Illyrian coinage
Encyclopedia
Illyrian coinage which began in the 6th century BC continued up to the 1st century of Roman
occupation. It was the southern Illyrians who minted the first coins coins followed by the northern Illyrian during the Roman era. This was because of the influence from the Greek colonies in Illyria, such ancient Durrës
and Pharos
and those in southern Italy. Illyrian coins have also been found in other areas apart from Illyria
, such ancient Macedonia
, Italy, Greece, Asia Minor
and Egypt.
legend Tynteni
. Their silver coins reached Italy, Egypt
and many parts of Asia
. They belonged to the group of 'Thraco-Macedonian' coinages of this period, and they bore the smane emblems as the as the coins of Ichnae
at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. Production ceased in the early 5th century BC, most likely in 475 BC
when this period was one of comparative poverty, during which contacts were lost with mainland Greece and relations with Ionia via the Danube
valley slackened.
The Messapians in southern Italy
minted coinas in the early 5th century BC. They were an early imitation of the Greek coins from Magna Grecia. The cities which minted these early mints were Valesio, Brindisi
, Nardò
, Oria
, Ugento, Grax and Samadi. Valesio struck silver coins, Nardò silver and bronze while from the 3rd century BC only bronze coins were issued. The coins feature Lapagus, an ancient Iapygian hero. Other features included Athena
, Heracles
and Zeus
.
At the same time as the Messapians, the Paeonian tribe of the Derrones
were also producing coins .These coins are traditionally dated to 500 BC-450 BC
. Frequent depictions on the coins attributed to the Derrones are Oxen and Corinthian helmets. Their god, Darr(h)on, was worshipped by Paionians and Macedonians. The Paeonian kings dealt greatly and seriously with the minting coins. However this activity in terms of quality and appearance did not differ much from Greek coins. Even the Paeonians themselves at this time were becoming hellenized more and more and lost to a great degree their characteristic as a non-Greek people.
The earliest Illyrian coins in Illyria were minted from the start of the 4th century BC in the Illyrian city of Damastion
and Daparria by the Illyrian tribe of the Dyestes under Bardyllis , which had been influenced by Hellenization
to an extent. For about 200 years, this city minted silver coins with symbols imitating those of the Hellenic
cities in the Aegean
, as well as original symbols such as tongs of a metal smelter. The circulation of Damastion coins included Kosovo
, southern Serbia
, Macedonia
and the Adriatic coast from Shkodër to Split. The presence of silver mines around the city in ancient sources made it possible for the minting of coins in such a great abundance.
, Patraus
, Audoleon
, Monunius
, Mytilus
, Gentius
and Ballaios
.
, which may be in allusion to the king's name, Apollo being known under the name of Patraus. On the reverse of the coins is a horseman riding over an enemy, in allusion to triumphs over the Macedonians and an inscription of the king.
an king to have minted silver coins was Monunius
in the beginning of the 3rd century BC, around 280 BC
. He struck his coins in the Greek colony of Durrës
and they differed only in having the jaw of a boar set over the cow, as a symbol of the royal Illyrian house. The coins also had the abbreviated name ΔYP (for Durrës) to donate the place where they were minted, as well as showing royal sovereignty over the city. These coins have been found in great numbers in the Illyrian city of Gurëzeza, and in the interior of Albania
beyond Apollonia
. The Illyrian kingdom under Monunius extended as far as the Lyncestian Lakes, and from here Monunius could have intervened in the quarrel about the Macedonian throne, eventually turning into a claimant for it. This surely is the meaning of the minting of a second series of silver coins bearing his name and traditional Macedonian symbols, the head of Heracles
on the face and on the reverse, Olympian Zeus
sitting on his throne. That this, was a short lived dream of the Illyrian king is shown by the fact that so few coins were minted, so much that only one specimen is preserved today.
, the successor of King Monunius, struck his coins 10 years later around 270 BC
. His bronze coinage with the symbols of the city of Durrës
in Albania bear his name. The coinage of Apollonia in the same period bore only his monogram, as well as symbols similar to those of the Aetolian League
.
who ruled from 181 BC
. Two of his mints were located in Shkodra, the ancient Illyrian capital at the time of his regn, and in Lezha, both located in modern day north-eastern Albania. His coins were also struck in Durrës
, where the royal title is absent from any silver coin, and the name Gentius, not uncommon to an Illyrian male, may belong not to the king but to a local magistrate. However around 30 to 40 examples of bronze coins have been recorded with the legend 'King Genthios'. Upon his defeat by the Romans in 168 BC
his treasury of 120,000 silver pieces were conveyed to Rome
.
reigned after the kingodm of Gentius was dissolved into the Roman Empire from around 167 BC
- 135 BC
. The abundance of the coinage of Ballaios
in the region would suggest that he was a powerful and influential king although no literary of historical evidence of him exists. The coins of the well-known king Gentius are scarce in comparison to the coins of Ballaios. His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins (without the royal title) occur on Hvar
in Croatia
, both in single finds and in hoards, and at Rhizon, the ancient capital of Queen Teuta, in a different series bearing the royal title. The coins of Ballaios were widely imitated in the region, sometimes so crudely that they are unintelligible. Ballaios struck coins in two cities: Pharos
and Rhizon. The weight of the bronze coins are between 1.0 and 4.5g, while most of the documented specimens weigh between 2.0 and 2.5g. The relativity great impact of the coinage of Ballaios is indicated by a large number of imitations of his coins. His coins are found in both the eastern Adriatic shores and frequently in Italy, which confirms the trade contacts between the two Adriatic coasts.
On the obverse of his coins a bust of the king facing left to right is depicted, while on the reverse Artemis
(advancing or standing) is represented, with or without a torch and sometimes carrying one or two spears. It is significant that Ballaios also had silver
coins minted, which indicates his wealth and power, since elsewhere in Dalmatia
, silver coinage is very rarely documented from the Greek and Illyrian mints.
influences (211 BC
-197 BC
). The coins were followed later by the issues of Gentius with a ship on the reverse and a third series from the period after the kings removal. Lissus minted coins on behalf of the community of the Lissians and minted a rare coin with an inscription over the head of an Illyrian god wearing a causia type hat. The face depicted on the Lissian coins was originally though to be of King Gentius
, although Albanian archaeologist, Hasan Ceka was proved it to by the head of the Illyrian sea god, Redon. The head of Artemis
and an Illyrian shield is depicted on some Lissian coins. The Shkodra coins fall into three similar groups, the first and thirs with the legend 'SKODRI-NON' and the second with the legend of king Gentius. In the city of Rhizon a mint was established that issued several coinages. These incleded autonomous coinages of the town, in bronze,the royal coinage of king Ballaios, in silver and bronze, most probably, the coinage labeled “Coinage from the Rhizonian Gulf”, which has been considered as the coinage of an alliance in which Rhizon played a part, in silver and bronze.
The chronology of these coinages is still not defined with precision, primarily because the historical background of their issuance remains little known. There is hardly any mention in the literary sources of the town of Rhizon, and none of the king Ballaios. However, several features of these coinages - such as the characteristics of style, elements of inscription and iconography (especially the presence of the title “basileus” on the coinage of Ballaios, and the presence of a Macedonian shield on the “Coinage from the Rhizonian Gulf”), metrology, choice of coined metals, etc. – point to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE as the general chronological framework for the activity of the Rhizonian mint and for the successive issuance of the coinages of different issuing authorities there. Around Lake Scutari
the Labeates issued a rare type of bronze coin, bearing the head of an Illyrian deity and a Liburnian warship with a dolphin swimming underneath. Between 217 BC
and 84 BC
the city of Oria
in Italy minted coins with the head of Lapagus, the ancient Iapygian hero. In Daorson
the capital of the Daorsi in modern Bosnia, 39 different coins (29 bearing the image of King Ballaios
from 168 BC, and 9 with a Greek inscription and a boat image) have been discovered. Money was of immense importance to the Daorsi, ensuring the tribe's independence while also confirming their well developed business, cultural and trade links with other peoples. Illyrian coins also appeare in other ancient cities especially those in the south of Illyria, such as in the Illyrian/Greek cities of Byllis
, Amantia
, Pelion and Olympe. The koinon of the Bylliones centred on the city of Byllis
minted its own bronze coins. The first coins came out around 270 BC
and continued until 167 BC
when the Romans dissolved the koinon.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
occupation. It was the southern Illyrians who minted the first coins coins followed by the northern Illyrian during the Roman era. This was because of the influence from the Greek colonies in Illyria, such ancient Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
and Pharos
Pharos
Pharos may refer to:Lighthouses:* The Pharos of Alexandria, a tower built on the island of Pharos that became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World* The Pharos, either of two Roman lighthouses built at Dubris...
and those in southern Italy. Illyrian coins have also been found in other areas apart from Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
, such ancient Macedonia
Ancient Macedonians
The Macedonians originated from inhabitants of the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, in the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axios...
, Italy, Greece, Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and Egypt.
Early coins
The earliest Illyrian coins were probably minted by the Tyntenoi north of Lake Ohrid minted coins around 540BC with the GreekGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
legend Tynteni
Tynteni
Tynteni, or Tyntenoi was the name of either an obscure tribe of uncertain origin, perhaps Thracians, living in villages, or of a town named Tynte, that may be the same as Daton, a Greek colony in Thrace. The Tynteni and Tynte are only attested in coins. If an actual tribe, the Tynteni were located...
. Their silver coins reached Italy, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and many parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. They belonged to the group of 'Thraco-Macedonian' coinages of this period, and they bore the smane emblems as the as the coins of Ichnae
Ichnae
Ichnae or Ichnai an ancient town of Bottiaea, Macedonia on the Thermaic Gulf, above the mouth of Loudias river , near modern Koufalia ; built by the Macedonians according to Hazlitt, although Ichnaeans appear independently in epigraphy...
at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. Production ceased in the early 5th century BC, most likely in 475 BC
475 BC
Year 475 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Poplicola and Rutilus...
when this period was one of comparative poverty, during which contacts were lost with mainland Greece and relations with Ionia via the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
valley slackened.
The Messapians in southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
minted coinas in the early 5th century BC. They were an early imitation of the Greek coins from Magna Grecia. The cities which minted these early mints were Valesio, Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
, Nardò
Nardò
Nardò is a town and comune of 31,185 inhabitants and comune in the southern Italian region of Apulia, in the province of Lecce.-History:...
, Oria
Oria
-Places:Italy* Oria, Apulia, a town in the Apulia region, Province of Brindisi* Oria, Lombardy, a village in the municipality of Valsolda, in the Province of ComoSpain* Oria, Spain, a municipality in the Province of Almería, Andalusia...
, Ugento, Grax and Samadi. Valesio struck silver coins, Nardò silver and bronze while from the 3rd century BC only bronze coins were issued. The coins feature Lapagus, an ancient Iapygian hero. Other features included Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
and Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
.
At the same time as the Messapians, the Paeonian tribe of the Derrones
Derrones
The Derrones were a Paionian tribe. Our knowledge of them comes from coins bearing variations of the legend of DERRONIKON - DERR . The letters used in the coins seem to be Greek...
were also producing coins .These coins are traditionally dated to 500 BC-450 BC
450 BC
Year 450 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Second year of the decemviri...
. Frequent depictions on the coins attributed to the Derrones are Oxen and Corinthian helmets. Their god, Darr(h)on, was worshipped by Paionians and Macedonians. The Paeonian kings dealt greatly and seriously with the minting coins. However this activity in terms of quality and appearance did not differ much from Greek coins. Even the Paeonians themselves at this time were becoming hellenized more and more and lost to a great degree their characteristic as a non-Greek people.
The earliest Illyrian coins in Illyria were minted from the start of the 4th century BC in the Illyrian city of Damastion
Damastion
Damastion was an ancient city in the area of central Balkans. Various sites in Serbia and Macedonia and Albania have been considered as the location of this ancient town....
and Daparria by the Illyrian tribe of the Dyestes under Bardyllis , which had been influenced by Hellenization
Hellenization
Hellenization is a term used to describe the spread of ancient Greek culture, and, to a lesser extent, language. It is mainly used to describe the spread of Hellenistic civilization during the Hellenistic period following the campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon...
to an extent. For about 200 years, this city minted silver coins with symbols imitating those of the Hellenic
Hellenic
Hellenic is a synonym for Greek and may refer to:* Hellenic languages* Hellenic Airlines* Hellenic College, a liberal arts college in Brookline, Massachusetts* Hellenic College of London* Hellenic FC, a football club in South Africa...
cities in the Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, as well as original symbols such as tongs of a metal smelter. The circulation of Damastion coins included Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, southern Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
and the Adriatic coast from Shkodër to Split. The presence of silver mines around the city in ancient sources made it possible for the minting of coins in such a great abundance.
Illyrian kings
The only kings to have minted coins bearing their names were LycceiusLycceius
Lycceios, Lycpeios or Lyppeios , was an ancient Paeonian king....
, Patraus
Patraus
Patraus was an ancient Paeonian king. He seems to have been Ariston's brother who served as a general to Alexander the Great.-External links:*...
, Audoleon
Audoleon
Audoleon was an ancient Paeonian king son of Patraus or Agis. He was a contemporary of Alexander the Great, and was the father of Ariston, who distinguished himself at the battle of Gaugamela, and of a daughter who married Pyrrhus of Epirus...
, Monunius
Monunius
Monunius was an Illyrian king of the Dardanian State. As a figure, Monunius has left more archaeological traces than historical ones. Monunius was a strong opponent of Macedonia but offered aid of 10,000 soldiers to Ptolemy during the Gallic Invasions, which was refused. The Dardanian State headed...
, Mytilus
Mytilus
Mytilus was an Illyrian king of the Dardanian Kingdom. Mytilus is probably the son of Monunius.Mytilus is the second Illyrian monarch to have struck in 270 BC coins bearing his name after Monunius...
, Gentius
Gentius
Gentius was the last Illyrian king of the Ardiaean State. The name appears to derive from PIE *g'en- "to beget", cognate to Latin gens, gentis "kin, clan, race". He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept relations with Rome very strong...
and Ballaios
Ballaios
Ballaios or was an Illyrian king of the Ardiaei. Ballaios was not mentioned by any ancient writers. Ballaios was a powerful and influential king testified by the abundance of his silver and bronze coinage found along both coasts of the Adriatic.His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins occur...
.
Patraus
The coinage of Patraus is remarkable. They have on the obverse a head of ApolloApollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
, which may be in allusion to the king's name, Apollo being known under the name of Patraus. On the reverse of the coins is a horseman riding over an enemy, in allusion to triumphs over the Macedonians and an inscription of the king.
Audoleon
The coins of Audoleon have a head wearing a Corinthian helmet on the obverse and on the reverse a horse stepping, very boldly executed and the inscription of the king.Monunius
The first DardaniDardani
Dardania was the region of the Dardani .Located at the Thraco-Illyrian contact zone, their identification as either an Illyrian or Thracian tribe is uncertain. Their territory itself was not considered part of Illyria by Strabo. The term used for their territory was , while for other tribes had...
an king to have minted silver coins was Monunius
Monunius
Monunius was an Illyrian king of the Dardanian State. As a figure, Monunius has left more archaeological traces than historical ones. Monunius was a strong opponent of Macedonia but offered aid of 10,000 soldiers to Ptolemy during the Gallic Invasions, which was refused. The Dardanian State headed...
in the beginning of the 3rd century BC, around 280 BC
280 BC
Year 280 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Laevinus and Coruncanius...
. He struck his coins in the Greek colony of Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
and they differed only in having the jaw of a boar set over the cow, as a symbol of the royal Illyrian house. The coins also had the abbreviated name ΔYP (for Durrës) to donate the place where they were minted, as well as showing royal sovereignty over the city. These coins have been found in great numbers in the Illyrian city of Gurëzeza, and in the interior of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
beyond Apollonia
Apollonia, Illyria
Apollonia was an ancient Greek city in Illyria, located on the right bank of the Aous river . Its ruins are situated in the Fier region, near the village of Pojani, in modern-day Albania...
. The Illyrian kingdom under Monunius extended as far as the Lyncestian Lakes, and from here Monunius could have intervened in the quarrel about the Macedonian throne, eventually turning into a claimant for it. This surely is the meaning of the minting of a second series of silver coins bearing his name and traditional Macedonian symbols, the head of Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
on the face and on the reverse, Olympian Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
sitting on his throne. That this, was a short lived dream of the Illyrian king is shown by the fact that so few coins were minted, so much that only one specimen is preserved today.
Mytilus
MytilusMytilus
Mytilus was an Illyrian king of the Dardanian Kingdom. Mytilus is probably the son of Monunius.Mytilus is the second Illyrian monarch to have struck in 270 BC coins bearing his name after Monunius...
, the successor of King Monunius, struck his coins 10 years later around 270 BC
270 BC
Year 270 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Clepsina and Blasio...
. His bronze coinage with the symbols of the city of Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
in Albania bear his name. The coinage of Apollonia in the same period bore only his monogram, as well as symbols similar to those of the Aetolian League
Aetolian League
The Aetolian League was a confederation of tribal communities and cities in ancient Greece centered on Aetolia in central Greece. It was established, probably during the early Hellenistic era, in opposition to Macedon and the Achaean League. Two annual meetings were held in Thermika and Panaetolika...
.
Gentius
The most productive conage is of GentiusGentius
Gentius was the last Illyrian king of the Ardiaean State. The name appears to derive from PIE *g'en- "to beget", cognate to Latin gens, gentis "kin, clan, race". He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept relations with Rome very strong...
who ruled from 181 BC
181 BC
Year 181 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cethegus and Tamphilus...
. Two of his mints were located in Shkodra, the ancient Illyrian capital at the time of his regn, and in Lezha, both located in modern day north-eastern Albania. His coins were also struck in Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
, where the royal title is absent from any silver coin, and the name Gentius, not uncommon to an Illyrian male, may belong not to the king but to a local magistrate. However around 30 to 40 examples of bronze coins have been recorded with the legend 'King Genthios'. Upon his defeat by the Romans in 168 BC
168 BC
Year 168 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Macedonicus and Crassus...
his treasury of 120,000 silver pieces were conveyed to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Ballaios
BallaiosBallaios
Ballaios or was an Illyrian king of the Ardiaei. Ballaios was not mentioned by any ancient writers. Ballaios was a powerful and influential king testified by the abundance of his silver and bronze coinage found along both coasts of the Adriatic.His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins occur...
reigned after the kingodm of Gentius was dissolved into the Roman Empire from around 167 BC
167 BC
Year 167 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Paetus and Pennus...
- 135 BC
135 BC
Year 135 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Flaccus and Piso...
. The abundance of the coinage of Ballaios
Ballaios
Ballaios or was an Illyrian king of the Ardiaei. Ballaios was not mentioned by any ancient writers. Ballaios was a powerful and influential king testified by the abundance of his silver and bronze coinage found along both coasts of the Adriatic.His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins occur...
in the region would suggest that he was a powerful and influential king although no literary of historical evidence of him exists. The coins of the well-known king Gentius are scarce in comparison to the coins of Ballaios. His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins (without the royal title) occur on Hvar
Hvar
- Climate :The climate of Hvar is characterized by mild winters and warm summers. The yearly average air temperature is , 686 mm of precipitation fall on the town of Hvar on average every year and the town has a total of 2800 sunshine hours per year. For comparison Hvar has an average of 7.7...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, both in single finds and in hoards, and at Rhizon, the ancient capital of Queen Teuta, in a different series bearing the royal title. The coins of Ballaios were widely imitated in the region, sometimes so crudely that they are unintelligible. Ballaios struck coins in two cities: Pharos
Pharos
Pharos may refer to:Lighthouses:* The Pharos of Alexandria, a tower built on the island of Pharos that became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World* The Pharos, either of two Roman lighthouses built at Dubris...
and Rhizon. The weight of the bronze coins are between 1.0 and 4.5g, while most of the documented specimens weigh between 2.0 and 2.5g. The relativity great impact of the coinage of Ballaios is indicated by a large number of imitations of his coins. His coins are found in both the eastern Adriatic shores and frequently in Italy, which confirms the trade contacts between the two Adriatic coasts.
On the obverse of his coins a bust of the king facing left to right is depicted, while on the reverse Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
(advancing or standing) is represented, with or without a torch and sometimes carrying one or two spears. It is significant that Ballaios also had silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
coins minted, which indicates his wealth and power, since elsewhere in Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, silver coinage is very rarely documented from the Greek and Illyrian mints.
City coins
The coins of ancient Lissus, modern day Lezha, with the legend 'LISSITAN' began with autonomous issues under the MacedonianAncient Macedonians
The Macedonians originated from inhabitants of the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, in the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axios...
influences (211 BC
211 BC
Year 211 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Maximus...
-197 BC
197 BC
Year 197 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cethegus and Rufus...
). The coins were followed later by the issues of Gentius with a ship on the reverse and a third series from the period after the kings removal. Lissus minted coins on behalf of the community of the Lissians and minted a rare coin with an inscription over the head of an Illyrian god wearing a causia type hat. The face depicted on the Lissian coins was originally though to be of King Gentius
Gentius
Gentius was the last Illyrian king of the Ardiaean State. The name appears to derive from PIE *g'en- "to beget", cognate to Latin gens, gentis "kin, clan, race". He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept relations with Rome very strong...
, although Albanian archaeologist, Hasan Ceka was proved it to by the head of the Illyrian sea god, Redon. The head of Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
and an Illyrian shield is depicted on some Lissian coins. The Shkodra coins fall into three similar groups, the first and thirs with the legend 'SKODRI-NON' and the second with the legend of king Gentius. In the city of Rhizon a mint was established that issued several coinages. These incleded autonomous coinages of the town, in bronze,the royal coinage of king Ballaios, in silver and bronze, most probably, the coinage labeled “Coinage from the Rhizonian Gulf”, which has been considered as the coinage of an alliance in which Rhizon played a part, in silver and bronze.
Lake Scutari
Lake Skadar, also called Lake Scutari and Lake Shkodër is a lake on the border of Montenegro with Albania, the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. It is named after the city of Shkodra in northern Albania .- Geography :...
the Labeates issued a rare type of bronze coin, bearing the head of an Illyrian deity and a Liburnian warship with a dolphin swimming underneath. Between 217 BC
217 BC
Year 217 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Geminus and Flaminius/Regulus...
and 84 BC
84 BC
Year 84 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Carbo and Cinna...
the city of Oria
Oria
-Places:Italy* Oria, Apulia, a town in the Apulia region, Province of Brindisi* Oria, Lombardy, a village in the municipality of Valsolda, in the Province of ComoSpain* Oria, Spain, a municipality in the Province of Almería, Andalusia...
in Italy minted coins with the head of Lapagus, the ancient Iapygian hero. In Daorson
Daorson
Daorson was the capital of a Hellenised Illyrian tribe called the Daorsi . The Daorsi lived in the valley of the Neretva River between 300 BC and 50 BC...
the capital of the Daorsi in modern Bosnia, 39 different coins (29 bearing the image of King Ballaios
Ballaios
Ballaios or was an Illyrian king of the Ardiaei. Ballaios was not mentioned by any ancient writers. Ballaios was a powerful and influential king testified by the abundance of his silver and bronze coinage found along both coasts of the Adriatic.His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins occur...
from 168 BC, and 9 with a Greek inscription and a boat image) have been discovered. Money was of immense importance to the Daorsi, ensuring the tribe's independence while also confirming their well developed business, cultural and trade links with other peoples. Illyrian coins also appeare in other ancient cities especially those in the south of Illyria, such as in the Illyrian/Greek cities of Byllis
Byllis
Byllis was an ancient city located in the region of Illyria. The remains of Byllis are situated north-east of Vlorë, 25 kilometers from the sea in Hekal, Mallakastër District, Albania....
, Amantia
Amantia
Amantia or Abantia was an ancient Greek polis in Epirus. It occupied an important defensive position above the Aoos river valley to the east, and on the road to the coast and the Bay of Vlorë. A Greek temple, the Aphrodite temple, a theatre, and a stadium have also been found in the city...
, Pelion and Olympe. The koinon of the Bylliones centred on the city of Byllis
Byllis
Byllis was an ancient city located in the region of Illyria. The remains of Byllis are situated north-east of Vlorë, 25 kilometers from the sea in Hekal, Mallakastër District, Albania....
minted its own bronze coins. The first coins came out around 270 BC
270 BC
Year 270 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Clepsina and Blasio...
and continued until 167 BC
167 BC
Year 167 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Paetus and Pennus...
when the Romans dissolved the koinon.
External links
- http://illyriancoins.com/ Illyrian coins
- http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/illyria/damastion/i.html Damastion coins
- http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/paeonia/lykkeios/i.html Paeonian coins
- http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/thraco_macedonian_tribes/derrones/i.html Paeonian/Derrones coins