List of ancient Illyrian peoples and tribes

The following is a list of ancient Illyrian peoples and tribes.

Part of a series on
Indo-European topics

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
Paleo-Balkan languages in Eastern Europe between 5th and 1st century BC
Illyrian geographical range of peoples and languages before Celtic expansion and Roman conquest, circa 500 BC
Illyrian tribes in antiquity (before Roman conquest)
Tribes in Illyricum and environs in AD 6, the year of the Great Illyrian revolt, post Roman conquest
Dalmatians, Liburni, Venetic groups, Pannonian groups and Celts in Pannonia
Distribution of Illyrian tribes in antiquity in the borders with Greeks and Thracians
Tribes in southern Illyris and Epirus.
Dardanians prior to Roman conquest

See also

Sources
  • Mallory, James P.; Adams, D. Q. (1997). Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. Routledge. ISBN 1884964982 ISBN 978-1884964985
  • Wilkes, John. (1996). The Illyrians. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 0631198075 ISBN 978-0631198079
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