The Illyrians (grc|Ἰλλυριοί|, ; la|Illyrii|) were a conglomeration of Indo-European peoples and tribes in the Balkan Peninsula, Southeastern Europe.
See main article: List of ancient tribes in Illyria.
| Tribe | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Abroi | ||
| Albanoi | The Albanoi populated the region between the Mat and Shkumbin. Their chief settlement was Albanopolis located in Zgërdhesh, near Krujë. | |
| Amantes | Also referred to as the Amantieis or Amantini, the Amantes lived in the inland region of the Bay of Vlorë. | |
| Ardiaei | The Ardiaei lived in a region between Konjic on the north, the Neretva on the west, Lake Shkodër to the southeast and the Adriatic Sea on the south. The chief settlements of the Ardiaean State were Rhizon and Scodra. | |
| Armistae | ||
| Arthitae | ||
| Autariatae | The Autariatae, alternatively known as Autariatai or Autariates, inhabited the valleys of Lim, Tara and West Morava within the Accursed Mountains. | |
| Balaites | ||
| Baridustae | ||
| Bathiatae | The Bathiatae were located among today's modern Bosna River which was once known as Bathinus flumen and they took their name from this river. | |
| Bylliones | ||
| Cavii | The Cavii lived close to Lake Shkodër. Their main settlement was Epicaria, which is thought to be probably located around modern-day Pukë. | |
| Dalmatae | The Dalmatae lived in the region of Dalmatia. | |
| Daorsi | The Daorsi lived in the valley of Neretva. | |
| Dardani | The Dardani lived in the Kosovo and areas around it. | |
| Dassareti | ||
| Daunians | ||
| Deraemestae | ||
| Deretini | ||
| Deuri | ||
| Dindari | The Dindari were of Celtic influence and lived on the western bank of the Drina Valley, close to Skelani and Srebrenica. | |
| Docleatae | ||
| Dyestes | ||
| Enchele | ||
| Endirudini | ||
| Grabaei | ||
| Iapydes | ||
| Kinambroi | ||
| Labeatae | ||
| Mazaei | ||
| Melcumani | ||
| Messapians | ||
| Narensi | ||
| Ozuaei | ||
| Parthini | ||
| Penestae | ||
| Peucetians | ||
| Pleraei | ||
| Sardiatae | ||
| Sasaei | ||
| Selepitani | ||
| Tariotes | ||
| Taulantii | The Taulantii or Taulantians were are among the most archaic attested Illyrian peoples. They inhabited the region across the hinterland of Dyrrhachion-Epidamnos between the valleys of Mat and Shkumbin. |
See main article: Paeonians.
There are different views and still no agreement among scholars about the Paeonians/Paeones ethnic and linguistic kinship. Some such as Wilhelm Tomaschek and Paul Kretschmer claim that the language spoken by the Paeonians belonged to the Illyrian family, while Dimitar Dechev claims affinities with Thracian. Irwin L. Merker considers that the language spoken by the Paeonians was closely related to Greek (and ancient Macedonian if it was a distinct language from ancient Greek), a Hellenic language with "a great deal of Illyrian and Thracian influence as a result of this proximity".[4]
Herodotus provides some descriptions of the Molossians and other peoples of the region, but he primarily associates the Molossians with Greek-speaking culture. There is no direct claim of Illyrian ethnicity in his account, but the proximity of the Molossians to the Illyrians is noted.The "Geography" of Strabo (Book 7):
Strabo, a geographer and historian from the early Roman period, mentions the Molossians in relation to their territory, which bordered Illyrian lands. While he emphasizes the Greek cultural and linguistic elements of the Molossians, Strabo also notes that the region of Epirus was ethnically complex, with Illyrians living nearby. Some modern scholars interpret Strabo’s mention of these neighboring groups as indicative of some shared ethnic or cultural characteristics between the Molossians and Illyrians.Modern Scholarship:
"The Illyrians" by John Wilkes (1992): Wilkes examines the relationship between Greek and Illyrian tribes in the region and mentions that while the Molossians are generally considered Greek, the fluid nature of ethnic identities in antiquity, especially in border regions, might have led to some overlap or mutual influences."The Epirus: From the Earliest Times to the Roman Conquest" by W. A. McGillivray (1996): This work provides a detailed history of the Epirus region, noting that the Molossians were a part of the Greek-speaking world, but they lived in close proximity to Illyrian-speaking peoples. McGillivray suggests that there might have been a degree of ethnic or cultural mixing in the area, which could have led some historians to consider Illyrian elements in Molossian identity.