You are on page 1of 3

1

Illyria and Illyrians may be defined as Illyrian), which is different


from the middle Dalmatian and northern
MARJETA ŠAŠEL KOS
Adriatic onomastic regions (Katičić 1976).
The Illyrians are first mentioned by
The history of the Illyrians and Illyria, variously Hecataeus of Miletos (FGrH 1 frs. 98–101)
understood in modern scholarship, is divided and by Herodotus (1.196; 4.49), but more
into different phases, of which the first, lasting data about Illyrian peoples are contained in
until the collapse of the Illyrian kingdom, may the Periplus of Pseudo-Skylax (ca. 330 BCE:
be explained in terms of (varying) alliances of GGM 1: 26ff.) and in Pseudo Skymnos (second
tribes and peoples of common or similar ethnic century BCE; ibid., 211ff.). According to the
background, speaking similar languages. Some emendation of the corrupted text of Pseudo-
extreme theses, such as that of “panillyrism” Skylax, the territory of the Illyrians would have
(Krahe 1955), which recognized the Illyrians begun east of the Enchelei, extending as far as
as bearers of the Urnfield culture, have been the Chaones. Of the interior peoples, only the
abandoned. Autariatai are considered Illyrian (Papazoglu
To judge from the first occurrence of the 1978). Already by the fifth century BCE Illyrian
name in ancient authors, the word designates a kingdoms were powerful, the name Illyrian
league of peoples; but the existence of an origi- becoming eponymous for a number of neigh-
nal eponymous people may be reflected in the boring peoples and tribes. The kings of the
legend of KADMOS and Harmonia and their son earlier dynasties (Bardylis, Grabos, Kleitos,
Illyrios, as well as in the Illyrii proprie dicti of Glaukias) are mainly known as the enemies of
Pliny (HN 3.144) and Pomponius Mela the Macedonian kingdom, particularly from
(2.3.56). Pliny located them in the conventus the time of king Amyntas onwards (Cabanes
of Narona, between Epidaurum and Lissus, 1988). The best known is the Ardiaean Dynasty
where the first contacts between Greek mer- of AGRON and TEUTA, as well as the kingdom
chants (or explorers) and the inhabitants of with its center among the Labeatai and the
a region called “Illyria” could have occurred. last Illyrian king, GENTHIOS.
However, the Illyrians were hardly known The Illyrian kingdoms had a bad reputation
to the Greek world, because the Greek because of piracy, which threatened Greek,
colonization of the eastern Adriatic was Italian, and Roman merchants, and even the
either limited (EPIDAMNOS/DYRRHACHION and coast of Greece. The Romans conquered them
Apollonia) or late (colonization of Dionysios in three wars (see ILLYRIAN WARS). The first, in
of Syracuse, notably ISSA). 229 BCE, was directed against Teuta’s and
Linguistically, almost nothing but personal Agron’s son Pinnes; the second, in 219, mainly
and geographical names have remained from against DEMETRIOS OF PHAROS; while the capture
the Illyrians, and it is uncertain whether the of Genthios in the third and last Illyrian War
Illyrian language(s) belonged to the kentum or (168) marked the beginning of Roman
satem linguistic group. In Hesychius only one dominion in the eastern Adriatic (Cavallaro
word is defined as Illyrian, while over a 2004). Illyria, which the Romans established
hundred are Macedonian. There are great dif- in 167, dividing it in three parts (Livy
ferences in the onomastics and material culture 45.26.15), should be regarded as the origin of
of individual peoples; those living along the Roman concept of “Illyricum.” During
the coast reached a higher stage of develop- subsequent Roman conquests, the northern
ment. Several distinct onomastic regions have coastal regions and the Dalmatian hinterland
been delimited; one of them comprises Illyrian were gradually added to Illyria. Administra-
names attested in the southeast of the eastern tively, several peoples who were not ethnically
Adriatic and its hinterland (the only group that related, such as the Liburni and Iapodes, were

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,
and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 3407–3409.
© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah09128
2

included in Illyricum and called “Illyrian” and northern ALBANIA; the term denoted most
merely on this account. Greek and Latin of the northern and central Balkans. The name
authors of the Late Republican and imperial “Illyrian” was applied to other administrative
periods used the name “Illyrian” in terms of units, such as the Illyrian customs, which
administrative organization of the Balkans, or covered a vast area from RAETIA to the Black
else in the geographical sense, since by their Sea (App. Ill. 6). Under Septimius Severus
time a great deal of the northwestern part of it began to designate the army stationed
the peninsula belonged to Illyricum (Wilkes in the Balkan and Danubian provinces and,
1992). later, the emperors originating from there.
The Illyris known to Strabo was a country In the time of Diocletian Illyricum was
stretching from the upper reaches of the the unofficial name for the “diocese of the
Adriatic down to the Rhyzonic Gulf and the Pannonias” (dioecesis Pannoniarum), which
Ardiaei, between the sea and the Pannonian included four Pannonias, two Norican prov-
peoples (7.5.3 C 314); not much different are inces and Dalmatia. Under THEODOSIUS I the
the descriptions in Appian (Ill. 1) and Cassius prefecture of Illyricum, which comprised
Dio (12 Zonar. 8.19.8). Military campaigns the Dacian and Macedonian dioceses, partly
were conducted by the Romans mainly corresponded to the former eastern Illyricum.
from their bases on the Italian side of the
Adriatic. Simultaneously, the Roman army
SEE ALSO: Adriatic Sea; Colonization, Greek;
operated also from Cisalpine Gaul, extending
Dacia; Danube; Gallia Cisalpina/
its boundaries in the direction of Illyricum,
Italia Transpadana; Julius Caesar; Illyrian
notably over the Histrians, who had been
wars; Illyricum and the Balkans, Roman
conquered in 177 BCE. From AQUILEIA the
conquest of; Macedonia; Noricum.
Romans advanced across the Ocra Pass and
founded Nauportus as an Aquileian outpost.
Under Augustus, the regions beyond Emona REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
and the Arsia River in Histria belonged to
Illyricum (Šašel Kos 2005). Cabanes, P. (1988) Les Illyriens de Bardylis à
Vatinius, appointed by Caesar, was probably Genthios (IV e–II esiècles avant J.-C.). Paris.
the first to have governed only over Illyricum Cambi, N., Čače, S., and Kirigin, B., eds. (2002) Grčki
utjecaj na istočnoj obali Jadrana [Greek influence
(45–43 BCE), while Caesar had been
along the East Adriatic coast]. Split.
proconsul of both Galliae (Gallia Cisalpina Cavallaro, M. A. (2004) Da Teuta a Epulo:
and Gallia Narbonensis) and of Illyricum interpretazione delle guerre illyriche e histriche tra
(59–49 BCE). After the Pannonian–Dalmatian 229 e 177 a. C. Bonn.
rebellion of 9 CE, Illyricum may have been Katičić, R. (1976) Ancient languages of the Balkans,
divided into superius and inferius – parts vol. 1. The Hague.
officially called DALMATIA and PANNONIA at the Krahe, H. (1955) Die Sprache der Illyrier, part 1:
latest under Vespasian; after this division, no Die Quellen. Wiesbaden.
Roman province bore the name Illyricum. The Mayer, A. (1957, 1959) Die Sprache der alten Illyrier,
degree of acculturation of various peoples vols. 1–2. Vienna.
within these two provinces greatly varied; Müller, K., ed. (1855) Geographi Graeci minores,
vol. 1. Paris (¼ GGM).
however, the unifying factor was mainly one
Papazoglou, F. (1965) “Les origines et la destinée de
of ROMANIZATION and urbanization, which
l’état illyrien: Illyrii proprie dicti.” Historia 14:
followed local trends, their intensity differing 143–79.
from region to region. Papazoglou, F. (1978) The central Balkan tribes in
Already by the Augustan age Illyricum pre-Roman times: Triballi, Autariatae,
no longer had anything to do with the original Dardanians, Scordisci and Moesians.
Illyrian territory in southern Dalmatia Amsterdam.
3

Parzinger, H. (1991) “Archäologisches zur Frage Šašel Kos, M. (2005) Appian and Illyricum.
der Illyrier.” Bericht der römisch-germanischen Ljubljana.
Kommission 72: 205–46. Wilkes, J. (1992) The Illyrians. Oxford.
Rendić-Miočević, D. (1989) Iliri i antički svijet
[The Illyrians and the Classical World]. Split.

You might also like