Teuta
333090
224188350
2008-07-07T18:50:50Z
Paul August
87355
rm sourced text
''For the Albanian club with the same name, see [[KS Teuta Durrës]].''
[[Image:IllyrianWars.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Illyrian wars.]]
'''Queen Teuta''' (also '''Queen Tefta''') of ''Issa'' (today the [[Vis (island)]]), was an [[Illyrian]]<ref>Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0631198075,page 129,"... mainly because no coins are known to have been issued by Illyrian rulers of a later period such as Agron, Teuta, Scerdilaidas, etc. ..."</ref> queen and regent who reigned approximately from [[231 BC]] to [[228 BC]].She may have been a [[Liburnian]]<ref>Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992,ISBN 0631198075,page 183,"... We may begin with the Venetic peoples, Veneti, Carni, Histri and Liburni, whose language set them apart from the rest of the Illyrians. ..."</ref> thus making her [[Venetic]] and not Illyrian. Teuta is a very popular name given to new-born girls in [[Albanian]] culture.
After the death of [[Agron (king)|Agron]] ([[250 BC]]?-[[231 BC]]) who established the first kingdom of [[Illyria]], extending from [[Dalmatia]] on the north to the Aous River ([[Vjosa River]]) to the south with [[Shkodër|Skodra]] as its capital, his widow, Teuta, acted as regent for her young stepson [[Pinnes]]. Teuta's first decision was to drive out the [[Greek colonies]] off the Illyrian coast. Attempting this, she attacked [[Dyrrachium]] and fortified the city, but [[Phoenice]] further south surrendered. While her Illyrian ships were off the coast of [[Sarandë]], they intercepted and plundered<ref>Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0631198075.,Page 158,"... ' Illyrian success continued when command passed to Agron's widow Teuta, who granted individual ships a licence to universal plunder. In 231 ac the fleet and army attacked Ells and Messenia ..."</ref> some merchant vessels of [[Roman Republic|Rome]]. Encouraged by this success, Teuta's pirates extended their operations southward into the [[Ionian Sea]], westward along the coast of [[Italy]], and were soon feared as the terror of the [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]]. The seat of her throne was in [[Risan]]<ref>Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0631198075.,Page 177,"... who appears to have ruled after 168 Bc at Queen Teuta's old stronghold Rhizon (Risan). His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins, without the royal title, occur on Hvar, both ..."</ref>, a town in today's [[Montenegro]].
The [[Roman Senate]] sent two [[Ambassador (diplomacy)|ambassadors]] to the [[pirate]] lair at [[Shkodër]] to require reparations and demand an end to all pirate expeditions. Apparently, she told the ambassadors that according to the law of the [[Illyrians]], piracy was a lawful trade and that her government had no right to interfere with this as a private enterprise. One of the envoys was reported to have replied that Rome would make it her business to introduce better law among the Illyrians. At any rate, one of the ambassadors addressed the queen so disrespectfully that her attendants killed him as he embarked for Rome.
This was too much for Rome to endure. In [[229 BC]], Rome declared war<ref>Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0631198075,Page 160,"... ' The Roman invasion of Illyria in 229 sc appears to have caught Teuta and the Illyrians completely off guard. As soon as the weather permitted, the queen had ordered south a naval expedition ..."</ref> on Illyria and for the first time armies crossed the Adriatic to Illyria (the [[Balkan Peninsula]] in modern usage). The Roman fleet of 200 ships went first to [[Corcyra]]. Teuta's governor, [[Demetrius of Pharos|Demetrius]] had little alternative but to surrender, and the Romans awarded him a considerable part of Teuta's holdings ([[228 BC]]). The Roman army then landed further north at [[Apollonia]]. The combined army and navy proceeded northward together, subduing one town after another and besieging Shkodra, the capital. Teuta finally surrendered in [[227 BC]], having to accept an ignominious peace. The Romans allowed her to continue her reign but restricted<ref>Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0631198075.,page 161,"... Before the end of winter, envoys of Teuta appeared in Rome and a treaty was concluded. According to its terms the queen would abandon Illyris, except for a ..."</ref> her to a narrow region around Skodra, deprived her of all her other holdings, and forbade her to sail an armed ship below [[Lezhë|Lissus]] just south of the capital. They also required her to pay an annual tribute and to acknowledge the final authority of Rome.
==References==
{{reflist}}
*''This article contains information from [http://www.frosina.org Frosina.org] and it is used with permission.''
*Jacques, Edwin E. ''The Albanians: An Ethnic History from Prehistoric Times to the Present''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 1995.
*Wilkes, John. ''The Illyrians''. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1992.
[[Category:Illyrian royalty|Teuta]]
[[Category:Female regents|Teuta]]
[[Category:Queens regnant|Teuta]]
[[Category:Pirates|Teuta]]
[[Category:History of Albania]]
[[Category:History of Croatia]]
[[Category:History of Montenegro]]
[[bs:Teuta]]
[[de:Teuta]]
[[fr:Teuta]]
[[hr:Teuta]]
[[it:Teuta]]
[[nl:Teuta]]
[[ja:テウタ]]
[[sq:Teuta]]
[[sr:Теута]]
[[sv:Teuta]]
{{commons|Illyria & Illyrians}}