L’influenza di Roma sul paesaggio: il caso di Nikopolis d’Epiro

The Nikopolis site in Epirus is a concrete proof of roman presence in Greece. The preservation of the structures in Nikopolis is impressive, even if city walls were reduced and modified during the barbaric invasion. For this reason it is possible to admire emperors’ care for the Augustan city, well known in ancient times for the Actium Games too. Despite being highly disadvantaged due to the lack of drinkable water and Octavian’s natural defence, the city is the symbol of Octavian victory in the battle of Actium of 31 BC and its strategic position represents the power of Rome as the only authority in the whole Mediterranean Sea. Given the importance of the Nikopolis site, an in-depth study of its archaeological evidence is required. Every archaeological find that can be linked to the city or its suburbia is considered as a Topographical Unit and many Topographical Units were collected due to the thirty-year hard work of the Scientific Nicopolis Committee directed by Prof. Zachos. As a result, the main aim of this paper is the fulfilment of a Topographical Index made by a GIS based on Google Maps in order to identify the most significant moments in Nikopolis life and possibly link them to historic events.