ILLYRIA:
Illyria (Latin Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the western part of today's Balkan Peninsula, founded by the tribes and clans of Illyrians, an ancient people who spoke the Illyrian languages. The delineation of ancient Illyria can pose a problem to historians, since before the Roman conquest the Illyrians were not unified into an Illyrian kingdom, and Illyria's borders before Rome are not always clear. For example, the Dalmatae, though classed as an Illyrian tribe by language, were only subject to the kingdom of Illyria for a short time and soon defected during the reign of King Gentius.
Settlement of Proto-Illyrian tribes:
Some archaeologists propose that the Proto-Illyrians settled in what would become Illyria as early as the Early Bronze Age, and presumably soon mingled with the previous non-Indo-European inhabitants. This mixture would eventually result in the formation of the Illyrian tribes who inhabited Illyria in the Classical period---the Autariatae, Dassaretae, Chelidones, Taulanti, etc.---who were kin to tribes further north, also often classed as Illyrians: the Dalmatae, Pannoni, and others. The Illyrians produced and traded cattle, horses, agricultural goods, and wares fashioned from locally-mined copper and iron. Feuds and warfare were constant facts of life for the Illyrian tribes, and Illyrian pirates plagued shipping on the Adriatic Sea. Councils of elders chose the chieftains who headed each of the numerous Illyrian tribes. From time to time, local chieftains extended their rule over other tribes and formed short-lived kingdoms. During the 5th century BC, a well-developed Illyrian population center existed as far north as the upper Sava River valley in what is now Slovenia. Illyrian friezes discovered near the present-day Slovenian city of Ljubljana depict ritual sacrifices, feasts, battles, sporting events, and other activities. At various times, groups of Illyrians migrated over land and sea into Italy.
Illyrian kingdom:
The Illyrian king Bardyllis turned Illyria into a formidable local power in the 4th century BC. The main cities of the Illyrian kingdom were Lissus (today it is located in Lezha, Albania) and Epidamnus (also known as Dyrrhacion, Dyrrhachium, today located in Durrës, Albania). In 359 BC, King Perdiccas III of Macedonia was killed by attacking Illyrians. In 358 BC, however, Macedonia's Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, defeated the Illyrians and assumed control of their territory as far as Lake Ohrid. Alexander himself routed the forces of the Illyrian chieftain Cleitus in 335 BC, and Illyrian tribal leaders and soldiers accompanied Alexander on his conquest of Persia. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, independent Illyrian kingdoms again arose. In 312 BC, King Glaukias expelled the Greeks from Epidamnus. By the end of the third century, an Illyrian kingdom based near what is now the Albanian city of Shkodër (ancient Scodra) controlled parts of northern Albania, Montenegro, and Herzegovina. Under Queen Teuta, Illyrians attacked Roman merchant vessels plying the Adriatic Sea and gave Rome an excuse to invade the Balkans. In the Illyrian Wars of 229 BC and 219 BC, Rome overran the Illyrian settlements in the Neretva river valley and suppressed the piracy that had made the Adriatic unsafe. In 180 BC the Dalmatians declared themselves independent of the Illyrian king Gentius, who kept his capital at Scodra. The Romans defeated Gentius, the last king of Illyria, at Scodra in 168 BC and captured him, bringing him to Rome in 165 BC. Four client-republics were set up, which were in fact ruled by Rome. Later, the region would be directly governed by Rome and organized as a province.
Illyricum (Roman province):
Illyricum was the Roman province established in place of the former kingdom of Illyria. It stretched from the Drin river in modern Albania to Istria (Slovenia/Croatia) in the north and the Sava river (Bosnia/Croatia) in the east. Its capital was located at Salonae near modern Split in Croatia. The kingdom of Illyria was conquered in 168 BC, when the Romans defeated the army of the Illyrian king Gentius. From 167 BC, southern Illyria became a formally independent Roman protectorate. The region had considerable strategic and economic importance for the Romans. It possessed a number of important commercial ports along its coastline, and had gold mines in its interior regions. Illyria was also the starting point of the Via Egnatia, the great Roman road that ran from Dyrrachium (modern Durazzo), on the Adriatic, to Byzantium in the east. In 59 BC, after the Lex Vatinia, Illyricum was assigned as provincia together with Cisalpine Gaul (zone of responsibility rather than the province as is understood today) to Caesar. No province was established until Octavian's wars in Illyricum 35-33 BC and first mention of province Illyricum is in the context of Augustan settlement of 27 BC. At the same time the southernmost part of the region (most of today's Albania) became part of Macedonia. The province of Illyricum was subsequently enlarged as the Romans expanded their power in the region through a series of wars known as Pannonian wars (Bellum Pannonicum) 12-9 BC fought against group of peoples known as the Pannonians. Subsequent to 10 (some scholars as Jeno Fitz move this date to middle-late Claudian era c. 20-35), after a revolt of Pannonians and Dalmatians known a rebellion of Bato (Bellum Batonianum, 6-9) was crushed in 9, the province of Illyricum was dissolved, and its lands were divided between the new provinces of Pannonia in the north and Dalmatia in the south. The name continued to be used to refer to the region and was later applied by the emperor Diocletian to the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum, one of four prefectures that he established, which encompassed Pannonia, Noricum, Crete, and the whole Balkan peninsula except Thrace. The region's native peoples were renowned for their military prowess and they became an important source of manpower for the Roman army. Several notable Roman emperors came from the region, including Aurelian, Claudius II, Constantine I and Diocletian as well as the Byzantine emperor Justinian I.
Religion:
The Illyrian town of Rhizon (Risan, Montenegro) had its own protector called Medauras, depicted as carrying a lance and riding on horseback. Human sacrifice also played a role in the lives of the Illyrians. The ancient historian Arrian records the Illyrian chieftain Kleitus sacrificing three boys, three girls and three rams just before his battle with Alexander the Great. The most common type of burial among the Iron-Age Illyrians was tumulus or mound burial. The kin of the first tumuli was buried around that and the higher the status of those in these burials the higher the mound. Archaeology has brought forth numerous artifacts placed within these tumuli such as weapons, ornaments, garments, and clay vessels. Illirians believed these items were necessary for a dead person's journey into the afterlife.
Legacy:
After the province of Illyricum was divided into Dalmatia and Pannonia in 10 AD, the terms "Illyria" and "Illyrian" would generally go out of use, but would still be used in some circles. The name Illyria was revived by Napoleon for the 'Provinces of Illyria' that were incorporated into the French Empire from 1809 to 1813, and the Kingdom of Illyria was part of Austria until 1849, after which time it was not used in the reorganised Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Illyrian languages:
1: Spoken in:Once Illyria
2: Region:Western Balkans.
3: Language extinction:Disputed.The Albanian language may be a descendant.
4: Language family:Indo-European Illyrian
The Illyrian languages are a group of Indo-European languages that were spoken in the western part of the Balkans [1] in former times by ethnic groups identified as Illyrians: Delmatae, Pannoni, Illyrioi, Autariates, Taulanti (see List of Illyrian tribes). The Illyrian languages are generally, but not unanimously, reckoned as centum languages. Some sound-changes and other language features are deduced from what remains of the Illyrian languages, but because no writings in Illyrian are known, there is not sufficient evidence to clarify its place within the Indo-European language family aside from its probable centum nature. Because of the uncertainty, most sources provisionally place Illyrian on its own branch of Indo-European, though its relation to other languages, ancient and modern, continues to be studied and debated.
2: Region:Western Balkans.
3: Language extinction:Disputed.The Albanian language may be a descendant.
4: Language family:Indo-European Illyrian
The Illyrian languages are a group of Indo-European languages that were spoken in the western part of the Balkans [1] in former times by ethnic groups identified as Illyrians: Delmatae, Pannoni, Illyrioi, Autariates, Taulanti (see List of Illyrian tribes). The Illyrian languages are generally, but not unanimously, reckoned as centum languages. Some sound-changes and other language features are deduced from what remains of the Illyrian languages, but because no writings in Illyrian are known, there is not sufficient evidence to clarify its place within the Indo-European language family aside from its probable centum nature. Because of the uncertainty, most sources provisionally place Illyrian on its own branch of Indo-European, though its relation to other languages, ancient and modern, continues to be studied and debated.
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