Teuta of Illyria

Teuta of Illyria
Queen of the Ardiaei
Reign 231 BC – 227 BC[1]
Successor Gentius
Spouse Agron
House Ardiaei

Queen Teuta (Ancient Greek: Τεύτα) of Illyria was an Illyrian[2][3] queen of the tribe Ardiaei who reigned approximately from 231 BC to 227 BC.[1] However, she was not referred to as Queen by Appian, as she was simply a regent to Pinnes.[4][5]

Contents

Reign

Bay of Kotor and Illyrian fortresses on the hills: Risan, Gosici and Kremalj (Mirac).

After the death of her husband,[6] Agron (250 BC–230 BC[7]), former king of the Ardiaei, she inherited the Ardiaean kingdom that included much of Illyria proper, though its exact extent remains unknown[8] and acted as regent for her young stepson Pinnes with the royal seat in Risan[9] (in modern Montenegro). Teuta started to address the neighbouring states malevolently, as her primary stance was to support the piratical raids of her subjects.

Region of Teuta.

Illyrian pirates soon captured, later foritified Dyrrachium (modern-day Durrës, Albania) and Phoenice (which was soon liberated with a truce and a fee).[10] While her Illyrian ships were off the coast of Onchesmos, they intercepted and plundered[11] some merchant vessels of Rome. Teuta's pirates extended their operations further southward into the Ionian Sea, breaching the trade routes between the mainland of Greece and the Greek cities in Italy,[1] and were soon feared as the terror of the Adriatic.

Because the Roman Republic felt threatened by the opposing side of the Adriatic in the very vicinity of its territories (where most of the raids were situated)[12], the senate was compelled to dispatch two ambassadors to the pirate lair at Scodra to solcit reparations and demand an end to all pirate expeditions. Queen Teuta told the ambassadors that according to the law of the Illyrians, piracy was a lawful trade and that her government had no right to interfere with this as a private enterprise. She also implied that "it was never the custom of royalty to prevent the advantage of its subjects they could get from the sea".[12] One of the envoys reportedly replied that Rome would make it her business to introduce better law among the Illyrians as "we have an excellent custom of punishing private wrongs by public revenge"[12]. At any rate, one of the two present ambassadors expressed himself to the queen so disrespectfully that her attendants were ordered to seize the ambassadors' ship as it embarked back for Rome.[13] One of the ambassadors was killed and the other was put in captivity.[1]

War with Rome

Map showing major events and locations of the Illyrian wars with Rome

This was too much for Rome to endure. In 229 BC, Rome declared war[14][5][15] on Illyria and for the first time armies crossed the Adriatic to Illyria (the Balkan Peninsula in modern usage). An army consisting of approximately 20,000 troops, 200 cavalry units and arguably an entire Roman fleet of 200 ships was sent to conquer Corcyra[13]. Teuta's governor, Demetrius had little alternative but to surrender and the Romans awarded him a considerable part of Teuta's holdings (228 BC).[15] The Roman army then landed further north at Apollonia. The combined army and navy proceeded northward together, subduing one town after another and eventually besieging the capital Shkodra. Teuta finally surrendered in 227 BC, having to accept an ignominious peace. The Romans allowed her to continue her reign but restricted[16] her to a narrow region around Scodra, deprived her of all her other holdings, and forbade her to sail an armed ship below Lissus[17][15] just south of the capital. They also required her to pay an annual tribute[18][1] and to acknowledge the final authority of Rome.

Her rule was finally dismembered by the politician Aulus Postumius, after she opted against Roman suppression.[15] Very little is known of the rest of her life, but she was eventually succeeded by Gentius in 181 BC.[19]

Legacy

Today, her actions are regarded as somewhat heroic in historical annals of today's Balkan region.[20][21] Despite for her ongoing acts of piracy, she is revered for her resistance and free will against her persecutors. Teuta is depicted on the reverse of the Albanian 100 lekë coin, issued in 2000.[22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Guida Myrl Jackson, Laufer (1999). Women rulers throughout the ages: an illustrated guide. New York: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1576070913. http://books.google.com/books?id=x3BzmTdQLioC&pg=PA382&dq=teuta+queen&ei=qVEJTK3uD5H0zASdifzSAg&hl=hr&cd=2#v=onepage&q=teuta%20queen&f=false. 
  2. ↑ The Rise of the Roman Empire (Penguin Classics) by Polybius, Ian Scott-Kilvert, and F. W. Walbank, 1980; Teuta, Queen of Illyria.
  3. ↑ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0631198075, page 129,"... mainly because no coins are known to have been issued by Illyrian rulers of a later period such as Agron, Teuta, Scerdilaidas..."
  4. ↑ Épire, Illyrie, Macédoine: mélanges offerts au professeur Pierre Cabanes by Danièle Berranger,Pierre Cabanes,Danièle Berranger-Auserve,page 132
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Arnold, Thomas (1846). The History of Rome. Harvard university: D. Appleton & co.. http://books.google.com/books?id=j74oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA259&dq=teuta+queen&ei=qVEJTK3uD5H0zASdifzSAg&hl=hr&cd=3#v=onepage&q=teuta%20queen&f=false. 
  6. ↑ Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), (Teuta). The wife of Agron.
  7. ↑ Studies concerning Epirus and Macedonia before Alexander by Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond, pages 105 and 250; died c. 230
  8. ↑ Épire, Illyrie, Macédoine: mélanges offerts au professeur Pierre Cabanes by Danièle Berranger, Pierre Cabanes, Danièle Berranger-Auserve, page 136, "The extent of the kingdom of Agron and Teuta is not known exactly"
  9. ↑ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, ISBN 0631198075, page 177,"... who appears to have ruled after 168 BC at Queen Teuta's old stronghold Rhizon (Risan). His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins, without the royal title, occur on Hvar, both ..."
  10. ↑ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, ISBN 0631198075, page 158
  11. ↑ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, ISBN-0631198075, page 158, "... ' Illyrian success continued when command passed to Agron's widow Teuta, who granted individual ships a licence to universal plunder. In 231 as the fleet and army attacked Ells and Messenia ..."
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Strickland, Jane (1854). Rome, Regal and Republican: A Family History of Rome. Princenton University: A. Hall. http://books.google.com/books?id=VmQZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA290&dq=teuta+queen+illyria&lr=&ei=vDkKTIaIB5T8zATihpHeAg&hl=hr&cd=24#v=onepage&q=teuta%20queen%20illyria&f=false. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Meijer, Fik (1986). A history of seafaring in the classical world. Routledge. ISBN 9780709935650. http://books.google.com/books?id=AGIOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA167&dq=teuta+queen+illyria&lr=&ei=PjkKTLubA4P4yATu-JTZAg&hl=hr&cd=14#v=onepage&q=teuta%20queen%20illyria&f=false. 
  14. ↑ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0631198075, page 160, "... ' The Roman invasion of Illyria in 229 sc appears to have caught Teuta and the Illyrians completely off guard. As soon as the weather permitted, the queen had ordered south a naval expedition ..."
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Freeman, Edward (1863). History of federal government: from the foundation of the Achaian league to the disruption of the United States. Michigan Univercity: Macmillan and co.. http://books.google.com/books?id=BCoGAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA418&dq=teuta+queen+illyria&lr=&ei=PjkKTLubA4P4yATu-JTZAg&hl=hr&cd=16#v=onepage&q=teuta%20queen%20illyria&f=false. 
  16. ↑ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0631198075., page 161, "... Before the end of winter, envoys of Teuta appeared in Rome and a treaty was concluded. According to its terms the queen would abandon Illyris, except for a ..."
  17. ↑ Evans, Arthur (2007). Ancient Illyria: an archaeological exploration. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781845111670. http://books.google.com/books?id=3J96wSxMaeYC&pg=PA277&dq=teuta+queen+illyria&lr=&ei=vDkKTIaIB5T8zATihpHeAg&hl=hr&cd=23#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  18. ↑ Polybius, Histories, 2.12, "Teuta Agrees to Pay Tribute to Rome"
  19. ↑ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, ISBN 0-631-19807-5, page 189
  20. ↑ Teuta – Queen of Illyria, Heritage-key, http://heritage-key.com/world/queen-teuta, retrieved 7 June 2010 
  21. ↑ Druett, Joan (2005). She captains: heroines and hellions of the sea. Barnes & Noble Books. ISBN 9780760766910. http://books.google.com/books?id=GoR-gJ5NzegC&q=teuta+heroine&dq=teuta+heroine&ei=TOQMTO_RHqiGzQSp88WWAw&hl=hr&cd=2. 
  22. ↑ Bank of Albania. Currency: Albanian coins in circulation, issue of 1995, 1996 and 2000. – Retrieved on 23 March 2009.

Further reading

Teuta of Illyria
Ardiaean kingdom
Born: Unknown Died: Unknown
Preceded by
Agron		 Queen of the Ardiaei, Regent to Pinnes
230–228 BC		 Succeeded by
Gentius