Berat was probably founded by king Kassander of Macedonia and named after his father Antipatros. Theodosias II renamed the city to Pulcheropolis. The walls of the town were renovated by Justinian and extended with towers. After the Bulgarian conquest in the year 860, the town was named Beligrad/Belograd from which the name Berat derived. Berat was reintegrated into the Byzantine Empire in the year 1018. The lower towns were fortified in the medieval age. After the Fourth Crusade in 1204 Berat became a part of the Despotate of Epirus and it's capital. Michael II gave Berat to Manfred of Hohenstaufen; after his death it formed part of the Regnum Albaniae. In 1280-81 the region and Berat became again part of the Byzantine Empire and lost in 1345 to Stefan IV Dušan. In the year 1417 Berat was conquered by the Ottomans, who then built the citadel, the lower town and a bazar. During his rebellion, Skanderbeg unsuccessfully besieged Berat (AAI, 55 (13-14) - ad episcopatum Belogradensem; GČ KNS, 87 (48-49) - de Belgrado).