User Contributed Dictionary
Pronunciation
- /abʁi/
Noun
fr-noun mExtensive Definition
Tribes
Illyrian
Abri
Abri were an Illyrian tribe.They could prepare mead, a wine from honey and were known to the Greeks for that method.Albani
Albanoi were an Illyrian
tribe.The first known occurrence of the word Albani as the name of
an Illyrian tribe in what is now north-central Albania goes back to
130 AD, in a work of Ptolemy. Albanopolis of
the Albani is a place located on the map of Ptolemy and also named
on an ancient family epitaph at Scupi (near Skopje), which has
been identified with the Zgardhesh hill-fort near Kruja in northern
Albania. Arbanon is likely to be the name of a district - the plain
of the Mat has been suggested - rather than a particular place. An
indication of movement from higher altitudes in a much earlier
period has been detected in the distribution of place-names ending
in -esh that appears to derive from the Latin -ensis or -esis,
between the Shkumbin and the
Mat
rivers, with a concentration between Elbasan and
Kruja.It is
not certain if the ancient city corresponds with later mentions of
it.
Amantini
Amantini was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.They greatly resisted the Romans but
were sold as slaves after their defeat.The Amantini were close to
Sirmium but
the tribe was probably present in southern areas as well due to the
existence of a city name Amantia.
Andizetes
Andizetes, also referred to as Andisetes were a
small Illyrian tribe that lived in the territory of present day
Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Not much is known about this tribe except that
it is found on the list of Illyrian tribes made by ancient Romans,
against whom the Illyrians put up a heroic resistance, perhaps best
portrayed in the last great Illyrian struggle for freedom-the
legendary Baton's
uprising.The personal name of Andes, popular among
the Illyrians of
southern Panonia and much of
northern Dalmatia (roughly
modern Bosnia and Herzegovina), as it seems, derived from the name
of this tribe. Another variant of this widespread personal Illyrian
name is Andis.There is also
an ancient deity called Andinus, which may be related. They were
Pannonians. They started receiving Roman citizenship during
Trajan's rule..
Ardiaei
Ardiaei, once an inland tribe, eventually settled
on the Adriatic coast. The ancient geographer, Strabo, lists the
Ardiaei as one of the three strongest tribes - the other two being
the Autariatae and the Dardani. The whole of the mountainous
country that stretches alongside Pannonia from the recess of the
Adriatic as far as the Rhizonic Gulf and the land of the Ardiaei is
Illyrian, falling as it does between the sea and the Pannonian
tribes (Strabon, Geographika, 7. 5. 3).Their original homeland is
said to have been around modern Neretva river , in
present-day Bosnia
and Herzegovina. In ancient times this river was known as
Narenta/Naron/Narona, and the
connotation with the name of an Illyrian tribe Narensii seems
obvious. The Ardiaei were called by Romans
"Vardiaei". Because they pestered the sea through their piratical
bands, the Romans pushed them back from it into the interior and
forced them to till the soil (Strabon, Geographika, 7. 5. 6).They
drunk heavily and were seen as such by the Greeks. "Their
country is rough and poor and not suited to a farming population,
and therefore the tribe has been utterly ruined and in fact has
almost been obliterated. And this is what befell the rest of the
peoples in that part of the world; for those who were most powerful
in earlier times were utterly humbled or were obliterated, as, for
example, among the Galatae the Boii and the Scordistae, and among
the Illyrians the Autariatae,
Ardiaei, and Dardanii, and
among the Thracians the Triballi; that is,
they were reduced in warfare by one another at first and then later
by the Ancient
Macedonians and the Romans". The
Ardiaei were enemies of the Autariatae for a
long time over salt source.The Ardiaei had attained military might
, particularly during the Kingdom of Illyria under the reign of
king Agron, and
later his widow Queen Teuta. Some
historical accounts holds that King Agron helped , king Demetrius
of Macedonia repel the invasion of Macedonia by the invading
Aetolians.
Autariatae
Autariatae (or Autariates) were an Illyrian tribe
that became prominent between the 6th and 4th centuries BC.
Azali
Azali was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.
Breuci
Breuci were illyrians of the subtribe of
Pannonians. They greatly resisted the Romans but
were sold as slaves after their defeat.They started receiving Roman
citizenship during Trajan's rule. It is likely that the name of the
north-eastern Bosnian city Brčko
is derived from the name of this tribe. .
Bylliones
Bylliones was the name of an Illyrian
tribe
Ceraunii
Ceraunii was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.They lived close to the Pirustae in modern Montenegro.
Chelidones
Colapiani
Colapiani was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.
Daesitiates
Daesitiates were an Illyrian tribe
that lived in what is today Bosnia
during the time of the Roman
Republic. Along with the Maezaei, the Daesitiates belonged to
the Pannonians. They were prominent from the end of the 4th century
BC up until the beginning of the 3rd century AD. Evidence of their
daily activities can be found in literary sources, as well as in
the rich material finds that belong to the autochthonous
Middle-Bosnian cultural group. Because the Daesitiates were present
during Roman rule in the western Balkans, their name can be found
in many inscriptions and historical works of ancient writers.
During the 19th century, scientific interest in the Daesitiates
materialized whereby research was focused in parts of Upper Bosnia.
However, all research efforts have yet to provide a complete
analysis of the Daesitiates. The Daesitiates were unquestionably
one of the main components of the Illyrian
ethno-cultural complex that stretched from the southern Adriatic to the
Danube in
the north. They specifically lived in the centre of the Illyrian
West-Balkan and Pannonian world.
History The Daesitiates were originally part of
an autochthonous process that followed the "Indo-Europeanization"
of the Western Balkans and the wider Danube region. This process
continued until the Middle-Bosnian cultural group of the late
Bronze
Age and Iron Age was
formed. The Daesitiates also established complex political
communities. This specific process peaked during a period of both
Celtic tribal
movements and cultural transitions of the Iron Age. This
was primarily reflected through the establishment of the
Daesitiates as a recognizable and functional polity. In the
following centuries, the Daesitiates would form into a strong and
secure community with identifiable political, social, and economic
structures. During this period, the Daesitiates acquired an
enviable level of cultural development due to their geographical
position and their access to rich ore mines and quality land. the
Daesitiates were tied to the parts of Upper Bosnia and, probably,
to the region of the Lašva river valley. Since the Daesitiates were
situated in the peripheral part of the Dinaric zone, they formed a
"bridge" that connected the Adriatic coast to the Dinaric
hinterland (i.e. the Mediterranean world with the Pannonian basin
and the Danube region). After nearly three centuries of political
independence, the Daesitiates (and their polity) were conquered by
Roman Emperor Augustus.
Afterwards, the Daesitiates were incorporated into the province of
Illyricum
and granted both administrative and territorial autonomy (i.e.
civitas peregrini). Ultimately, the widening gap between the Roman
government and its subjects in Illyricum led to the Great
Illyrian revolt that began in the spring of 6 AD. The
Daesitiates were the first to revolt under the leadership of
Bato I and
were soon joined by the Breuci. Other
natives were recruited to fight against the Marcomanni while
the rebellion swiftly overtook enormous areas of the western
Balkans and the Danube region. The role of the Daesitiates in the
rebellion was immense, which contributed to their ultimate
disappearance. However, the continuity of their autochthonous
development was ultimately broken whereby the Daesitiates underwent
both urbanization and Romanization.
Despite having suffered significant losses, the Daesitiates and
their polity survived for a period of time in the form of the
civitas peregrine. In the middle of the 1st century AD, the polity
of the Daesitiates contained around 20,000 people. Ultimately, the
Daesitiates were completely Romanized and by the beginning of the
3rd century AD, their existence as a unique social and political
force disappeared. After its political transition into the Roman
municipal system, Upper Bosnia reached the peak of its ancient
development. In the beginning of the 7th century AD, the region
once inhabited by the Daesitiates was exposed to the Slavic
element. The symbiosis of these newly arrived peoples with the
Illyrian natives and their traditions in Upper Bosnia contributed
to the formation of medieval Bosnia during the Middle Ages.
Cultural practices To this day, a large number of fortresses,
villages, and settlements belonging to the Daesitiates have
remained. Some of these remains have been partially excavated and a
number of necropolises, grave
constructions, and individual graves have also been discovered.
Apart from material finds, these sites offer more evidence of the
spiritual culture of the Daesitiates. The most important necropolis
of the Daesitiates was found in Kamenjača near Breza. According to
the material remains, the religious life of the Daesitiates was
complex. The area of the Middle-Bosnian cultural group was, along
with the neighbouring Glasinac culture, a centre for the origins
and development of the West-Balkans geometrical style as an
autochthonous artistic expression.
Dalmatae
Dalmatae (or Greek
language Δελματοί) were an ancient Illyrian tribe.
Daors
Daors was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.Another name of the tribe was Daversi.
Deramastae
Deraemestae was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.
Deuri
Deuri was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.
Dindari
Dindari was the name of an Illyriantribe.
Ditiones
Ditiones were illyrians of the subtribe of
Pannonians].
Docleatae
Docleatae were an Illyrian tribe that
lived in what is now Montenegro.
Their capital was Doclea (or
Dioclea), and they are called after the town. They had settle west
of the Morača
river, up to Montenegro's present-day borders with Herzegovina.
The Docleatae were prominent for their cheese, which was exported
to various Roman provinces within the Roman
Empire.
Enchelei
Enchelei was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.Their name given by the Greeks meant eel-men(Greek
language; "Εγχελείς").
Grabaei
Grabaei were a minor Illyrian group that lived
around Lake
Scutari.
Glintidiones
Glintidiones was the name of an Illyriantribe.
Maezaei
Maezaei were illyrians of the subtribe of
Pannonians.
Melcumani
Melcumani were an Illyrian
tribe.
Narensi
Narensi was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.
Parthini
Parthini or Partheni (Greek: , ,
, Strabo
vii.; Appian, Illyr. 1;
Dion
Cass. xli. 49; Cic. in Pis. 40;
Pomp. Mela,
ii. 3. § 11; Plin.
iii. 26), were Illyrians of Epirus Nova
who may be placed to the north in the neighborhood of Epidamnus, and,
consequently, next to the Taulantii. They are often mentioned in
the course of the war with Illyricum, 229 BCE, but as
friends rather than foes of the Romans,
having submitted at an early period to their arms. (Polyb. ii. 11;
Livy xxix.
12.) After the death of Philip,
king of Macedon, they
appear to have been added to the dominions of Pleuratus, an
Illyrian
prince allied to the Romans. (Polyb. xviii. 30; Liv. xxx. 34, xliv.
30.) Their principal town was Parthus (, Steph.
B. s. v.), which was taken by Caesar in
the course of his campaign with Pompeius. (Caes.
B.C. iii. 41.) The double-hilled Dimale, the
strongest among the Illyrian places, with two citadels on two
heights, connected by a wall (Polyb. iii. 18, vii. 9), was within
their territory. There is no indication, however, of its precise
situation, which was probably between Lissus and
Epidamnus. Livy mentions (xxix. 12) two other fortesses: Eugenium and
Bargulum.
Penestae
Penestae was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.
Pirustae
Pirustae were an Illyrian tribe that
lived in modern Montenegro.
According to some sources, they had also lived in territories
outside modern-day Montenegro, but, the majority of archaeologists,
including famous British archaeologist Sir Arthur
Evans, the Pirustae had lived in northern Montenegro, around
present-day Pljevlja and that
they were prominent miners. Their prominence in mining has been
seen in epigraphic monuments from Dacia's mining
regions.
Selepitani
Selepitani was an Illyrian tribe
located below the Lake
Scutari.
Scirtati
Scirtari or Scirtones was the name of an Illyrian
tribe.
Segestani
Segestani were illyrians of the subtribe of
Pannonians.
Taulanti
Taulanti (Greek
Ταυλάντιοι) were one of the largest Illyrian tribes. According to
Greek
mythology Taulas (Tαύλας), one
of the six sons of Illyrius, was the
eponymous ancestor of
the Taulanti.They lived on the Adriatic coast of Illyria (modern
Albania),
between the river Vjosa on the south
and the city of Epidamnus (modern
Durrës)
on the north. This tribe played an important role in Illyrian
history of the 4th-3rd centuries BC, when they ruled Illyrian
kingdom, firstly established by Enchelleae. Approximately on the
same land as Taulanti lived the Albanoi and Parthines tribes.In 335
BC, King
Glaukias established the Taulanti dynasty in the Illyrian
Kingdom. In 323 BC, Glaukias freed all the land which had been
taken from Enchelleae by the Macedonians. Later,
Illyrians capture Epidamnus and
Apollonia,
two major Greek cities founded in the 7th century BC.In 309 BC,
Glaukias went to Epirus where Pyrrhus regained the throne.Bardylis
Junior (Bardhyli i Ri), Glaukias' successor, had friendly
relationship with Epirus, but it didn’t last long because Pyrrhus
conquered all the land in the south of Shkumbin river.This policy
was followed strictly by Monunius (280 BC),
who became head of Epidamnus and made silver coins with his name.
He achieved to consolidate the Illyrian Kingdom.The major cities of
the Kingdom were Epidamnus,
Apollonia,
Damastion,Byllis,
Albanopolis, Dimale, Skodra
(Shkodër),
Lissos (Lezhë), Meteon, Ulcinium
(Ulqin),
Rizon.
Labeates
Jasi
Jasi was the name of an Illyrian tribe.
Lopsi
Lopsi is the name of a (presumably) Illyrian tribe
inhabiting the mountains along the eastern coast of the Adriatic before
and during the Roman
Empire, specifically present-day Velebit. The tribe
was mentioned by Ptolemy in his
Geographia,
and after it was named one of the Roman cities on the coast,
Lopsica (present day Sveti Juraj in Croatia).The name
has survived to present day as the name of several villages on the
Velebit, in the form "Lopci", as well as the family surname
Lopac.
Pannonians
Pannonians (lang-la Pannonii) was a common name for a group of culturaly similar tribes cognate to Illyrians, who inhabited the southern part of what was later known as Roman province of Pannonia, south of the river Drava (), and the northern part of the future Roman province of Dalmatia.History
In the 2nd century BC, the Segestani, one of the Pannonian tribes inhabiting the area around Segesta (modern Sisak in Croatia), were attacked without lasting success by Roman consuls L. Aurelius Cotta and an unidentified Cornelius. In 35 BC, the Segestani were attacked by Augustus, who conquered and occupied Siscia (Sisak). The rest of the Pannonians were not, however, definitely subdued until 9 BC, when their lands were incorporated into the province of Illyricum after the bellum Pannonicum, conducted by the future emperor Tiberius.In AD 6, the Pannonians, together with the
Dalmatians and other Illyrian
tribes, revolted, and were overcome by Tiberius and
Germanicus,
after a hard-fought campaign which lasted for three years. Leaders
of the rebellion were Bato (of the
Breuci tribe) and Pinnes
from Pannonia and another Baton
(of the Daesitiates) from Dalmatia. After the rebellion was crushed
in 9 AD, 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 date of the division is unknown, most
certainly after AD 20 but before AD 50.
Pannonian tribes
The Pannonian tribes inhabited the area between the river Drava and the Dalmatian coast. Archaeology and onomastics shows that they were culturally different from southern Illyrians, Iapodes, and La Tene peoples commonly known as the Celts. However, there are some cultural similarities between the Pannonians and Dalmatians. Many of the Pannonians lived in areas with rich iron ore deposits, so that iron mining and production was an important part of their economy before and after the Roman conquest. The Pannonians did not have settlements of importance in pre-Roman times, apart from Segestica (Siscia). Ancient sources (Strabo, Pliny the Elder, Appian of Alexadria) mention few of the Pannonian tribes by name, and historians and archaeologists located some of them. The most significant were:- Breuci (area between the rivers Sava and Drava)
- Daesitiates (central Bosnia)
- Pirustae (northern Montenegro)
- Segestani (around river Kolpa)
- Maezaei (northwest Bosnia - roughly modern Bosanska Krajina without Bihać)
- Ditiones (western Bosnia)
Thracian
Celtic
Independent
- Messapii,Independent non-Illyrian,
- Dauni,Independent non-Illyrian,
- Peucetii,Independent non-Illyrian,
- Iapyges,Independent non-Illyrian,
Venetic
Further reading
- Z. Marić, ‘Problemes des limites septentrionales du territoire illyrien’ in: A. Benac, Symposium sur la delimitation Territoriale et chronologique des Illyriens a l’epoque Prehistorique, Sarajevo 1964, 177-213 (material culture).
- I. Bojanovski, Bosnie et Herzegovine a l’epoque antique (in Serbo-Croatian of the time),Sarajevo, 1988 (overview).
- M. Šašel-Kos, Appian and Illyricum, Ljubljana, 2005, 375 ff. (with most up to date bibliography).
References
abri in Hungarian: Pannonok
abri in Italian: Pannoni
abri in Swedish: Albanoi
abri in Catalan: Vardeis
abri in Swedish: Ardiaei
abri in Croatian: Dalmati
abri in Catalan: Taulantis
abri in German: Taulantier
abri in Italian: Taulanti
abri in Persian: تبارهای ایلیریان
abri in Portuguese: Lista de tribos
ilírias