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28-418: The derivation of the word is obscure. It may be derived from vassi ad valvas (at the folding-doors, valvae), i.e. servants of the royal antechamber. Du Cange regarded it merely as an obscure variant of vassus , probably from vassus vassorum " vassal of the vassals". Alternative spellings include vavasor, valvasor, vasseur, vasvassor, oavassor, and others. In its most general sense the word thus indicated

56-572: A South Slavic cultural and political campaign by a group of young Croatian intellectuals during the first half of the 19th century, that led to Yugoslavism . William Shakespeare chose a fictionalized Illyria as the setting for his play Twelfth Night . (The modernized film spoof She's the Man is set in "Illyria High School" in California.) Shakespeare also mentioned the region in the Part 2 of

84-574: A glossary of medieval and late Greek that he published ten years later, has gone through numerous editions and revisions and is still consulted frequently by scholars today. Du Cange's pioneering work distinguished medieval Latin and Greek from their earlier classical forms, marking the beginning of the study of the historical development of languages. Du Cange mastered languages in order to pursue his main scholarly interests, medieval and Byzantine history. He corresponded voluminously with his fellow scholars. His great historical and linguistic knowledge

112-621: A kingdom. The Kingdom of the Ardiaei began at 230 BC and ended at 167 BC. The most notable Illyrian kingdoms and dynasties were those of Bardyllis of the Dardani and of Agron of the Ardiaei who created the last and best-known Illyrian kingdom. Agron ruled over the Ardiaei and had extended his rule to other tribes as well. As for the Dardanians, they always had separate domains from

140-484: A mediate vassal, i.e. one holding a fief under a vassal. The word was, however, applied at various times to the most diverse ranks in the feudal hierarchy, being used practically as the synonym of vassal. Thus tenants-in-chief of the crown are described by the Emperor Conrad II as valvassores majores , as distinguished from mediate tenants, valvassores minores . Gradually the term without qualification

168-703: A town within the kingdom. The monarchy was established on hereditary lines and Illyrian rulers used marriages as a means of alliance with other powers. Pliny (23–79 AD) writes that the people that formed the nucleus of the Illyrian kingdom were 'Illyrians proper' or Illyrii proprie dicti . They were the Taulantii , the Pleraei , the Endirudini , Sasaei , Grabaei and the Labeatae . These later joined to form

196-408: Is his Glossarium ad scriptores mediae et infimae Latinitatis (Glossary of writers in medieval and late Latin , Paris, 1678, 3 vol.), revised and expanded under various titles, for example, Glossarium manuale ad scriptores mediae et infimae Latinitatis (Halae, 1772–1784) or from 1840 onward, Glossarium mediae et infimae Latinitatis (Glossary of medieval and late Latin). This work, together with

224-512: The Docleatae . The Romans defeated Gentius , the last king of Illyria, at Scodra (in present-day Albania) in 168 BC and captured him, bringing him to Rome in 165 BC. Four client-republics were set up, which were in fact ruled by Rome. Later, the region was directly governed by Rome and organized as a province , with Scodra as its capital. The Roman province of Illyricum replaced the formerly independent kingdom of Illyria. It stretched from

252-562: The Drilon river in modern Albania to Istria ( Croatia ) in the west and to the Sava river ( Bosnia and Herzegovina ) in the north. Salona (near modern Split in Croatia) functioned as its capital. After subduing a troublesome revolt of Pannonians and Daesitiates , Roman administrators dissolved the province of Illyricum and divided its lands between the new provinces of Pannonia in

280-576: The Illyrians is known from archaeological evidence. The Romans conquered the region in 168 BC in the aftermath of the Illyrian Wars . The earliest recorded Illyrian kingdom was that of the Enchele in the 8th century BC. The era in which we observe other Illyrian kingdoms begins approximately at 400 BC and ends at 167 BC. The Autariatae under Pleurias (337 BC) were considered to have been

308-531: The Illyrians . The Ancient Greeks initially used the term Illyris to define approximately the area of northern and central Albania down to the Aoös valley (modern Vjosa ) and the Bay of Vlorë , including in most periods much of the lakeland area ( Ohrid and Prespa ). It corresponded to the region that neighboured Macedonia and Epirus . In Roman times the terms Illyria / Illyris / Illyricum were extended from

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336-563: The Roman province of Macedonia began including the southern part of the traditional region of Illyria. In Greek mythology , the name of Illyria is aetiologically traced to Illyrius , the son of Cadmus and Harmonia , who eventually ruled Illyria and became the eponymous ancestor of the Illyrians. A later version of the myth identifies Polyphemus and Galatea as parents of Celtus , Galas , and Illyrius . Ancient Greek writers used

364-590: The Taulantii and Enchele , on the Adriatic shore; Pliny the Elder used "properly named Illyrians" ( Illyrii proprii/proprie dicti ) for a small people south of Epidaurum , or between Epidaurum (now Cavtat ) and Lissus (now Lezhë ). In the Roman period, Illyricum , a term which signified a broader region than Illyria, was used for the area between the Adriatic and Danube . The prehistory of Illyria and

392-583: The " Illyrian Armorials ", depicted fictional coats of arms of Illyria. The name Illyria was revived by Napoleon for the Illyrian Provinces that were incorporated into the French Empire from 1809 to 1813, and the Kingdom of Illyria (1816–1849) was part of Austria until 1849, after which time it was not used in the reorganised Austro-Hungarian Empire . The Illyrian movement was

420-422: The 5th century, the bishops of Illyria withdrew from communion with Rome, without attaching themselves to Constantinople , and remained for a time independent, but in 515, forty Illyrian bishops renewed their loyalty to Rome by declaring allegiance to Pope Hormisdas . The patriarchs of Constantinople succeeded in bringing Illyria under their jurisdiction in the 8th century. The name Illyria only disappears from

448-637: The Roman Empire . In one footnote he calls du Cange "our sure and indefatigable guide in the Middle Ages and Byzantine history." Illyria In classical and late antiquity , Illyria ( / ɪ ˈ l ɪər i ə / ; Ancient Greek : Ἰλλυρία , Illyría or Ἰλλυρίς , Illyrís ; Latin : Illyria , Illyricum ) was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as

476-425: The equivalent of one knight. Finally, Du Cange quotes two charters, one of 1187, another of 1349, in which vavassors are clearly distinguished from nobles. Vavasours subdivide again to vassals, exchanging land and cattle, human or otherwise, against fealty . - Motley . In the 1980s TV series The Paper Chase , Season 2, Episode 16 ("My Dinner with Kingsfield"), Contract Law Professor Charles W. Kingsfield plays

504-440: The fantasy series A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas . The fighting game series ' Guilty Gear ' created by Daisuke Ishiwatari , features a fictional Illyria in its world. The television series Angel (1999 TV series) has a character named Illyria who is a main character for the back half of the final season, as well as a prominent figure in the comic spin-offs. The character of Una "Number One" Chin-Riley in

532-753: The historical record after the Ottoman expansion into the Balkans in the 15th century, and re-emerges in the 17th century, acquiring a new significance in the Ottoman–Habsburg Wars , as Leopold I designated as the "Illyrian nation" the South Slavs in Hungarian territory. The term " Illyrian " was sometimes used for the language they spoke. Several armorials of the Early modern period, popularly called

560-548: The name "Illyrian" to describe peoples between the Liburnians and Epirus . Fourth-century BC Greek writers clearly separated the people along the Adriatic coast from the Illyrians, and only in the 1st century AD was "Illyrian" used as a general term for all the peoples across the Adriatic. Writers also spoke of "Illyrians in the strict sense of the word"; Pomponius Mela (43 AD) the stricto sensu Illyrians lived north of

588-464: The north and Dalmatia in the south. Although this division occurred in 10 AD, the term Illyria remained in use in Late Latin and throughout the medieval period. After the division of the Roman Empire , the bishops of Thessalonica appointed papal vicars for Illyricum. The first of these vicars is said to have been Bishop Acholius or Ascholius (died 383 or 384), the friend of St. Basil . In

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616-498: The play Henry VI . An extensive history of Illyria by Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange , was published by Joseph Keglevich in 1746. Illyria is the setting for Jean-Paul Sartre 's Les Mains Sales . Lloyd Alexander 's The Illyrian Adventure is set in Illyria in 1872. John Hawkes ' 1970 novel The Blood Oranges is set in a fictionalized Illyria. There is a fictional Illyria with its inhabitants, winged fae, in

644-735: The rest of the Illyrians . The Illyrian kingdoms were composed of small areas within the region of Illyria. Only the Romans ruled the entire region. The internal organization of the south Illyrian kingdoms points to imitation of their neighbouring Greek kingdoms and influence from the Greek and Hellenistic world in the growth of their urban centres. Polybius gives as an image of society within an Illyrian kingdom as peasant infantry fought under aristocrats which he calls in Greek Polydynastae (Greek: Πολυδυνάστες) where each one controlled

672-637: The territory that was roughly located in the area of the south-eastern Adriatic coast (modern Albania and Montenegro ) and its hinterland, to a broader region stretching between the whole eastern Adriatic and the Danube . From about mid-1st century BC the term Illyricum was used by the Romans for the province of the Empire that stretched along the eastern Adriatic coast north of the Drin river , south of which

700-652: The word "vavasor" and earns 60 points in a Scrabble game with his student James T. Hart while staying at Hart's residence during a snowstorm that has immobilized Kingsfield's car. He defines the word to Hart (who has never heard it before) as a "medieval term for 'tenant slightly below a baron. ' " Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange ( French: [ʃaʁl dy fʁɛn sjœʁ dy kɑ̃ʒ] ; December 18, 1610 in Amiens – October 23, 1688 in Paris , aged 77), also known simply as Charles Dufresne ,

728-463: Was a distinguished French philologist and historian of the Middle Ages and Byzantium . Educated by Jesuits , du Cange studied law and practiced for several years before assuming the office of Treasurer of France. Du Cange was a busy, energetic man who pursued historical scholarship alongside his demanding official duties and his role as head of a large family. Du Cange's most important work

756-414: Was complemented by equally deep learning in archaeology, geography and law. In addition to his glossaries, he produced important new editions of Byzantine historians and a number of other works. His extensive history of Illyria was not published until 1746 by Joseph Keglevich , who partially corrected it. Du Cange is one of the historians Edward Gibbon cites most frequently in his Decline and Fall of

784-470: Was found convenient for describing sub-vassals, tenants-in-chief being called capitanei or barones ; but its implication, however, still varied in different places and times. Bracton ranked the magnates seu valvassores between barons and knights ; for him they are "men of great dignity," and in this order they are found in a charter of Henry II of England (1166). But in the regestum of Philip II Augustus we find that five vavassors are reckoned as

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