List of ancient Illyrian peoples and tribes
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The following is a list of ancient Illyrian peoples and tribes.
Background
The Illyrians (Ancient Greek: Ἰλλυριοί, Illyrioi; Latin: Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European tribes in antiquity, who inhabited most part of the western Balkans.
Before Celtic expansion, starting roughly in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, the Pannonians (that spoke Pannonian), related to the Illyrians Proper, lived in a larger range of land that included most part of the plains of the west Middle Danube river basin (several of the Pannonian tribes were later celticized).
Before Roman expansion and conquest the Messapians, in southeast Italy (roughly in today's Apulia), were possibly also a people of Illyrian affiliation (of the same Indo-European branch as other Illyrians) and spoke Messapian (also Illyrian proper related).
Just before Roman conquest Illyrian peoples and tribes in most of the western Balkans remained culturally Illyrians and maintained their languages. Illyrian peoples and tribes were speakers of the Illyrian languages, a branch of the Indo-European language family, but in the centuries after the Roman conquest most of the Illyrians were included in the Roman civilization and Empire, shifted their ethnic identity to a Roman one and started speaking Latin (Vulgar Latin) in the process of Romanization.
However (in more isolated and mountainous lands), they were some Illyrians that maintained their own cultural identity (including traditions, languages, etc.) and these group of tribes are probably those that are the ancestors of most of the Albanian people.
List
- Illyrians
- Dalmatae/Delmatae (Dalmati)
- Dalmatae/Delmatae Proper
- Daorsei/Daorsi/Daorsii/Duersi
- Daraemeastae/Deraemestae/Deramistae
- Deretini
- Deuri
- Iapydes/Iapodes/Iapyges (Iapodi)
- Melcumani/Melkomenioi/Merromenoi
- Narensi/Narensii
- Sardeates (Sardeati)
- Illyrians proper (Illyrii Proprie Dicti)
- Ardaei/Ardiaei/Vardaei/Vardiaei (Ardiei)
- Autariatae/Autariates (Autariati)
- Bathiatae
- Cavii
- Chelidones/Chelidonii
- Cinambri/Kinambroi
- Dassareti (Illyrian Dassareti)
- Docleatae/Docletae
- Dyestes
- Penestae (Penesti)
- Selepitani/Selepitanoi
- Taulanti/Taulantii
- Messapians/Messapics
- Pannonians
- Antitani/Atintanes/Atintani? (Illyrian Atintani)
- Dassaretae (Dassareti)?
- Dalmatae/Delmatae (Dalmati)
- Thracian–Illyrian