In classical and late antiquity, Illyria (; , Illyría or , Illyrís; , Illyricum) was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyrians.
The Ancient Greeks initially used the term Illyris to define approximately the area of northern and central present-day Albania down to the Aoös valley (modern Vjosa) and the Bay of Vlorë, including in most periods much of the lakeland area (Ohrid and Prespa). It corresponded to the region that neighboured Macedonia and Epirus.
From about mid-1st century BC the term Illyricum was used by the Romans for the province of the Empire that stretched along the eastern Adriatic coast north of the Drin river, south of which the Roman province of Macedonia began including the southern part of the traditional region of Illyria. The southeastern part, to the north of Macedonia, was organized within the province of Moesia Superior. From about 69-79 AD the province of Illyricum was subsumed into the provinces of Dalmatia and Pannonia. In the Late Roman Empire the name was used for the praetorian prefecture of Illyricum.
Name
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
thumb|250px|right|Illyrian tribes in the 7th–4th centuries BCE
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.
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".
See also
- Illyrian Tribes
- List of ancient tribes in Illyria
- Illyrian language
- Proposed Illyrian vocabulary
- List of rulers of Illyria
- Illyrian warfare
- Timeline of Illyrian history