Historical background to Cavtat
Like so many Dalmatian cities, Cavtat began as a Greek settlement. Called Epidauros, it fell under Roman rule in 228 BC and later became a Roman colony. At the beginning of the 7th century, Avars and Slavs invaded Cavtat and destroyed the town. Refugees from the town formed another settlement--Dubrovnik. In the Middle Ages, Cavtat was part of Dubrovnik and called Astarea but it was lost in 1302. Rich Dubrovnik finally managed to buy back its lost territory in 1426 and from then on it became part of Dubrovnik history.