Illyria

Name

Main article: Illyrians#Etymology, Illyrians#Terminology and attestation

The region took its name from its inhabitants, the Illyrians, a group of Balkan Indo-European speaking peoples that inhabited the western part of the Peninsula in ancient times.

Illyrian kingdoms

Main article: Illyrian kingdom, Dardanian Kingdom, List of rulers of Illyria

The earliest recorded Illyrian kingdom was that of the Enchele in the 8th century BC. The era in which we observe other Illyrian kingdoms begins approximately at 400 BC and ends at 167 BC. The Autariatae under Pleurias (337 BC) were considered to have been a kingdom. The Kingdom of the Ardiaei began at 230 BC and ended at 167 BC. The most notable Illyrian kingdoms and dynasties were those of Bardyllis of the Dardani and of Agron of the Ardiaei who created the last and best-known Illyrian kingdom. Agron ruled over the Ardiaei and had extended his rule to other tribes as well. As for the Dardanians, they always had separate domains from the rest of the Illyrians.

The Illyrian kingdoms were composed of small areas within the region of Illyria. Only the Romans ruled the entire region. The internal organization of the south Illyrian kingdoms points to imitation of their neighbouring Greek kingdoms and influence from the Greek and Hellenistic world in the growth of their urban centres. Polybius gives as an image of society within an Illyrian kingdom as peasant infantry fought under aristocrats which he calls in Greek Polydynastae (Greek: Πολυδυνάστες) where each one controlled a town within the kingdom. The monarchy was established on hereditary lines and Illyrian rulers used marriages as a means of alliance with other powers. Pliny (23–79 AD) writes that the people that formed the nucleus of the Illyrian kingdom were 'Illyrians proper' or Illyrii proprie dicti. They were the Taulantii, the Pleraei, the Endirudini, Sasaei, Grabaei and the Labeatae. These later joined to form the Docleatae.

Roman Protectorate of Illyricum

After the Roman victory in the First Illyrian War, Illyrian Queen Teuta was forced to retreat to the Bay of Kotor, and in 228 BC the Romans imposed a protectorate on the islands of Issa and Corcyra, as well as on the cities of Epidamnos, Apollonia and Oricum. The protectorate area corresponded to the usage of the Roman concept of Illyricum.

During the Macedonian Wars, the territory of southern Illyria, which Rome had aimed to protect and control periodically for thirty years since the First Illyrian War, was involved in the conflict between Rome and Macedon. Macedon aimed to conquer, without success, the southern Illyrian ports because they would have been good bases for an attack upon Italy.

The Romans defeated Gentius, the last king of Illyria, at Scodra (in present-day Albania) 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 was directly governed by Rome and organized as a province, with Scodra as its capital.

Roman rule

Main article: Illyricum (Roman province), Macedonia (Roman province), Moesia Superior, Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum

Illyrian territories were organized during the Roman administration into the provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Moesia Superior.

The Roman province of Illyricum roughly encompassed the territories of the last Illyrian kingdom. It stretched from the Drilon river in modern Albania to Istria (Croatia) in the west and to the Sava river (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in the north. Salona (near modern Split in Croatia) functioned as its capital.

After subduing a troublesome revolt of Pannonians and Daesitiates, Roman administrators dissolved the province of Illyricum and divided its lands between the new provinces of Pannonia in the north and Dalmatia in the south. Although this division occurred in 10 AD, the term Illyria remained in use in Late Latin and throughout the medieval period. After the division of the Roman Empire, the bishops of Thessalonica appointed papal vicars for Illyricum. The first of these vicars is said to have been Bishop Acholius or Ascholius (died 383 or 384), the friend of St. Basil. In the 5th century, the bishops of Illyria withdrew from communion with Rome, without attaching themselves to Constantinople, and remained for a time independent, but in 515, forty Illyrian bishops renewed their loyalty to Rome by declaring allegiance to Pope Hormisdas. The patriarchs of Constantinople succeeded in bringing Illyria under their jurisdiction in the 8th century.

Jewish presence in Illyricum is attested during and after its incorporation into the Roman Empire. As Roman military and trade networks expanded into the region following the defeat of King Gentius, Jewish merchants, artisans, and possibly freed slaves settled in Dalmatian and Pannonian cities such as Salona, Narona, and Sirmium. These communities, often Greek-speaking and aligned with Jerusalem-based traditions, operated within Roman legal frameworks and sometimes held status as collegia. Although no literary corpus survives from Illyrian Jews, archaeological evidence, including menorahs and inscriptions, supports their presence. Some scholars suggest that these Jews formed part of broader Hellenistic Judaism diaspora patterns reaching as far as Tanais in the Crimea and Stobi in Macedonia.

In culture

William Shakespeare chose a fictionalized Illyria as the setting for his play Twelfth Night. (The modernized film spoof She's the Man is set in "Illyria High School" in California.) Shakespeare also mentioned the region in Henry VI, Part 2.

An extensive history of Illyria by Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange, was published by Joseph Keglevich in 1746.

Illyria is the setting for Jean-Paul Sartre's Les Mains Sales.

Lloyd Alexander's The Illyrian Adventure is set in Illyria in 1872.

John Hawkes' 1970 novel The Blood Oranges is set in a fictionalized Illyria.

There is a fictional Illyria with its inhabitants, winged fae, in the fantasy series A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

The fighting game series 'Guilty Gear' created by Daisuke Ishiwatari, features a fictional Illyria in its world.

The television series Angel (1999 TV series) has a character named Illyria who is a main character for the back half of the final season, as well as a prominent figure in the comic spin-offs.

The character of Una "Number One" Chin-Riley in the television series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a member of a humanoid species called "Illyrians".

References

Citations

Sources

References

4. ''Illyría'' and ''Illyrís'' respectively
5. Polybius. ''Histories'', [https://archive.today/20120716034333/http://old.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0233:book=1:chapter=13 1.13.1].
6. "A Latin Dictionary".
7. (2010). "Illyricum in Roman Politics, 229 BC–AD 68". Cambridge University Press.
8. {{sfn. Boardman. 1982. Hammond. 1982. Ivetic. 2022
9. {{harvnb. Hammond. Wilkes. 2012
10. Šašel-Kos, "Pannonia or Lower Illyricum?" Tyche, Band 25 (2010), pp. 123–130
11. {{harvnb. Stipčević. 2002
12. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1995
13. {{harvnb. Lewis. Boardman. 1994
14. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1969
15. {{harvnb. Kipfer. 2000
16. {{harvnb. Hammond. 1993
17. {{harvnb. Papazoglu. 1978
18. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1995
19. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1995
20. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1995
21. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1995
22. {{harvnb. Lins. 1910
23. Cohen, Shaye J. D. ''The Beginnings of Jewishness: Boundaries, Varieties, Uncertainties''. University of California Press, 1999, pp. 108–112.
24. "Henry VI, part 2: Entire Play".
25. {{harvnb. du Fresne. 1746
26. (1986-04-01). "The Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander".
27. (1972). "A Conversation on "The Blood Oranges" between John Hawkes and Robert Scholes". Novel: A Forum on Fiction.