Illyricum (Roman province)

Quick Facts: Who was Illyricum (Roman province)?

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Illyricum (Roman province)

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A major Roman province encompassing Illyria/Dalmatia and Pannonia, vital to the Empire.

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Origins & Early Life

Illyricum was a Roman province that existed from 27 BC to sometime during the reign of Vespasian (69–79 AD). The province comprised the regions of Illyria/Dalmatia in the south and Pannonia in the north. Illyria included the area along the east coast of the Adriatic Sea and its inland mountains. Pannonia included the northern plains that now are part of Serbia, Croatia and Hungary. Illyricum included part or all of the territories of today's Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia.

Career & Major Achievements

The term Illyrians was used to describe the inhabitants of the area as far back as the late 6th century BC by Hecataeus of Miletus. Illyria/Dalmatia stretched from the River Drin (in modern northern Albania) to Istria (Croatia) and the River Sava in the north. The area roughly corresponded to modern northern Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and coastal Croatia (Dalmatiae). Pannonia was the plain which lies to its north, from the mountains of Illyria/Dalmatia to the westward bend of the River Danube, and included modern Vojvodina (in modern northern Serbia), northern Croatia and western Hungary. As the province developed, Salona (near modern Split, Croatia) became its capital.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Illyria stretched from the River Drilon (Drin) in modern northern Albania and the Danube in the north. It comprised the coastal plain, the mountains of the Dinaric Alps which stretch along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea for 645 kilometres (401 miles) with a width of about 150 kilometres) and, in the north-west, the Istrian Peninsula. There were numerous islands off the coast, but they lacked drinking water. The mountains were cultivated towards the coast, but for the most they were barren. Lack of water and poor or arid soil made much of Illyria poor agricultural area and this gave rise to piracy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Illyricum (Roman province)

True or False: “The primary reason for the initial conflicts in the Adriatic Sea involving Illyrian pirates was concerns over attacks on Roman Italian confederates' ships.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The First Illyrian War (229–228 BC) specifically broke out due to fears of pirate attacks targeting Roman trade vessels.

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