mythology aesthetics

HELENUS

In Greek mythology, Helenus was the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, and the twin brother of the prophetess Cassandra. Cassandra, having been given the power of prophecy by Apollo, taught it to her brother. Like Cassandra, he was always right, but unlike her, others believed him. Helenus was part of the Trojan forces led by his brother Hector that beat the Greeks back from the plains west of Troy, and attacked their camp. When the Myrmidons led by Achilles turn the tide of battle and Hector is killed, Helenus survives. Helenus retreated to Mount Ida, where Odysseus later captured him. He told the Greek forces under what circumstances they could take Troy. After the fall of Troy, Helenus went with Neoptolemus to Epirus, where Neoptolemus permitted him to found the city of Buthrotum. After Neoptolemus left Epirus, he left Andromache and their sons in Helenus's care. After Neoptolemus was killed, Helenus became king. Andromache bore him a son, Cestrinus, who was a legendary king. X

[fluentisonus]

#also only vaguely related but it is the COOLEST thing that ‘latinus’ city’. in latium which is an Area. is never named!!!!!! #like it’s so busy being troy (and by extension buthrotum) carthage and rome that it’s never its own city #vergil and the things he does w cities. unbelievably sexy

I've said this is in an essay already but if they ever make an aeneid adaption I think that latium at the end should use the same set as troy did at the beginning

[e-pistulae]

in today's letter: do you guys remember when cicero was governor of cilicia. cicero does. anyway. there are a whoooole bunch of letters to q. cornificius that are hard to date but are proobably from spring 43 bce. so get ready for that. at least they're not about buthrotum???

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