Cavtat

Cavtat (Croatian: t͡sǎʋtat) is a town in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. It is on the Adriatic Sea coast 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of Dubrovnik and is the centre of the Konavle municipality.

History

Antiquity

The original city was founded by the Greeks in the 6th century BC under the name of Epidaurus (or Epidauros, Greek: Επίδαυρος). The surrounding area was inhabited by the Illyrians, who called the city Zaptal.

The town changed its name to Epidaurum when it came under Roman rule in 228 BC. Justinian I the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire sent his fleet to Cavtat during the Gothic War (535–554) and occupied the town.

The city was sacked and destroyed by the Avars and Slavs in the 7th century. Refugees from Epidaurum fled to the nearby island, Laus (Ragusa) which over time evolved into the city of Dubrovnik.

Middle Ages

The town was re-established in the Middle Ages (Ragusa-Vecchia). After a short while it came under the control of its powerful neighbor, the Republic of Ragusa.