Dalmatia ( / d æ l ˈ m eɪ ʃ ə , - t i ə / ; Croatian : Dalmacija [dǎlmatsija] ; Italian : Dalmazia [dalˈmattsja] ; see names in other languages ) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia , alongside Central Croatia , Slavonia , and Istria , located on the east shore of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia .
159-532: Dalmatia is a narrow belt stretching from the island of Rab in the north to the Bay of Kotor in the south. The Dalmatian Hinterland ranges in width from fifty kilometres in the north, to just a few kilometres in the south; it is mostly covered by the rugged Dinaric Alps . Seventy-nine islands (and about 500 islets) run parallel to the coast, the largest (in Dalmatia) being Brač , Pag , and Hvar . The largest city
318-525: A 'small water snake'. The Illyrian ethnonym shows a dl > ll shift via assimilation as well as the addition of the suffix - uri(o) which is found in Illyrian toponyms such as Tragurium . Eichner also points out the tribal name's close semantic correspondence to that of the Enchelei which translates to 'eel-people', depicting a similar motif of aquatic snake-like fauna. It is also pointed out that
477-642: A Celtic people mixed with the indigenous Illyrian and Thracian population. The Pannonians have not been known to the Greeks, and it seems that before the 2nd century BC they did not come into contact with the Romans. Almost all the Greek writers referred to the Pannonians with the name Paeones until late Roman times. The Scordisci and Pannonians were considered Illyrian mainly because they belonged to Illyricum since
636-694: A dispersal from the western Balkans towards this region, perhaps via an intermediary group in the Italian peninsula. Different versions of the genealogy of the Illyrians, their tribes and their eponymous ancestor, Illyrius , existed in the ancient world both in fictional and non-fictional Greco-Roman literature. The fact that there were many versions of the genealogical story of Illyrius was ascertained by Ancient Greek historian Appian (1st–2nd century AD). However, only two versions of all these genealogical stories are attested. The first version—which reports
795-564: A few centuries they developed their own neo-Latin language (the " Dalmatico "), that lasted until the 19th century. The cities were maritime centres with a huge commerce mainly with the Italian peninsula and with the growing Republic of Venice. The Latin and Slavic communities were somewhat hostile at first, but as the Croats became Christianized this tension increasingly subsided. A degree of cultural mingling soon took place, in some enclaves stronger, in others weaker, as Slavic influence and culture
954-464: A fight and to face danger but slow witted". Illyrian rulers wore bronze torques around their necks. Apart from conflicts between Illyrians and neighbouring nations and tribes, numerous wars were recorded among Illyrian tribes too. The languages spoken by the Illyrian tribes are an extinct and poorly attested Indo-European language group, and it is not clear whether the languages belonged to
1113-522: A form which probably goes back as far as the 7th century when the Slavs began to settle on the island. However, the first record of the name Rab is preserved only in the middle of the 15th century (in a Latin document relating to the establishment of the Franciscan monastery of St. Eufemija), since the major establishment of Croatian inhabitants in the city did not occur before the 10th century, unlike
1272-514: A kingdom established on the north-western borders of Upper Macedonia . From the 5th century BC onwards, the term Illyrian was already applied to a large ethnic group whose territory extended deep into the Balkan mainland. Ancient Greeks clearly considered the Illyrians as a completely distinct ethnos from both the neighboring Thracians and the Macedonians . Most scholars hold that
1431-724: A lot of improvements in infrastructure; many roads were built or reconstructed. Napoleon himself blamed Marshal of the Empire Auguste de Marmont , the governor of Dalmatia, that too much money was spent. However, in 1813, the Habsburgs once again declared war on France and, by the following year, had restored control over Dalmatia. From the Middle Ages to the 19th century, Italian and Slavic communities in Dalmatia had lived peacefully side by side because they did not know
1590-546: A nationalist notion. During Dalmatia's incorporation in Austrian Empire , with the Autonomist Party in Dalmatia refusing and opposed plans to incorporate Dalmatia into Croatia; instead it supported an autonomous Dalmatia based on a multicultural association of Dalmatia's ethnic communities: Croats , Serbs , and Italians , united as Dalmatians. The Autonomist Party has been accused of secretly having been
1749-465: A pro-Italian movement due to their defense of the rights of ethnic Italians in Dalmatia. Also support for the autonomy of Dalmatia, had deep historic roots in identifying Dalmatian culture as linking Western culture via Venetian Italian influence and Eastern culture via South Slavic influence, such a view was supported by Dalmatian autonomist Stipan Ivičević . The Autonomist Party did not claim to be an Italian movement, and indicated that it sympathized with
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#17327648185291908-517: A sense of heterogeneity amongst Dalmatians in opposition to ethnic nationalism . In the 1861 elections, the Autonomists won twenty-seven seats in Dalmatia, while Dalmatia's Croatian nationalist movement, the People's Party , won only fourteen seats. The issue of autonomy of Dalmatia was debated after the creation of Yugoslavia in 1918, due to divisions within Dalmatia over proposals of merging
2067-460: A sense of regional identity. This same regional identity and heritage is displayed in the Hinterland, where the architectural and cultural legacy remains evident in many villages and towns that have a distinct Mediterranean style. The cuisine Dalmatia was influenced by Italian cuisine , given the historical presence of local ethnic Italians ( Dalmatian Italians ), influence that has eased after
2226-580: A small group of people on the coast, the Illyrioi / Illyrii (first mentioned by Pseudo-Skylax and later described by Pliny the Elder ), and thereafter applied to all of the people of the region; this has been explained by the substantial evidence of Minoan and Mycenaean contact in the valley where the Illyrioi/Illyrii presumably lived. According to the latter hypothesis the label Illyrians
2385-409: A speech he attributes to Brasidas , in which he recounts that the mode of rulership among the Illyrian tribes is that of dynasteia —which Thucidides used in reference to foreign customs—neither democratic, nor oligarchic. Brasidas then goes on to explain that in the dynasteia the ruler rose to power "by no other means than by superiority in fighting". Pseudo-Scymnus (2nd century BC) in reference to
2544-637: A strong reputation for piracy especially common during the regency of king Agron and later queen Teuta . They used fast and maneuverable ships of types known as lembus and liburna which were subsequently used by the Ancient Macedonians and Romans. Livy described the Illyrians along with the Liburnians and Istrians as nations of savages in general noted for their piracy. Illyria appears in Greco-Roman historiography from
2703-630: A wide-ranging project aimed at the Germanization or Slavization of the areas of the empire with an Italian presence: His Majesty expressed the precise order that action be taken decisively against the influence of the Italian elements still present in some regions of the Crown and, appropriately occupying the posts of public, judicial, masters employees as well as with the influence of the press, work in South Tyrol , Dalmatia and Littoral for
2862-508: Is Split , followed by Zadar , Šibenik , and Dubrovnik . The name of the region stems from an Illyrian tribe called the Dalmatae , who lived in the area in classical antiquity . Later it became a Roman province (with much larger territory than modern region), and as result a Romance culture emerged, along with the now-extinct Dalmatian language , later largely replaced with related Venetian and Italian , which were mainly spoken by
3021-554: Is Velleius Paterculus , which was incorporated into the second book of Roman History . Another ancient source about it is the biography of Octavius Augustus by Pliny the Elder . The two leaders of uprising were Bato the Breucian and Bato the Daesitiate . Geographically, the name 'Illyria' came to mean Roman Illyricum which from the 4th century to the 7th century signified the prefecture of Illyricum . It covered much of
3180-586: Is a historical region only, not formally instituted in Croatian law. Its exact extent is therefore uncertain and subject to public perception. According to Lena Mirošević and Josip Faričić of the University of Zadar : ...the modern perception of Dalmatia is mainly based on the territorial extent of the Austrian Kingdom of Dalmatia , with the exception of Rab, which is geographically related to
3339-548: Is a matter of debate among scholars, and includes the hypothesis of the origin of the Albanian language from an Illyrian language , which is often supported by scholars for obvious geographic and historical reasons but not proven. While the Illyrians are largely recorded under the ethnonyms of Illyrioi ( Ἰλλυριοί ) and Illyrii, these appear to be misspelt renditions by Greek or Latin-speaking writers. Based on historically attested forms denoting specific Illyrian tribes or
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#17327648185293498-514: Is commemorated in the present twin-city agreement between Rab and San Marino). The earliest bishop of Arba whose name is preserved in an extant document is Titianus, a participant in a council held in 532 Salona , the metropolitan see of which Arba was a suffragan . Among the signatories of the Second Council of Nicea was a bishop of Rab, namely Ursus. (“Ursus episcopus Avaritianensium ecclesiae” Ursus of Rab) On 17 October 1154, Arba
3657-684: Is derived from a word meaning "sheep". According to Vladimir Orel , the Gheg form delmë hardly has anything in common with the name of Dalmatia because it represents a variant of dele with *-mā , which is ultimately from proto-Albanian *dailā . The ancient name Dalmana , derived from the same root, testifies to the advance of the Illyrians into the middle Vardar , between the ancient towns of Bylazora and Stobi . The medieval Slavic toponym Ovče Pole ("plain of sheep" in South Slavic ) in
3816-592: Is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Dalmatae who lived in the area of the eastern Adriatic coast in the 1st millennium BC. It was part of the Illyrian Kingdom between the 4th century BC and the Illyrian Wars (220, 168 BC) when the Roman Republic established its protectorate south of the river Neretva . The name "Dalmatia" was in use probably from the second half of
3975-463: Is not certain how old this name is; it may be as old as the settlement, which means from the beginning of the Iron Age since the Liburnians did not build the city walls on the island. The Illyrian-Liburnian word Arb meant 'dark, obscure, green, forested'. Therefore, name Arba should be comprehended as a toponym meaning "Black island", due to the rich pine forests that once grew on the island. After
4134-571: Is rich in cultural heritage and cultural-historical monuments that make it a popular vacation destination. Rab is also known as a pioneer of naturism after the visit of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson . The island is nowadays very popular with tourists and families for its beautiful nature, beaches, heritage and many events, particularly the Rab arbalest tournament and the Rab Medieval festival called Rapska Fjera . The island forms part of
4293-735: Is traced to increased contacts with the Mediterranean and La Tène 'global worlds'. This catalyzed "the development of more complex political institutions and the increase in differences between individual communities". Emerging local elites selectively adopted either La Tène or Hellenistic and, later, Roman cultural templates "in order to legitimize and strengthen domination within their communities. They were competing fiercely through either alliance or conflict and resistance to Roman expansion. Thus, they established more complex political alliances, which convinced (Greco-Roman) sources to see them as 'ethnic' identities." The Roman Republic subdued
4452-468: Is unlikely that they used any collective nomenclature at all. Most modern scholars are certain that all the peoples of western Balkans that were collectively labeled as 'Illyrians' were not a culturally or linguistically homogeneous entity. For instance, some tribes like the Bryges would not have been identified as Illyrian. What criteria were initially used to define this group of peoples or how and why
4611-554: The Adriatic Sea . The Romans came nevertheless into a series of conflicts with the Illyrians, equally known as the Illyrian Wars , beginning in 229 BC until 168 BC as the Romans defeated Gentius at Scodra . The Great Illyrian Uprising took place in the Roman province of Illyricum in the 1st century AD, in which an alliance of native peoples revolted against the Romans. The main ancient source that describes this military conflict
4770-711: The Austro-Hungarian defeat in World War I , Dalmatia was split between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes , which controlled most of it, and the Kingdom of Italy , which held several smaller parts. After World War II , the People's Republic of Croatia as a part of Yugoslavia took complete control over the area. Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia , Dalmatia became part of the Republic of Croatia. The regional name Dalmatia originates from Dalmatae ,
4929-758: The Azali were transferred from their homeland to frontier areas (northern Hungary) after the Great Illyrian Revolt. In Dacia , Illyrian communities like the Pirustae who were skilled miners were settled to the gold mines of Alburnus Maior where they formed their own communities. In Trajan 's period these population movements were likely part of a deliberate policy of resettling, while later they involved free migrations. In their new regions, they were free salaried workers. Inscriptions show that by that era many of Illyrians had acquired Roman citizenship. By
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5088-562: The Bay of Kotor to become a safe place for doing business. In 1389, Tvrtko I , the founder of the Kingdom of Bosnia , was able to control the Adriatic littoral between Kotor and Šibenik , and even claimed control over the northern coast up to Rijeka , and his own independent ally, Republic of Ragusa . This was only temporary, as Hungary and the Venetians continued their struggle over Dalmatia after Tvrtko's death in 1391. By this time,
5247-836: The Bay of Kotor –includes the Orjen mountains with the highest peak in Montenegro , 1894 m. In present-day Dalmatia, the highest peak is Dinara (1913 m), which is not a coastal mountain, while the highest coastal Dinaric mountains are on Biokovo (Sv. Jure, 1762 m) and Velebit (Vaganski vrh, 1757 m), although the Vaganski vrh itself is located in Lika-Senj County . The largest Dalmatian islands are Brač , Korčula , Dugi Otok , Mljet , Vis , Hvar , Pag and Pašman . The major rivers are Zrmanja , Krka , Cetina , and Neretva . The Adriatic Sea's high water quality , along with
5406-581: The Black Sea , and the Republic of Ragusa was the fiercest competitor to Venice's merchants in the 15th and 16th centuries. Originally, Latin was used in official documents of the Republic. Italian came into use in the 1420s. Both languages were used in official correspondence by the Republic. The Republic was influenced by the Venetian language and the Tuscan dialect . In the early 16th century, most of
5565-706: The Byzantine Empire , with various degrees of autonomy. For a short time, it formed a part of the medieval Kingdom of Croatia . In 1000 the island, together with the many other islands and cities of Dalmatia , submitted to the Republic of Venice . In 1358 the island came under the rule of King Louis the Great , the Angevin ruler of Hungary . During the Renaissance it was ruled by Venice from 1409 until
5724-585: The Dalmatian Italians . With the arrival of the Sclaveni (South Slavs) to the area in the late 6th and early 7th century, who eventually occupied most of the coast and hinterland, Slavic and Romance elements began to intermix in language and culture . After the medieval Kingdom of Croatia , in which most of Dalmatia resided, entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102, its cities and lands were often conquered by, or switched allegiance to,
5883-573: The Daunii and the Peucetii . Based on historical and archaeological data, it has been widely thought that Messapic reached Apulia through the Illyrian migrations across the Adriatic Sea. On both sides of the border region between southern Illyria and northern Epirus, the contact between the Illyrian and Greek languages produced an area of bilingualism between the two, although it is unclear how
6042-425: The Enchelei had chosen to be their leaders. He eventually ruled Illyria and became the eponymous ancestor of the whole Illyrian people. In one of these versions, Illyrius was named so after Cadmus left him by a river named the Illyrian , where a serpent found and raised him. Appian writes that many mythological stories were still circulating in his time, and he chose a particular version because it seemed to be
6201-458: The Enchelei , which seems to have reached its height from the 8th–7th centuries BC, but the kingdom fell from dominant power around the 6th century BC. It seems that the weakening of the kingdom of Enchelae resulted in their assimilation and inclusion into a newly established Illyrian realm at the latest in the 5th century BC, marking the arising of the Dassaretii , who appear to have replaced
6360-577: The Great Turkish War and the Treaty of Passarowitz , more peaceful times made Dalmatia experience a period of certain economic and cultural growth in the 18th century, with the re-establishment of trade and exchange with the hinterland. This period was abruptly interrupted with the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. Napoleon 's troops stormed the region and ended the independence of the Republic of Ragusa as well, saving it from occupation by
6519-515: The Istrian–Dalmatian exodus . For example, the influence of Italian cuisine on Dalmatian dishes can be seen in the pršut (similar to Italian prosciutto ) and on the preparation of homemade pasta. Traditional dishes of Italian origin also include gnocchi ( njoki ), risotto ( rižot ), focaccia ( pogača ), polenta ( palenta ), and brudet . Dalmatian identity , or sometimes also Dalmatianism, Dalmatianness or Dalmatian nationalism', refers to
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6678-521: The Kvarner area and functionally to the Littoral – Gorski Kotar area, and with the exception of the Bay of Kotor , which was annexed to another state ( Montenegro ) after World War I . Simultaneously, the southern part of Lika and upper Pounje, which were not part of Austrian Dalmatia, became part of Zadar County . From the present-day administrative and territorial point of view, Dalmatia comprises
6837-515: The Roman province of Dalmatia was much larger than the present-day Split-Dalmatia County , stretching from Istria in the north to modern-day Albania in the south. Dalmatia signified not only a geographical unit, but was an entity based on common culture and settlement types, a common narrow eastern Adriatic coastal belt, Mediterranean climate , sclerophyllous vegetation of the Illyrian province and Adriatic carbonate platform Today, Dalmatia
6996-708: The Russian Empire and Montenegro . In 1805, Napoleon created his Kingdom of Italy around the Adriatic Sea, annexing to it the former Venetian Dalmatia from Istria to Kotor. In 1808, he annexed the just conquered Republic of Ragusa to the Kingdom. A year later, in 1809, he removed the Venetian Dalmatia from his Kingdom of Italy and created the Illyrian Provinces , which were annexed to France , and named Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult
7155-532: The Taulantii , Parthini , Dardani , Encheleae , Autariates , Dassaretii and the Daorsi . Autareius had a son Pannonius or Paeon and these had sons Scordiscus and Triballus . Appian's genealogy was evidently composed in Roman times encompassing barbarian peoples other than Illyrians like Celts and Galatians . and choosing a specific story for his audience that included most of the peoples who dwelled in
7314-690: The Urnfield - Lusatian culture into the west Balkans has ever been found. Mathieson et al. 2018 archaeogenetic study included three samples from Dalmatia : two Early & Middle Bronze Age (1631-1521/1618-1513 calBCE) samples from Veliki Vanik (near Vrgorac ) and one Iron Age (805-761 calBCE) sample from Jazinka Cave in Krka National Park . According to ADMIXTURE analysis they had approximately 60% Early European Farmers , 33% Western Steppe Herders and 7% Western Hunter-Gatherer -related ancestry. The male individual from Veliki Vanik carried
7473-487: The Venetian language , once dominant in the area, it is spelled Dalmàssia , and in modern Italian Dalmazia . The modern Croatian spelling is Dalmacija , and the modern Serbian Cyrillic spelling is Далмација ( pronounced [dǎlmaːt͡sija] ). Dalmatia is referenced in the New Testament at 2 Timothy 4:10 , therefore the name has been translated in many of the world's languages. In antiquity ,
7632-581: The Venetic language in the Italian Peninsula but this view was abandoned. Other scholars have linked them with the adjacent Thracian language supposing an intermediate convergence area or dialect continuum , but this view is also not generally supported. All these languages were likely extinct by the 5th century AD although traditionally, the Albanian language is identified as the descendant of Illyrian dialects that survived in remote areas of
7791-506: The Vlaji , their name originated from the Vlachs with whom they have no ethnic connection. The former two groups (inhabitants of the islands and the cities) historically included many Venetian and Italian speakers, who are identificated as Dalmatian Italians . Their presence, relative to those identifying as Croats , decreased dramatically over the course of the 19th and the first half of
7950-405: The Western Roman Empire , with the beginning of the Migration Period , left the region subject to Gothic rulers Odoacer and Theodoric the Great . They ruled Dalmatia from 480 to 535 AD, when it was restored to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire by Justinian I . In the Early Middle Ages , the territory of the Byzantine province of Dalmatia reached in the North up to the river Sava , and
8109-437: The Y-DNA haplogroup J2b2a1-L283 while his and two female individuals mtDNA haplogroup were I1a1 , W3a1 and HV0e . Freilich et al. 2021 identify the Veliki Vanik samples as related to the Cetina culture (EBA-MBA western Balkans). Patterson et al. 2022 study examined 18 samples from the Middle Bronze Age up to Early Iron Age Croatia, which was part of Illyria. Out of the nine Y-DNA samples retrieved, which coincide with
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#17327648185298268-447: The centum or the satem group. The Illyrians were subject to varying degrees of Celticization , Hellenization , Romanization and later Slavicization which possibly led to the extinction of their languages. In modern research, use of concepts like "Hellenization" and "Romanization" has declined as they have been criticized as simplistic notions which cannot describe the actual processes through which material development moved from
8427-403: The 10th century BC up to the 1st century AD in the region defined by the Ancient Greek and Roman historians as Illyria . It concerns the armed conflicts of the Illyrian tribes and their kingdoms in the Balkan Peninsula and the Italian Peninsula as well as their pirate activity in the Adriatic Sea within the Mediterranean Sea . The Illyrians were a notorious seafaring people with
8586-581: The 1920s placed the proto-Illyrians as the original inhabitants of a very large area which reached central Europe. These theories, which have been dismissed, were used in the politics of the era and its racialist notions of Nordicism and Aryanism . The main fact which these theories tried to address was the existence of traces of Illyrian toponymy in parts of Europe beyond the western Balkans, an issue whose origins are still unclear. The specific theories have found little archaeological corroboration, as no convincing evidence for significant migratory movements from
8745-431: The 1st century AD, it was recorded by many other Greek and Roman authors by the names Arba and Arva . Its Medieval Dalmatian -speaking population used Arbe , Arbia , Arbiana , Arbitana and most frequently Arbum in the documents written in the Latin . Arbe became also the Venetian name of the city in the 15th century when it fell under the authority of the Republic of Venice . In Croatian it became Rab ,
8904-411: The 20th century. The Italian speakers (Dalmatian Italians and italophone Croats) constituted 33% of the total Dalmatian population in 1803. They decreased to 29% in 1809, 20% in 1816, 12.5% in 1865, 3.1% in 1890 and 2.8% in 1910. There remains, however, a strong cultural, and, in part, ancestral heritage among the natives of the cities and islands, who today almost exclusively identify as Croats, but retain
9063-443: The 2nd century BC and certainly from the first half of the 1st century BC, defining a coastal area of the eastern Adriatic between the Krka and Neretva rivers. It was slowly incorporated into Roman possessions until the Roman province of Illyricum was formally established around 32–27 BC. In 9 AD, the Dalmatians raised the last in a series of revolts together with the Pannonians, but it was finally crushed and, in 10 AD, Illyricum
9222-429: The 4th century BC. Illyrians were regarded as bloodthirsty, unpredictable, turbulent, and warlike by Ancient Greeks and Romans. They were seen as savages on the edge of their world. Polybius (3rd century BC) wrote: "the Romans had freed the Greeks from the enemies of all mankind". According to the Romans, the Illyrians were tall and well-built. Herodianus writes that " Pannonians are tall and strong always ready for
9381-534: The Ancient Greeks must have learned this name from a tribe in southern Illyria, later applying it to all related and neighbouring peoples. The terms Illyrians , Illyria and Illyricum have been used throughout history for ethnic and geographic contextualizations that have changed over time. Re-contextualizations of these terms often confused ancient writers and modern scholars. Notable scholarly efforts have been dedicated to trying to analyze and explain these changes. The first known mention of Illyrians occurred in
9540-419: The Austrian capital of Dalmatia, Zara, the proportion of Italians continued to grow, making it the only Dalmatian city with an Italian majority. In 1861 was the meeting of the first Dalmatian Assembly, with representatives from Dubrovnik. Representatives of Kotor came to Dubrovnik to join the struggle for unification with Croatia. The citizens of Dubrovnik gave them a festive welcome, flying Croatian flags from
9699-400: The Balkans during the Middle Ages but evidence "is too meager and contradictory for us to know whether the term Illyrian even referred to a single language". The ancestor dialects of the Albanian language would have survived somewhere along the boundary of Latin and Ancient Greek linguistic influence, the Jireček Line . There are various modern historians and linguists who believe that
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#17327648185299858-407: The Council of Kingdom of Dalmatia was Baron Vlaho Getaldić . In the same year, the first issue of the Dubrovnik almanac appeared, Flower of the National Literature ( Dubrovnik, cvijet narodnog književstva ), in which Petar Preradović published his noted poem "Pjesma Dubrovniku" ( Poem to Dubrovnik ). This and other literary and journalistic texts, which continued to be published, contributed to
10017-528: The Dalmatia populace, only Italian language schools existed until 1848, and due to restrictive voting laws, the Italian-speaking aristocratic minority retained political control of Dalmatia. Only after Austria liberalized elections in 1870, allowing more majority Slavs to vote, did Croatian parties gain control. Croatian finally became an official language in Dalmatia in 1883, along with Italian. Yet minority Italian-speakers continued to wield strong influence, since Austria favored Italians for government work, thus in
10176-570: The Dalmatian hinterland which was controlled by the Hungarian-Croatian Kingdom was lost to the Ottoman Empire by the 1520s when was formed Croatian vilayet which became incorporated into the Sanjak of Klis after the Siege of Klis (1537), and decades later into the Bosnia Eyalet . With the fall of the Hungarian-Venetian border in Dalmatia, Venetian Dalmatia now directly bordered with the Ottoman Dalmatia. Venetians still perceived this inner hinterland as once part of Croatia, calling it as "Banadego" (lands of Ban i.e. Banate ). The Republic of Venice
10335-404: The Dalmatian islands. After Philip II of Macedon defeated Bardylis (358 BC), the Grabaei under Grabos II became the strongest state in Illyria. Philip II killed 7,000 Illyrians in a great victory and annexed the territory up to Lake Ohrid . Next, Philip II reduced the Grabaei, and then went for the Ardiaei , defeated the Triballi (339 BC), and fought with Pleurias (337 BC). During
10494-451: The Duke of Dalmatia. Napoleon's rule in Dalmatia was marked with war and high taxation, which caused several rebellions. On the other hand, French rule greatly contributed to Croatian national revival (the first newspaper in Croatian was published then in Zadar, Il Regio Dalmata – Kraglski Dalmatin ), the legal system and infrastructure were finally modernized somewhat in Dalmatia, and the educational system flourished. French rule brought
10653-526: The Early Iron Age Illyrians made "part of the same Mediterranean continuum" with the "autochthonous [...] Roman Republicans " and had high affinity with Daunians , part of Iapygians in Apulia , southeastern Italy. Iron Age male samples from Daunian sites have yielded J-M241>J-L283+, R-M269>Z2103+ and I-M223 lineages. Three Bronze Age males which carry J-L283 have been found in the Late Bronze Age Nuragic civilization of Sardinia . This late find in Sardinia in comparison to western Balkan samples suggests
10812-412: The Elder and Pomponius Mela used the term Illyrii proprie dicti ('properly called Illyrians') to designate a people that was located in the coast of modern Albania and Montenegro. Many modern scholars view the 'properly called Illyrians' as a trace of the Illyrian kingdom known in the sources from the 4th century BC until 167 BC, which was ruled in Roman times by the Ardiaei and Labeatae when it
10971-425: The Enchelei in the lakeland area of Lychnidus . According to a number of modern scholars the dynasty of Bardylis —the first attested Illyrian dynasty—was Dassaretan. The weakening of the Enchelean realm was also caused by the strengthening of another Illyrian kingdom established in its vicinity—that of the Taulantii —which existed for some time along with that of the Enchelei. The Taulantii—another people among
11130-423: The Germanization and Slavization of these territories according to the circumstances, with energy and without any regard. His Majesty calls the central offices to the strong duty to proceed in this way to what has been established. Dalmatia, especially its maritime cities, once had a substantial local ethnic Italian population ( Dalmatian Italians ), making up 33% of the total population of Dalmatia in 1803, but this
11289-476: The Illyrian settlements and suppressed the piracy that had made the Adriatic unsafe for Roman commerce. There were three campaigns : the first against Teuta , the second against Demetrius of Pharos and the third against Gentius . The initial campaign in 229 BC marks the first time that the Roman Navy crossed the Adriatic Sea to launch an invasion. The impetus behind the emergence of larger regional groups, such as "Iapodes", "Liburnians", "Pannonians" etc.,
11448-532: The Illyrian tribes never collectively identified as "Illyrians", and that it is unlikely that they used any collective nomenclature at all. Illyrians seems to be the name of a specific Illyrian tribe who were among the first to encounter the ancient Greeks during the Bronze Age . The Greeks later applied this term Illyrians , pars pro toto , to all people with similar language and customs. In archaeological, historical and linguistic studies, research about
11607-455: The Illyrians as a whole (e.g., Úlloí ( Ύλλοί ) and Hil(l)uri ), the native tribal name from which these renditions were based has been reconstructed by linguists such as Heiner Eichner as * Hillurio- (< older * Hullurio- ). According to Eichner, this ethnonym, translating to 'water snake', is derived from Proto-Indo-European * ud-lo ('of water, aquatic') sharing a common root with Ancient Greek üllos ( ϋλλος ) meaning 'fish' or
11766-454: The Illyrians during the 2nd century BC. An Illyrian revolt was crushed under Augustus , resulting in the division of Illyria in the provinces of Pannonia in the north and Dalmatia in the south. Depictions of the Illyrians, usually described as "barbarians" or "savages", are universally negative in Greek and Roman sources. Prior to the Roman conquest of Illyria , the Roman Republic had started expanding its power and territory across
11925-537: The Illyrians expanded. The area of the Illyrii proprie dicti is largely included in the southern Illyrian onomastic province in modern linguistics. The Illyrians emerged from the fusion of PIE-descended Yamnaya -related population movements ca. 2500 BCE in the Balkans with the pre-existing Balkan Neolithic population, initially forming "Proto-Illyrian" Bronze Age cultures in the Balkans. The proto-Illyrians during
12084-615: The Illyrians". Since the Middle Ages the term "Illyrian" has been used principally in connection with the Albanians , although it was also used to describe the western wing of the Southern Slavs up to the 19th century, being revived in particular during the Habsburg monarchy . In Byzantine literature, references to Illyria as a defined region in administrative terms end after 1204 and the term specifically began to refer only to
12243-482: The Illyrians, from the late 19th to the 21st century, has moved from Pan-Illyrian theories , which identified as Illyrian even groups north of the Balkans to more well-defined groupings based on Illyrian onomastics and material anthropology since the 1960s as newer inscriptions were found and sites excavated. There are two principal Illyrian onomastic areas: the southern and the Dalmatian-Pannonian, with
12402-697: The Illyricum of the Antonine era . However, the inclusion in his genealogy of the Enchelei and the Autariatae , whose political strength has been highly weakened, reflects a pre-Roman historical situation. Basically, ancient Greeks included in their mythological accounts all the peoples with whom they had close contacts. In Roman times, ancient Romans created more mythical or genealogical relations to include various new peoples, regardless of their large ethnic and cultural differences. Appian's genealogy lists
12561-548: The Kvarner Islands Important Bird Area (IBA), designated as such by BirdLife International because it supports significant numbers of many bird species, including breeding populations of several birds of prey . Illyrians The Illyrians ( Ancient Greek : Ἰλλυριοί , Illyrioi ; Latin : Illyrii ) were a group of Indo-European-speaking people who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of
12720-774: The MBA-IA Velim Kosa tumuli of Liburni in Croatia (J-PH1602), and similar in LBA-IA Velika Gruda tumuli in Montenegro (J-Z2507 > J-Z1297 > J-Y21878). The oldest J-L283 (> J-Z597) sample in the study was found in MBA Shkrel , northern Albania as early as the 19th century BCE. In northern Albania, IA Çinamak, half of them men carried J-L283 (> J-Z622, J-Y21878) and the other half R-M269 (R-CTS1450, R-PF7563). The oldest sample in Çinamak dates to
12879-787: The Ottomans took control of the hinterland, many Christians took refuge in the coastal cities of Dalmatia. In the Ottoman Dalmatia many people converted to Islam to get freedom and privileges. The border between the Dalmatian hinterland and the Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina greatly fluctuated until the Morean War , when the Venetian capture of Knin and Sinj set much of the borderline at its current position. After
13038-588: The Romance-speaking Dalmatian city-states and remained influential as they were well fortified and maintained their connection with the Byzantine Empire. The original name of the cities was Jadera ( Zadar ; capital of the theme), Spalatum (Split), Crepsa ( Cres ), Arba ( Rab ), Tragurium ( Trogir ), Vecla ( Krk ), Ragusium ( Dubrovnik ) and Cattarum ( Kotor ). The language and the laws were initially Latin , but after
13197-486: The affairs in the internal conflicts between aristocrats and democrats. The Taulantian kingdom seems to have reached its climax during Glaukias ' rule, in the years between 335 BC and 302 BC. The Illyrian kingdoms frequently came into conflicts with the neighbouring Ancient Macedonians , and the Illyrian pirates were also seen as significant threat to the neighbouring peoples. At the Neretva Delta , there
13356-527: The area of the Dardani as a region of overlapping between the two. A third area, to the north of them – which in ancient literature was usually identified as part of Illyria – has been connected more to the Venetic language than to Illyrian. Illyric settlement in Italy was and still is attributed to a few ancient tribes which are thought to have migrated along the Adriatic shorelines to the Italian peninsula from
13515-529: The awakening of the national consciousness reflected in efforts to introduce the Croatian language into schools and offices, and to promote Croatian books. The Emperor Franz Joseph brought the March Constitution which prohibited the unification of Dalmatia and Croatia and also any further political activity with this end in view. The political struggle of Dubrovnik to be united with Croatia, which
13674-595: The capital Salona (an event that allowed for the settlement of the nearby Diocletian's Palace in Spalatum ), Asseria, Varvaria, Burnum, Scardona, Epidaurum and Acruvium (resulting with the foundation of Kotor ), and Epidaurum (resulting with the foundation of Ragusa ). The arrived tribes of Croats , Serbs and other Slavs founded sclaviniae Croatia , Pagania , Zachlumia , Travunia and Konavle (also small region of Bosnia , with Duklja in near Praevalitana and Serbia in Dalmatia, Praevalitana and Moesia ). In
13833-526: The centres of the ancient Mediterranean to its periphery. The Messapic language is often considered either a dialect or sister language of Illyrian. However, the testimonies of Illyrian are too fragmentary to allow any conclusions. An extinct Indo-European language, Messapic was once spoken in Apulia in the southeastern Italian Peninsula by the three Iapygian tribes of the region: the Messapians ,
13992-470: The coast and near hinterland of Dalmatia by the year 1420, it was to remain under Venetian rule for 377 years (1420–1797). Dalmatia was first and finally sold to the Republic of Venice in 1409 but Venetian Dalmatia was not fully consolidated from 1420. The Republic of Venice in 1420 controlled coastal part of Dalmatia, with the southern enclave , the Bay of Kotor , being called Venetian Albania . Venetian
14151-410: The coast, which gave rise to the geographic term Dalmatian concordant coastline . On the coasts the climate is Mediterranean , while further inland it is moderate Mediterranean. In the mountains, winters are frosty and snowy, while summers are hot and dry. To the south winters are milder. Over the centuries many forests have been cut down and replaced with bush and brush. There is evergreen vegetation on
14310-596: The coast. The soils are generally poor, except on the plains where areas with natural grass, fertile soils, and warm summers provide an opportunity for tillage. Elsewhere, land cultivation is mostly unsuccessful because of the mountains, hot summers, and poor soils, although olives and grapes flourish. Energy resources are scarce. Electricity is mainly produced by hydropower stations. The largest Dalmatian mountains are Dinara , Mosor , Svilaja , Biokovo , Moseć , Veliki Kozjak , and Mali Kozjak . The regional geographical unit of Dalmatia–the coastal region between Istria and
14469-474: The conquest of Zadar in the mid-11th century. Chronicler Thomas the Archdeacon relates that Stephen Držislav took the title "King of Dalmatia and Croatia", and that all subsequent rulers styled themselves in such manner. Petar Krešimir IV of Croatia expanded his rule to permanently incorporate Dalmatian cities and islands by 1069. Upon the death of King Demetrius Zvonimir of Croatia by the end of 1080s,
14628-605: The control of the noble Šubić family which held them until they were defeated at the Battle of Bliska by a coalition of nobles, Dalmatian cities and royal troops loyal to Charles I of Hungary . In the south, due to its protected location, Kotor became a major city for the salt trade. The area was prosperous during the 14th century under the rule of Emperor of the Serbs Dušan the Mighty , who encouraged law enforcement, which helped
14787-439: The correct form of Dalmatia is Delmatia , and notes that Marcus Terentius Varro who lived about two centuries prior to Appian and Velius Longius, used the form Delmatia as it corresponded to the chief settlement of the tribe, Delminium . The toponym Duvno is a derivation from Delminium in Croatian via an intermediate form *Delminio in late antiquity. Its Latin form Dalmatia gave rise to its current English name. In
14946-516: The course of their settlement towards the Adriatic coast merged with such populations of a pre-Illyrian substratum – like Enchelei might have been – leading to the formation of the historical Illyrians who were attested in later times. It has been suggested that the myth of Cadmus and Harmonia may be a reflection in mythology of the end of the pre-Illyrian era in the southern Adriatic region as well as in those regions located north of Macedonia and Epirus. Older Pan-Illyrian theories which emerged in
15105-518: The earliest known peoples of Illyria in the group of the first generation, consisting mostly of southern Illyrian peoples firstly encountered by the Greeks, some of which were the Enchelei , the Taulantii , the Dassaretii and the Parthini . Some peoples that came to the Balkans at a later date such as the Scordisci are listed in the group that belongs to the third generation. The Scordisci were
15264-456: The early Roman Imperial period . Depending on the complexity of the diverse physical geography of the Balkans , arable farming and livestock (mixed farming) rearing had constituted the economic basis of the Illyrians during the Iron Age . In southern Illyria organized realms were formed earlier than in other areas of this region. One of the oldest known Illyrian kingdoms is that of
15423-741: The early 9th century, the Eastern Adriatic coast including Dalmatia was the scene of the sphere of influence struggle between the Frankish and Byzantine Empire, but although the Byzantines have retained supremacy, Dalmatia became a meeting place between the West and the East. The meaning of the administrative-geographical term "Dalmatia" by 820 shrank to the coastal cities and their immediate hinterland - Byzantine theme of Dalmatia . Its cities were
15582-841: The eastern Adriatic. This triggered the gradual rise of Italian irredentism among many Italians in Dalmatia , who demanded the unification of the Austrian Littoral , Fiume and Dalmatia with Italy. The Italians in Dalmatia supported the Italian Risorgimento: as a consequence, the Austrians saw the Italians as enemies and favored the Slav communities of Dalmatia. During the meeting of the Council of Ministers of 12 November 1866, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria outlined
15741-441: The end of the 18th century followed by a brief interlude under Napoleon . It was eventually annexed by the Habsburgs in 1815 and remained under Austrian rule till 1918. Since a majority of its residents were Italian speakers, the locals sought to be annexed to the Kingdom of Italy , but Italy eventually decided to cede the island to Yugoslavia in 1921, and many of its Italian-speaking residents subsequently left for Istria and
15900-675: The end of the 2nd century and beginning of the 3rd century CE, Illyrian populations had been highly integrated in the Roman Empire and formed a core population of its Balkan provinces. During the crisis of the Third Century and the establishment of the Dominate , a new elite faction of Illyrians who were part of the Roman army along the Pannonian and Danubian Limes rose in Roman politics. This faction produced many emperors from
16059-749: The first era of post-Yamnaya movements (EBA) and carries R-M269. Autosomally, Croatian Bronze Age samples from various sites, from Cetina valley and Bezdanjača Cave were "extremely similar in their ancestral makeup", while from Montenegro's Velika Gruda mainly had an admixture of "Anatolian Neolithic (~50%), Eastern European hunter-gatherer (~12%), and Balkan hunter-gatherer ancestry (~18%)". The oldest Balkan J-L283 samples have been found in final Early Bronze Age (ca. 1950 BCE) site of Mokrin in Serbia and about 100–150 years later in Shkrel, northern Albania. Aneli et al. 2022 based on samples from EIA Dalmatia argue that
16218-543: The four Croatian littoral counties with seats in Zadar , Šibenik , Split , and Dubrovnik . "Dalmatia" is therefore generally perceived to extend approximately to the borders of the Austrian Kingdom of Dalmatia. However, due to territorial and administrative changes over the past century, the perception can be seen to have altered somewhat with regard to certain areas, and sources conflict as to their being part of
16377-614: The geographic "Illyria": the Dauni , the Peuceti and Messapi (collectively known as Iapyges , and speaking the Messapic language ). The term "Illyrians" last appears in the historical record in the 7th century, referring to a Byzantine garrison operating within the former Roman province of Illyricum . What happened to the Illyrians after the settlement of the Slavs in the region
16536-459: The historical nationalism or patriotism of Dalmatians and Dalmatian culture. There were significant Dalmatian nationalists in the 19th century, but Dalmatian regional nationalism faded in significance over time in favor of ethnic nationalism . 17th century Dalmatian poet Jerolim Kavanjin ( Girolamo Cavagnini ) exhibited Dalmatianism, identifying himself as "Dalmatian" and calling Dalmatia his homeland, which John Fine interprets not to have been
16695-522: The historical territory where Illyrians lived (including tested Iapodian and Liburnian sites), almost all belonged to the patrilineal line J2b2a1-L283 (>J-PH1602 > J-Y86930 and >J-Z1297 subclades) with the exception of one R1b-L2 . The mtDNA haplogroups fell under various subclades of H, H1, H3b, H5, J1c2, J1c3, T2a1a, T2b, T2b23, U5a1g, U8b1b1, HV0e. In a three-way admixture model, they approximately had 49-59% EEF, 35-46% Steppe and 2-10% WHG-related ancestry. In Lazaridis et al. (2022) key parts of
16854-536: The hoplites. But the Illyrians, being on higher ground, and charging down on from it upon the Aetolian trrops formed up on the plain, routed them without difficulty. The Medionians joined the action by sallying out of the town and charging the Aetolians, thus, after killing a great number, and taking a still greater number prisoners, and becoming masters also of their arms and baggage, the Illyrians, having carried out
17013-483: The immense number of coves , islands , and channels , makes Dalmatia an attractive place for nautical races, nautical tourism , and tourism in general. Dalmatia also includes several national parks that are tourist attractions: Paklenica karst river, Kornati archipelago , Krka river rapids , and the northwest of the island of Mljet . The area of Dalmatia roughly corresponds to Croatia's four southernmost counties , listed here north to south: Dalmatia's name
17172-512: The impact of the one language to the other developed because of the scarcity of available archaeological material. However, this did not occur at the same level on both sides, with the Illyrians being more willing to adopt the more prestigious Greek language. Ongoing research may provide further knowledge about these contacts beyond present limited sources. Illyrians were exposed not only to Doric and Epirote Greek but also to Attic-Ionic. The Illyrian languages were once thought to be connected to
17331-555: The increasing shift of the center of imperial politics from the city of Rome itself to the eastern provinces of the empire. The term Illyrians last appears in the historical record in the 7th century AD, in the Miracula Sancti Demetrii , referring to a Byzantine garrison operating within the former Roman province of Illyricum . However, in the acts of the Second Council of Nicaea from 787, Nikephoros of Durrës signed himself as "Episcopus of Durrës, province of
17490-629: The island is the eponymous town of Rab , although the neighboring village of Palit has the biggest population. The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 m. The northeastern side of the island is mostly barren, karst , while the southwestern side is covered by one of the last oak forests of the Mediterranean. Ferries connect the island of Rab with the mainland port of Stinica and with the neighbouring islands of Krk and Pag . European Coastal Airlines offered multiple daily connections by seaplane from Rab to Zagreb and to Rijeka via Rijeka Airport in Omišalj on
17649-526: The kingdoms of the region during the Middle Ages . At one time, most of Dalmatia came under rule of the Republic of Venice , which controlled most of Dalmatia between 1420 and 1797 as part of its State of the Sea , with the exception of the small but stable Republic of Ragusa (1358–1808) in the south. Between 1815 and 1918, it was a province of the Austrian Empire known as the Kingdom of Dalmatia . After
17808-607: The late 3rd to the 6th century CE who are collectively known as the Illyrian Emperors and include the Constantinian , Valentinianic and Justinianic dynasties. Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius , a native of Sirmium , is usually recognized as the first Illyrian emperor in historiography. The rise of the Illyrian Emperors represents the rise of the role of the army in imperial politics and
17967-525: The late 6th and the early 5th century BC in fragments of Hecataeus of Miletus , the author of Genealogies ( Γενεαλογίαι ) and of Description of the Earth or Periegesis ( Περίοδος Γῆς or Περιήγησις ), where the Illyrians are described as a barbarian people. In the Macedonian history during the 6th and 5th century BC, the term Illyrian had a political meaning that was quite definite, denoting
18126-478: The legend of Cadmus and Harmonia —was recorded by Euripides and Strabo in accounts that would be presented in detail in Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus (1st to 2nd century AD). The second version—which reports the legend of Polyphemus and Galatea —was recorded by Appian (1st–2nd century AD) in his Illyrike . According to the first version Illyrius was the son of Cadmus and Harmonia , whom
18285-405: The level ground, and with a portion of their cavalry and their light infantry they hastened to occupy some rising ground in front of their camp, which nature had made easily defensible. A single charge, however, of the Illyrians, whose numbers and close order gave them irresistible weight, served to dislodge the light-armed troops, and forced the cavalry who were on the ground with them to retire to
18444-670: The more anciently known groups of Illyrian tribes—lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria (modern Albania ), dominating at various times much of the plain between the Drin and the Aous , comprising the area around Epidamnus/Dyrrhachium . In the 7th century BC the Taulantii invoked the aid of Corcyra and Corinth in a war against the Liburni . After the defeat and expulsion from
18603-523: The more confined Albanian territory. The structure of Illyrian society during classical antiquity was characterised by a conglomeration of numerous tribes and small realms ruled by warrior elites, a situation similar to that in most other societies at that time. Thucidides in the History of the Peloponnesian War (5th century BC) addresses the social organisation of the Illyrian tribes via
18762-501: The most correct one. Appian's genealogy of tribes is not complete as he writes that other Illyrian tribes exist, which he has not included. According to Appian 's tradition, Polyphemus and Galatea gave birth to Celtus , Galas , and Illyrius , three brothers, progenitors respectively of Celts, Galatians and Illyrians. Illyrius had multiple sons: Encheleus , Autarieus , Dardanus, Maedus, Taulas and Perrhaebus , and daughters: Partho, Daortho, Dassaro and others. From these, sprang
18921-534: The name of the Illyrian , Balkan tribe who were the original inhabitants of the region, and from which the later toponym, Delminium , is derived. It is considered by some to be connected to the Albanian dele and its variants which include the Gheg form delmë , meaning "sheep", and to the Albanian term delmer , "shepherd", although there is lack of compelling evidence in ancient literary sources that Delmatae
19080-582: The national identification, given that they generically defined themselves as " Dalmatians ", of "Romance" or "Slavic" culture. In 1848, the Croatian Parliament ( Sabor ) published the People's Requests, in which they requested among other things the abolition of serfdom and the unification of Dalmatia and Croatia . The Dubrovnik municipality was the most outspoken of all the Dalmatian communes in its support for unification with Croatia. A letter
19239-537: The national identification, given that they generically defined themselves as "Dalmatians", of "Romance" or "Slavic" culture. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Dalmatia was granted as a province to the Emperor of Austria . It was officially known as the Kingdom of Dalmatia . From the Middle Ages to the 19th century, Italian and Slavic communities in Dalmatia had lived peacefully side by side because they did not know
19398-459: The nearby region represents a related later development. According to István Schütz, in Albania, Delvinë represents a toponym linked to the root *dele . The form of the regional name Dalmatia and the respective tribal name Dalmatae are later variants as is already noted by Appian (2nd century AD). His contemporary grammarian Velius Longus highlights in his treatise about orthography that
19557-522: The neighboring island of Krk , until it ceased operations in 2016. The island of Rab was first mentioned in a Greek source Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax (360 BC) and then by other Greek and Roman geographists by the name Arba . That name belonged to the Liburnians , so far the oldest known inhabitants of the island. Arba was also the name of the Liburnian settlement in the modern city of Rab. It
19716-502: The order that was usual in their own country, and advanced in their several companies against the Aetolian lines. The latter were overwhelmed with astonishment at the unexpected nature and boldness of the move; but they had long been inspired with overweening self-confidence, and having full reliance on their own forces were far from being dismayed. They drew up the greater part of their hoplites and cavalry in front of their own lines on
19875-460: The orders of Agron, conveyed their baggage and the rest of their booty to their boats and immediately set sail for their own country. He was succeeded by his wife Teuta , who assumed the regency for her stepson Pinnes following Agron's death in 231 BC. In his work The Histories , Polybius (2nd century BC) reported first diplomatic contacts between the Romans and Illyrians. In the Illyrian Wars of 229 BC, 219 BC and 168 BC, Rome overran
20034-431: The other hand, was in the ascendant, while the Croatia became increasingly influenced by Hungary to the north, being absorbed into it via personal union in 1102. Thus, these two factions became involved in a struggle in this area, intermittently controlling it as the balance shifted. During the reign of King Emeric , the Dalmatian cities separated from Hungary by a treaty. A consistent period of Hungarian rule in Dalmatia
20193-707: The population), in Zadar 7,423 (64.6%), in Šibenik 1,018 (14.5%), in Kotor 623 (18.7%) and in Dubrovnik 331 (4.6%). In other Dalmatian localities, according to Austrian censuses, Dalmatian Italians experienced a sudden decrease: in the twenty years 1890-1910, in Rab they went from 225 to 151, in Vis from 352 to 92, in Pag from 787 to 23, completely disappearing in almost all the inland locations. While Slavic-speakers made up 80-95% of
20352-478: The ramparts and exhibiting the slogan Ragusa with Kotor . The Kotorans elected a delegation to go to Vienna ; Dubrovnik nominated Niko Pucić , who went to Vienna to demand not only the unification of Dalmatia with Croatia, but also the unification of all Croatian territories under one common Sabor . During this period, the Habsburgs carried out an aggressive anti-Italian policy through a forced Slavization of
20511-624: The region in modern times: The inhabitants of Dalmatia are culturally subdivided into two groups. The urban families of the coastal cities, commonly known as Fetivi , are culturally akin to the inhabitants of the Dalmatian islands (known derogatorily as Boduli ). The two are together distinct, in the Mediterranean aspects of their culture, from the more numerous inhabitants of the Hinterland . Referred to (sometimes derogatorily) as
20670-483: The region of the Liburni, the Corcyreans founded in 627 BC on the Illyrian mainland a colony called Epidamnus , thought to have been the name of a barbarian king of the region. A flourishing commercial centre emerged and the city grew rapidly. The Taulantii continued to play an important role in Illyrian history between the 5th and 4th–3rd centuries BC, and in particular, in the history of Epidamnus, both as its neighbors and as part of its population. Notably they influenced
20829-481: The region with the territories composing the former Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia . Proposals for the autonomy of Dalmatia within Yugoslavia were made by Dalmatians within the Yugoslav Partisans during World War II ; however, these proposals were strongly opposed by Croatian Communists and the proposals were soon abandoned. Most of the land area is covered by the Dinaric Alps mountain range running from north-west to south-east. The hills and mountains lie parallel to
20988-413: The region. Island of Rab Rab [ɾâːb] ( Dalmatian : Arba , Latin : Arba , Italian : Arbe , German : Arbey ) is an island in the northern Dalmatia region in Croatia , located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea . The island is 22 km (14 mi) long, has an area of 93.6 km (36 sq mi) and 7,161 inhabitants (2021). The main settlement on
21147-412: The rest of Italy. During World War II , the forces of Fascist Italy established the Rab concentration camp on the island. A memorial complex built in 1953 commemorates the site of the former camp, located in the village of Kampor. After the Second World War, the island was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until the Croatian independence referendum in 1991. The island of Rab
21306-430: The rest of the island and region. The island is first heard of under the Illyrians in 360 BC. It was part of Liburnia and then part of the Roman Empire . The emperor Octavian Augustus built town walls and gave Rab the title of Municipium . Saint Marinus , the founder of the mini-state of San Marino , originated on Rab, whence he fled during the religious persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian (this ancient tie
21465-570: The second part of the 3rd century BC, a number of Illyrian tribes seem to have united to form a confederation stretching from the central part of present-day Albania up to Neretva river in Herzegovina . The political entity was financed on piracy and ruled from 250 BC by the king Agron . The Illyrian attack under Agron, against Aerolians mounted in either 232 or 231 BC, is described by Polybius: One hundred lembi with 5000 men on board sailed up to land at Medion. Dropping anchor at daybreak, they disembarked speedily and in secret. They then formed up in
21624-545: The social organisation of Illyrian tribes in earlier times than the era he lived in makes a distinction between three modes of social organisation. A part of the Illyrians were organized under hereditary kingdoms, a second part was organized under chieftains who were elected but held no hereditary power and some Illyrians were organised in autonomous communities governed by their own internal tribal laws. In these communities social stratification had not yet emerged. The history of Illyrian warfare and weaponry spanned from around
21783-411: The state entered a period of anarchy and would result in Hungarians under Coloman of Hungary taking control over former Dalmatian possessions along with the rest of the state by 1102. In the High Medieval period , the Byzantine Empire was no longer able to expand its power consistently in Dalmatia, and was finally rendered impotent so far west by the Fourth Crusade in 1204. The Republic of Venice, on
21942-426: The term 'Illyrians' began to be used to describe the indigenous population of western Balkans cannot be said with certainty. Scholarly debates have been waged to find an answer to the question whether the term 'Illyrians' ( Ἰλλυριοί ) derived from some eponymous tribe, or whether it has been applied to designate the indigenous population as a general term for some other specific reason. Ancient Roman writers Pliny
22101-479: The territory of historical territory of Illyria were tested. In 18 samples from the Cetina culture, all males except for one (R-L51 > Z2118) carried Y-DNA haplogroup J-L283. Many of them could be further identified as J-L283 > Z597 (> J-Y15058 > J-Z38240 > J-PH1602). The majority of individuals carried mtDNA haplogroups J1c1 and H6a1a. The related Posušje culture yielded the same Y-DNA haplogroup (J-L283 > J-Z38240). The same J-L283 population appears in
22260-406: The territory originally designated as 'Illyrian' was roughly located in the region of the south-eastern Adriatic (modern Albania and Montenegro ) and its hinterland, then was later extended to the whole Roman Illyricum province, which stretched from the eastern Adriatic to the Danube . After the Illyrians had come to be widely known to the Greeks due to their proximity, this ethnic designation
22419-415: The three main Paleo-Balkan populations, along with the Thracians and Greeks . The territory the Illyrians inhabited came to be known as Illyria to later Greek and Roman authors, who identified a territory that corresponds to most of Albania , Montenegro , Kosovo , much of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina , western and central Serbia and some parts of Slovenia between the Adriatic Sea in
22578-428: The west, the Drava river in the north, the Morava river in the east and the Ceraunian Mountains in the south. The first account of Illyrian people dates back to the 6th century BC, in the works of the ancient Greek writer Hecataeus of Miletus . The name "Illyrians", as applied by the ancient Greeks to their northern neighbors, may have referred to a broad, ill-defined group of people. It has been suggested that
22737-401: The western and central Balkans. After the defeat of the Great Illyrian Revolt and the consolidation of Roman power in the Balkans, the process of integration of Illyrians in the Roman world accelerated even further. Some Illyrian communities were organized in their pre-Roman locations under their own civitates . Others migrated or were forcefully resettled in different regions. Some groups like
22896-431: The whole Hungarian and Croatian Kingdom was facing increasing internal difficulties, as a 20-year civil war ensued between the Capetian House of Anjou from the Kingdom of Naples , and King Sigismund of the House of Luxembourg . During the war, the losing contender, Ladislaus of Naples , sold his "rights" on Dalmatia to the Republic of Venice for a mere 100,000 ducats . The much more centralized Republic came to control
23055-452: Was a strong Hellenistic influence on the Illyrian tribe of Daors . Their capital was Daorson located in Ošanići near Stolac in Herzegovina , which became the main center of classical Illyrian culture. Daorson, during the 4th century BC, was surrounded by megalithic , 5 meter high stonewalls, composed out of large trapeze stones blocks. Daors also made unique bronze coins and sculptures. The Illyrians even conquered Greek colonies on
23214-432: Was also one of the powers most hostile to the Ottoman Empire's expansion , and participated in many wars against it , but also promoted peace negotiations and cultural and religious coexistence and tolerance. Since the 16th century Slavicized Vlachs , Serbs and other South Slavs arrived both as martolos in Ottoman service and refugees fleeing from Ottoman territory to the Military Frontier and Venetian Dalmatia. As
23373-418: Was attached instead to the archdiocese of Zadar . By the papal bull Locum Beati Petri of 30 June 1828, the history of the diocese as a residential see came to an end and its territory was united with that of Krk . No longer a residential bishopric, Arba is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see . During the Middle Ages , Rab was one of the Dalmatian city-states and remained part of
23532-420: Was broadened to include other peoples who, for some reason, were considered by ancient writers to be related with those peoples originally designated as Illyrians ( Ἰλλυριοί , Illyrioi ). The original designation may have occurred either during the Middle/Late Bronze Age or at the beginning of the 8th century BC. According to the former hypothesis, the name was taken by traders from southern Greece from
23691-508: Was centered in the Bay of Kotor and Lake Skadar . According to other modern scholars, the term Illyrii may have originally referred only to a small ethnos in the area between Epidaurum and Lissus , and Pliny and Mela may have followed a literary tradition that dates back as early as Hecataeus of Miletus . Placed in central Albania, the Illyrii proprie dicti also might have been Rome's first contact with Illyrian peoples. In that case, it did not indicate an original area from which
23850-424: Was ended with the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241. The Mongols severely impaired the feudal state, so much so that that same year, King Béla IV had to take refuge in Dalmatia, as far south as the Fortress of Klis . The Mongols attacked the Dalmatian cities for the next few years but eventually withdrew without major success. At the beginning of the 14th century and until 1322, the Dalmatian cities were under
24009-420: Was first used by outsiders, in particular Ancient Greeks ; this has been argued on the basis that when the Greeks began to frequent the eastern Adriatic coast with the colonization of Corcyra , they started to have some knowledge and perceptions of the indigenous peoples of western Balkans. It has been suggested that the Illyrian tribes evidently never collectively identified themselves as Illyrians and that it
24168-420: Was intense throughout 1848–49, did not succeed at that time. Many Dalmatian Italians looked with sympathy towards the Risorgimento movement that fought for the unification of Italy . However, after 1866, when the Veneto and Friuli regions were ceded by the Austrians to the newly formed Kingdom Italy , Dalmatia remained part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , together with other Italian-speaking areas on
24327-485: Was more accentuated in Ragusa, Spalatum, and Tragurium. In the first half of the 10th century, Croatia was elevated to a kingdom by Duke Tomislav who also extended his influence further southwards to Zachlumia . As an ally of the Byzantine Empire, the King was given the status of Protector of Dalmatia, and became its de facto ruler. In the subsequent period, the rulers of Croatia exerted influence over Dalmatian cities and islands, occasionally taking control such as
24486-424: Was part of the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum . In the middle of the 6th and the beginning of the 7th century began the Slavic migration , which caused the Romance-speaking population, descendants of Romans and Illyrians (speaking Dalmatian ), to flee to the coast and islands. The hinterland, semi-depopulated by the Barbarian Invasions , Slavic tribes settled. The Slavs alongside Avars by 619 brought to ruin
24645-492: Was rather selective. While urban centers, both coastal and inland, were almost completely romanized, the situation in the countryside was completely different. Despite the Illyrians being subject to a strong process of acculturation , they continued to speak their native language , worship their own gods and traditions, and follow their own social-political tribal organization which was adapted to Roman administration and political structure only in some necessities. The fall of
24804-455: Was reduced to 20% in 1816. According to Austrian censuses, the Dalmatian Italians formed 12.5% of the population in 1865, but this was reduced to 2.8% in 1910. In Dalmatia there was a constant decline in the Italian population, in a context of repression that also took on violent connotations. The Italian population in Dalmatia was concentrated in the major coastal cities. In the city of Split in 1890 there were 1,969 Dalmatian Italians (12.5% of
24963-427: Was sent from Dubrovnik to Zagreb with pledges to work for this idea. In 1849, Dubrovnik continued to lead the Dalmatian cities in the struggle for unification. A large-scale campaign was launched in the Dubrovnik paper L'Avvenire ( The Future ) based on a clearly formulated programme: the federal system for the Habsburg territories , the inclusion of Dalmatia into Croatia and the Slavic brotherhood . The President of
25122-425: Was split into two provinces, Pannonia and Dalmatia , which spread into larger area inland to cover all of the Dinaric Alps and most of the eastern Adriatic coast. The historian Theodor Mommsen wrote in his book, The Provinces of the Roman Empire , that all Dalmatia was fully romanized by the 4th century AD. However, analysis of archaeological material from that period has shown that the process of Romanization
25281-462: Was the commercial lingua franca in the Mediterranean at that time, and it heavily influenced Dalmatian and to a lesser degree coastal Croatian and Albanian . The southern city of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) became de facto independent in 1358 through the Treaty of Zadar when Venice relinquished its suzerainty over it to Louis I of Hungary . In 1481, Ragusa switched allegiance to the Ottoman Empire . This gave its tradesmen advantages such as access to
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