THE BLOODY CELTS

It is said that Illyria was a heavily forested region in the northern parts of what is known as present day Albania. Due to its location, it was always subjected to very harsh winters and strong winds. The trees were dense and tall, giving shade during the summer months but making life even harsher during the winter.

In those days there were no roads or streets within cities so most people used horses for travel across relatively long distances on mountainous terrain.

For the most part, Illyrians were divided into two main tribes. One tribe was called the Ardiaei and another tribe was called Molossians. The Ardiaei occupied a territory between Lake Ohrid and River Apsus.

The name of the tribe is probably derived from a mythical hero named Ardiaeus. The Molossians, on the other hand, inhabited territory to west that was known as Epirus and stretched all the way to southern Albania.

The Molossians were famous for being very skilled warriors. They used their skills to expand the realm of their kingdom, which was ruled by a dynasty called Agathocles. The king had many wives and children, four sons and seven daughters.

In the year 356 BC a new leader took over for Molossians. He was Alexander and he became very famous by crushing his enemies in many battles.

Illyrians were very warlike and ruthless. Some historians believe that they were the first ones to teach Greeks the art of fighting in phalanx formation, which was known as Macedonian phalanx at that time.

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The ancient Illyrians were a warrior people who originated from the lands surrounding and inside the Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe. They inhabited parts of present-day Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia and Albania. In antiquity they lived on the shores of Lake Scutari (modern day Montenegro). The territory was known as Illyria to Greeks but came to be referred to by its own name after Roman conquest in 168 BC when it became one of Rome’s provinces.

The Illyrians remained a distinct people in the region after the Roman conquest, and were noted for their illicit trade with pirates who inhabited nearby seacoast. The Romans considered them barbarians and spent much of the first centuries AD subduing them.

The Illyrians had a distinct culture and spoke the Illyrian language, a language unrelated to any other. During this time there were many neighboring tribes who warred with one another, including the Bryges from which they are thought to have come.

They were known for their distinctive national dress of a tunic, sword & dagger. The Illyrians used iron weapons and bronze helmets with shields.

They were known to have been skilled in metalworking, mining and blacksmithing. They also had advanced techniques for producing bronze from copper and silver.

They had a powerful navy during this time period and their ships were known to be highly maneuverable.

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The Illyrians have always been a difficult group to define. Their territory was divided between the Greeks, Romans and other barbarians in the great barbarian invasions of Europe. They were never an organized society like Greece or Rome but rather they were formed by various tribes that had similar appearances, language and culture.

Over time, they integrated into the empires and cultures that surrounded them. Eventually their language faded and was assimilated into Latin, Greek or Slavic languages.

The Illyrians were not a unified society. They were an amalgamation of small tribes, each with its own culture and customs.

The Illyrians were heavily influenced by the Greeks and Romans. However, they also took some cultural aspects from their neighbors as well.

I believe that the Illyrians were a very interesting and unique people.

However, there is not much to say about the Illyrians because they did not leave a lasting mark on history. They were absorbed by larger societies and cultures that surrounded them.