Dimale
Dimale or Dimallum (Illyrian: Διμάλη /Dimálē; Ancient Greek: Διμάλη or Διμάλλον; Latin: Dimallum) was a town in southern Illyria in classical antiquity which was situated in the vicinity or within the territory of the Parthini, an Illyrian tribe. It was built on a hill of 450 m above sea level, in the hinterland of Apollonia, about 30 km from the eastern coast of the Adriatic. It is located in today Krotinë, Berat County, Albania.
Διμάλη | |
Shown within Albania | |
| Alternative name | Διμάλλον, Dimallum |
|---|---|
| Location | Krotinë, Berat County, Albania |
| Region | Illyria |
| Coordinates | 40°42′59″N 19°47′49″E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman |
| Cultures | Illyrian, Greek, Roman |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Public |
The first walls of Dimale were built around mid-4th century BC when the Illyrians went through a dynamic development founding their own cities. The urban settlement was built on an already existent Illyrian hilltop proto-urban area dating back to the previous century. In the Hellenistic period (between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC) the town experienced its climax, during a phase marked by intense urban planning, including the construction of a new city wall and the building of several stoas, a temple, and a theater, showing a significant influence of the Ancient Greek culture on the local Illyrian inhabitants. Manufacturing and materials seem to witness an intense exchange with nearby Apollonia.
The fortified town of Dimale was regarded as impenetrable by Illyrians. It was involved in the Second Roman-Illyrian War and the First Roman-Macedonian War.