Ancient City Salona

Salona was founded as early as the 4th century BC as a base and port for the Illyrian Dalmatians. In its early days, the city hosted Greek settlers and Italics alongside the Illyrians. After the civil war between Caesar and Pompey in 47 BC, Salona gained the status of a Roman colony and developed into the metropolis of the Roman province of Illyricum. Salona experienced its golden age under Emperor Diocletian (284–305), who had his palace built not far from the city. The city, which at that time had up to 60,000 inhabitants, was trapezoidal in shape and protected by walls, the eastern parts of which are still preserved today. Public buildings such as the forum with the Capitol and a theater characterized the cityscape. In the 1st century BC, the city began to expand to the east and west, which led to an extension of the city walls to protect the new areas from Germanic tribes.