Illyricum (Roman province)

Illyricum was the Roman province established in place of the former kingdom of Illyria. It stretched from the Drin river in modern Albania to Istria (Slovenia/Croatia) in the north and the Sava river (Bosnia/Croatia) in the east. Its capital was located at Salonae near modern Split in Croatia.

The kingdom of Illyria was conquered in 168 BC, when the Romans defeated the army of the Illyrian king Gentius. From 167 BC, southern Illyria became formally independent Roman protectorate. 59 BC, after the Lex Vatinia, Illyricum was assigned as provincia together with Cisalpine Gaul(zone of responsibility rather than the province as is understood today) to Caesar. No province was established until Octavian's wars in Illyricum 35-33 BC and first mention of province Illyricum is in the context of Augustan settlement of 27 BC. The province was subsequently enlarged as the Romans expanded their power in the region through a series of wars known as Pannonian wars (Bellum Pannonicum) 12-9 BC fought against group of peoples known as the Pannonians Pannonians.

Subsequent to 10 AD (some scholars as Jeno Fitz move this date to middle-late Claudian era c. AD 20-35), after a revolt of Pannonians and Dalmatians known a rebellion of Bato (Bellum Batonianum AD 6-9) was crushed in 9 AD, the province of Illyricum was dissolved, and its lands were divided between the new provinces of Pannonia in the north and Dalmatia in the south. The name continued to be used to refer to the region and was later applied by the emperor Diocletian to the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum, one of four prefectures that he established, which encompassed Pannonia, Noricum, Crete, and the whole Balkan peninsula except Thrace.

Illyricum had considerable strategic and economic importance for the Romans. It possessed a number of important commercial ports along its coastline, and had gold mines in its interior regions. The province was also the starting point of the Via Egnatia, the great Roman road that ran from Dyrrachium (modern Durazzo), on the Adriatic, to Byzantium in the east.

The region's native peoples were renowned for their military prowess and they became an important source of manpower for the Roman army. Several notable Roman emperors came from Illyria, including Aurelian, Claudius II, Constantine I and Diocletian as well as the Byzantine emperor Justinian.

For the subsequent history of the region, see Dalmatia and Pannonia.

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