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According to Greek mythology, Troezen came into being as a result of two ancient cities, Hyperea and Antheia, being unified by Pittheus, who named the new city in honor of his deceased brother, Troezen. The ancient city of Troezen was one of the first cult centres in honour of the sea god Poseidon (in Greek mythology Poseidon is a forebearer of the former king Troezen after whom the city was named).
In 580 BC and in the face of the advancing Persian army Athenian general Themistocles proposed to the city assembly that all the women, children and elderly residents of Athens be evacuated to Troezen while able bodied men were sent to fight the Persians or to man the Athenian fleet. Although Athens was subsequently destroyed its citizens were spared.
During the Classical and Hellenistic periods numerous temples and other buildings were constructed in Troezen including a complex of buildings forming a sanctuary to Asclepius although this was somewhat overshadowed by its rival at nearby Epidauros. Other temples were dedicated to Artemis, Hippolytus, Athena and Aphrodite, traces of which can be found in a forest near Troizina.
In 230 BC the volcano at nearby Methana erupted causing severe earthquakes which destroyed many of the temples and buildings at Troezen leading to a decline of the sanctuary to Asclepius. During the Roman era many of these buildings were restored but as Christianity became predominant material from ancient buildings was used in the construction of churches as can be seen in the Diocese church which dates to the 6th century AD.
References:The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.
The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.