Δυρράχιον, πόλις Ἰλλυρική, [καὶ] Ἐπίδαμνος κληθεῖσα ἀπὸ Ἐπιδάμνου. τούτου θυγάτηρ Μέλισσα, ἧς καὶ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ὁ Δυρράχιος· ἀφ´ ἧς ἔστιν ἐν Ἐπιδάμνῳ τόπος Μελισσώνιος, ἔνθα Ποσειδῶν αὐτῇ συνῆλθεν, ὡς Φίλων. [Στράβων δ´ ἐν ηʹ φησί] “μετὰ δὲ τὸν Ῥιζονικὸν Λίσσος ἐστὶ πόλις καὶ Ἀκρόλισσος καὶ Ἐπίδαμνος Κερκυραίων κτίσμα, ἡ νῦν Δυρράχιον ὁμωνύμως τῇ χερρονήσῳ λεγομένη ἐφ´ ἧς ἵδρυται”. Δέξιππος δὲ ἐν χρονικῶν ιʹ φησὶν οὕτως “καὶ Μακεδόνων τὴν [πρότερον] μὲν Ἐπίδαμνον, ἐσύστερον δὲ Δυρράχιον μετονομασθεῖσαν, πόλιν τῆς Μακεδονίας μεγάλην καὶ εὐδαίμονα κατὰ κράτος αἱροῦσιν”. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ ἐν Εὐρώπῃ μετὰ τοῦ « σ » Δυσράχιον αὐτὴν καλεῖ “Δυσραχίου τ´ Ἐπίδαμνος ἐπ´ ἀγχιάλου χθονὸς ἀκτῆς”. ἔστι καὶ ἄλλη Λακωνικῆς μία τῶν ρʹ. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἡ χώρα τῆς Ἰλλυρίας Δυρραχία· Εὐφορίων “ἄστεα Δυρραχίης τε καὶ ἔθνεα Ταυλαντίνων”. καὶ δῆλον ὅτι Δυρράχιος τὸ τούτου ἀρσενικόν, ὡς τοῦ Ἀνακτόριον τὸ Ἀνακτόριος, Βυζάντιον Βυζάντιος, Θούριον Θούριος, Κούριον Κούριος. Ἐρατοσθένης γʹ γεωγραφουμένων “ἐχόμενοι δ´ οἰκοῦσι Ταυλάντιοι. πόλις δὲ Ἑλληνὶς Ἐπίδαμνος ἐπὶ χερρονήσου τῆς καλουμένης Δυρραχίου. ποταμοὶ δὲ Δρίλων καὶ Ἀῶος, περὶ οὓς οἱ Κάδμου καὶ Ἁρμονίας τάφοι δείκνυνται”. ὅμως δὲ νῦν Δυρραχηνοί λέγονται. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ Βάλακρος ἐν Μακεδονικοῖς φησί “καὶ τούτων αἱ πόλεις Δυρραχηνοῖς τε καὶ Ἀπολλωνιάταις ἐπιδιῄρηνται”. καὶ Ἑρέννιος Φίλων ἐν τοῖς Ἰατρικοῖς Δυρραχηνὸν ἀναγράφει Φιλωνίδην οὕτως “Ἀσκληπιάδης ἀκουστὰς ἔσχε Τίτον Αὐφίδιον Σικελὸν καὶ Φιλωνίδην Δυρραχηνὸν καὶ Νίκωνα Ἀκραγαντῖνον”. καὶ πάλιν “Φιλωνίδης δὲ ὁ Δυρραχηνὸς ἤκουσε μὲν Ἀσκληπιάδου, ἰατρεύσας δὲ ἐν τῇ πατρίδι ἐνδόξως συνετάξατο βιβλία μέ”. λέγει δὲ Παυσανίας ϛʹ περὶ τῆς ἀρχαίας καὶ τῆς νῦν πόλεως οὕτως “Ἐπιδάμνιοι μὲν χώραν ἥν περ καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, πόλιν δὲ οὐ τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἐπὶ ἡμῶν ἔχουσιν, ἐκείνης δ´ ἀφεστηκυῖαν ὀλίγον· ὄνομα δὲ τῇ πόλει [τῇ νῦν] Δυρράχιον ἀπὸ τοῦ οἰκιστοῦ”.
Dyrrhachion: a city of Illyricum, formerly called Epidamnos after Epidamnos. His daughter was Melissa; and by her and Poseidon was born Dyrrhachios. From her there is in Epidamnos a place called Melissōnios, where Poseidon consorted with her, as Philo says (FGrHist 790 F 35).
“After the Rizonian Gulf there is the city Lissos, and Akrolissos …”
Epidamnos— a foundation of the Kerkyraians— is the city now called Dyrrhachion, named after the peninsula of the same name on which it is situated. Dexippos too, in his Chronicles, speaks thus: “... and [they took possession] of the Macedonians’ city, the one formerly Epidamnos, but later renamed Dyrrhachion ...”. Alexander, in Europa (SH 25), with sigma, calls it Dysrachion: “and Epidamnos of Dysrachion on the shore of the sea-beaten coast.”
There is also another (city) in Laconia, one of the hundred. And the district of Illyria (is called) Dysrachia, whose masculine form is Dysrachios; but now the inhabitants are called Dyrrhachēnoi, as Herennios Philo says in On Physicians: “Philonidēs the Dyrrhachēnos was a hearer of Asklepiadēs, and, having practised medicine with distinction in his native city, composed books …”. Clearly Dyrrhachios is the masculine corresponding to this, as Anaktorion → Anaktorios, Byzantion → Byzantios, Thourion → Thourios, Kourion → Kourios.
Eratosthenes, in book 3 of the Geographoumena (fr. III B 109, p. 355 Berger): “Next dwell the Taulantii. There is a Greek city, Epidamnos, on a peninsula called Dyrrhachion. The rivers are the Drilōn and the Aōos, near which the tombs of Cadmus and Harmonia are pointed out.” Nevertheless they are now called Dyrrhachēnoi. Thus too Balakros in his Macedonica (FGrHist 773 F 2) says: “and the cities of these regions are apportioned between the Dyrrhachēnoi and the Apollōniatai.” And Herennios Philo in On Physicians (FGrHist 790 F 53) records a Dyrrhachēnos, Philonidēs, as follows: “Asklepiadēs had as pupils Titus Aufidius of Sicily, and Philonidēs of Dyrrhachion, and Nīkōn of Akragas.” And again: “Philonidēs the Dyrrhachēnos was a hearer of Asklepiadēs, and, having practised medicine with distinction in his native city, composed books …”.
Pausanias, in book 6 (6.10.8), speaks of the ancient city and the present one thus: “The Epidamnians possess the territory they had from the beginning, but in my time they do not possess the original city, but one a little removed from it; and the city’s name is Dyrrhachion, from the founder.”