Illyrians are a group of related peoples who inhabit the western and inner parts of the Balkans since the prehistoric times. The most famous tribes in Croatia were Daorsi, Delmati, Liburni, Japodi and Histri. The unique name “Illiri” has been used since ancient times.
Old Greek writers (from the 6th century BC) first spoke of the Illyrians as inhabitants of the Ionian and South Adriatic Sea, areas of today’s states of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and part of Greece.
The Illyrian tribes are leading local wars with Greek settlers since the VII. St. Cr. After several centuries of warfare and turmoil, the Illyrians strengthen and under the king of Agron in the united state they become a great military force from which they hunted both the Greek and the Roman colonies. The Illyrian kingdom encompassed all the above-mentioned present-day states.
In the year 231 B.C Demetrius II., the Macedonian king asked for military aid from Agron against the Greek invasion and the occupation of the town of Medina. Agron responded to the requests of the Macedonian king, and the Illyrians sent 100 ships and 5.000 warriors to help. Under the cover of the night they unloaded and quickly overcome and made the Greeks escape. The victorious army of Illyrians came home with a great war prey, and Agron was so happy because of the victory that he died because of excessive wine enjoyment.
According to historian Polibi Agron died of pleurisy attack (pneumonia). For the next thirteen years ruled the legendary Teuta- Agron’s wife.
Teuta was a very good ruler by the records and the surrender, under her rule marines, shipbuilding, trade and the economy had developed significantly. The famous Roman tunics were Illyrian costumes, as well as the famous Roman galleys, which are copies of Neretva’s Liburnians. Still a lively folk tradition, Queen Teuta had its own tribes in the area of today’s Sucuraj on the island of Hvar. She started building a city with walls, but she could not complete it because of the war with the Romans.
Despite good diplomatic relations with the powerful Roman empire and the great army, Teuta could not control the individual rogue attacks on Roman merchant ships who carried precious prey. She promised to the Romans, that she will not attack them with the notion that she can not influence on the small pirate communities of Mljet, Lastovo and Korcula – she can only punish them but she can not prevent them. The Romans did not react immediately, but after one emissary was killed, they send even 20,000 soldiers, 2,000 horsemen and 200 warships moving to Teuta.
In front of the walls of Korkyra – today’s town of Korčula, Teuta succeeds in defending and losing big losses to the Roman army, but due to the surrender of its navy commander Dimitri (Demetrius) she is forced to surrender. She had to depart from the throne to benefit the juvenile Pinnes and to accept the conditions of peace that were very destructive to the Illyrian kingdom. Since then, the state of Illyria has never recovered and soon all nations will become part of the great Roman Empire.
On the island Svetac (Holy Andrija) there is a fortress for which the legends say that it belonged to the last Illyrian Queen, so for that reason it is called Queen or Teuta town and Teuta Tower. The island is located in the waters of the island of Vis and represents a very interesting nautical destination.
On the western part of the island of Korcula, in the bay of Vela Luka where there is also the bay of Gradina there are many Illyrian sites such as Kopila near the village of Blato and many Illyrian forts on the surrounding hill. In the cove of Gradina, due to the overwhelming number of Roman remains, no tools or ceramics were found that can be safely said to belong to the Illyrians.
However, the St. Ivan peninsula, which closes the bay from the east side, on which it is located the church from 15th century, was unquestionably inhabited by the Illyrians. Namely, many experts claim that below the present church was an Illyrian fortress, because St. Ivan provides the most ideal view of maritime traffic oversight towards the bay Vela Luka. Considering that Queen Teuta was given great importance to the islands and maritime affairs, we can believe that the legendary Illyrian warriors also found shelter in the bay of Gradina.
