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THE ILLYRIANS
Date posted: Sunday, July 2, 1995
Author: John Wilkes

Blackwell Publishers 108 Cowley Rd., Oxford, OX4 1JF, UK 238 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02142 (1-800-216-2522), $49.95

Reviewed by Dr. Neritan Ceka, Professor of Archeology, Tirana University, Tirane, Albania

(Translated from the Albanian Language by Arben Kallamata)

Anglo-Saxon scholarly studies have never shown any lack of interest in the ancient and large Illyrian populations although a complete and general work about them had never been published. That void is now filled in a very fundamental manner with the publication in 1992 of "The Illyrians" by John Wilkes, professor at University College of London. Prof. Wilkes, a well-known authority in this field especially because his previously published book "Dalmatia" (1969) - an important work on this Illyrian province of the Roman Era - has now been able to provide, combined with this latest book, the most complete synthesis of Illyrian culture and history available to date.

The book examines the origin of the Illyrians (The Search for Illyrians), their history in the framework of the Hellenic World (Greek Illyrians), their place and role in the Roman Empire, and, finally, the ethnic and cultural inheritance of the Illyrians during the Middle Ages to the present (Roman Illyrians). For the author, the first task was to establish the Illyrians as a large population that spread all over the Central and Western Balkans during ancient times. Prof. Wilkes criticizes, in a very objective way, existing theses that attempt to describe the Illyrians against the framework of contemporary political thought that either understates them through identification with an older concept of Illyrians as an undefined group of tribes, or by their ethnic and cultural unification over the entire period that they are mentioned in ancient times.

The diversity and unity of the Illyrian world is now explained in a more detailed manner by the author based on Illyria's colorful and geographic identity in ancient times. It is this period, oriented towards a symetric division from the Danube, the Egean and the Adriatic Sea, that the author has been able to trace the different cultural groups that begin to take shape in an ethnogenetic process (beginning with the close of the Eneolitic period) to become quite distinct in almost twenty units during the Iron Age.

Based on the results of archeological research of what were identified as Illyrian regions over these last 100 years, a detailed study of the ancient onomasticis has been compiled by the author. His view, the distinction between a Venetian - not Illyrian - linguistic and cultural province as opposed to two large regions with Illyrian characteristics in the Central and Southwestern Balkans between Drava and the Adriatic Sea, is now presented. Within this work, the author also includes the largest part of Dardania in a discussion which is generally based on existing political biases.

The historical synthesis of the Illyrians is short and quite easy to comprehend. One can grasp the true meaning by comparing the historical geography of the Illyrian regions and tribes to the most significant events and characters. By their integration within this framework, the archeological data about Illyrian economies and the populated cities help define the historical and social basis in which the Illyrian state functioned previously, from the time of Bardylis to Gentius.

The section entitled Illyrians under Roman Rule , one of the most comrehensive parts of the book, focuses mainly on the northern parts of Illyria. Here, too, through archeological analytical studies, conclusions are highlighted thus making it possible to comprehend some of the most important aspects of the social and political organization in the north of Illyria during the pax-romana. Various aspects of Illyrian life are also revealed including dress, food, women, wine, and economic activities based on archeological documentation during the Roman Empire.

One of the most interesting chapters is how Illyria became integrated into the Roman Empire where its most significant result was the series of famous Roman Emperors who were of Illyrian origin such as Aurelianus, Diocletian, Constantine, and others.

The chapter "Medieval and Modern Illyrians" concludes with the historical destiny of the Illyrians where the author deals with the ethnic continuity of the Illyrians to the present day Albanians based mainly on the archeological findings of the Koman-Kruja cultural group

It is only natural that such a broad overview of the Illyrians, which at times includes deep and competent analyses, is not always able to escape some shortcomings. In general, however, the weight of documentation derived from studies of the northern parts of Illyria (that are better known by the author) is more substantial although they have not always been the determining factors of Illyrian history and culture. As a consequence, a somewhat spontaneus explanation of historical events, influenced in part by an exaggeration of the role of Illyrian piracy, is more heavily stressed.

Also, Greek colonization is more closely examined through sites in the North than through the resistance and eventual integration processes of Dyrrhachium and Apolonia. In this vein even Gajtan, a prehistoric tribal center, is erroneously transplanted as representative of the settlements of the IV-III centuries (p.127), a period that was identified by civilian settlements such as Bylis, Dimalo, Lissus etc. to which the author accords a proper place in his book (pp.133-136). On the other hand, the association of Illyrian cities with the activities of Pyrrhus (V. Garasanin, Moenia, Aeacia, Starinar 17, 1966) is simply an exaggeration of an unproven concept. Similiarly, the invasion of Dyrrhachium by a Dardanian king called Monounios around 280 BC should be regarded as a factually unfounded hypothesis. It should suffice to mention certain other points where this rich material has eluded critical evaluation and absorption by the author. Despite these shortcomings, Prof. Wilkes' book, enhanced and supported by many illustrations and a selective bibliography, has undisputable value as an important and fundamental history of the Illyrians.

ILIRET
nga John Wilkes

PERMBLEDHJE LIBRASH

Permbledhje shkruar nga Dr. Neritan Ceka, Profesor i Arkeologjise, Universiteti i Tiranes, Tirane, Shqiperia

Ne literaturen shkencore anglo-saksone nuk ka munguar interesi per popullsine e madhe antike te ilireve, por nuk ka pasur kurre nje veper te pergjithshme per ata. Ky boshllek i ndjeshem plotesohet ne nje menyre fondamentale nga libri "Iliret" i profesorit te University College te Londres, J. Wilkes. I njohur si specialist i kesaj fushe edhe me librin "Dalmatia" (1969), nje veper e rendesishme mbi ate province Ilire ne kohen romake, prof. J. Wilkes ka arritur kesaj rradhe te jape sintezen me te plote mbi kulturen dhe historine e ilireve. Ne nje skeme te qarte libri trajton konceptin dhe origjinen e ilireve (The Search for Illyrians), historine e tyre ne kuadrin e botes greke (Greek Illyrians), vendin dhe rolin e ilireve ne perandorine romake dh,e se fundi, trashegimine etnike dhe kulturore te ilireve gjate mesjetes deri ne ditet e sotme (Roman Illyrians). Detyra e pare a autorit ka qene t'i vendose iliret ne rolin e tyre real si popullsi e madhe, e cila shtrihej ne tere Ballkanin qendror dhe Perendimor gjate antikitetit. Ne nje menyre mjaft objektive ai ka kritikuar pikpamjet qe e kane inkuadruar rolin e ilireve ne skemat politike bashkekohore qofte duke minimizuar nepermjet barazimit te konceptit antik mbi iliret me nje grumbull amorf tribush, qofte me unifikimin etnik dhe kulturor ne tere hapesiren ku kane qene permendur gjate antikitetit. Diversiteti dhe uniteti i botes ilire shpjegohet me hollesi nga autori mbi bazen e ndikimeve qe kane pasur mbi kontaktet dhe levizjet etnike e kulturore ambienti i larmishem gjeografik i njohur ne lashtesi si Illyria. Ne kete hapesire te orjentuar ne nje ndarje te njellojte nga Danubi, Egjeu dhe Adriatiku, autori ndjek ne menyre sintetike grupimet e ndryshme kulturore qe fillojne profilohen ne nje proces etnogjenetik qe nga fundi i epokes eneolitike, per t'u dalluar ne rreth njezet njesi ne epoken e hekurit. Situata arkeologjike e mbeshtetur ne te dhenat e kerkimeve qe po zhvillohen qe prej 100 vjetesh ne trevat e dikurshme ilire, kompletohet nga autori me nje veshtrim te onomastikes antike. Ne baze te ketij konfrontimi behet e mundur ve‡imi i nje province gjuhesore -kulturore venetase, jo ilire, nga dy rajone te medha me natyre ilire ne Ballkanin Qendror dhe Jugperendimor, midis Draves dhe Adriatikut. Ketu autori perfshin edhe pjesen me te madhe te Dardanise, duke marre nje qendrim mjaft objektiv ne nje diskutim te nxitur kryesisht nga paragjykime aktuale politike. Sinteza historike mbi iliret, megjithese e shkurter, eshte mjaft e kapshme, duke kaluar nga gjeografia historike e krahinave dhe fiseve ilire tek paraqitja e ngjarjeve dhe personazheve me te rendesishem te historise ilire. Integrimi ne kete kuader i te dhenave arkeologjike mbi ekonomine dhe vendbanimet qytetare, te cilat shpjegojne edhe mbeshtetjen sociale mbi te cilen funksiononte shteti ilir qe nga Bardylis tek Gentius, plotesojne ne menyre te ndjeshme kuadrin historik te paraqitur nga autori. Iliret nen sundimin romak perbejne nje pjese nga me te plotat te librit, me nje perqendrim kryesisht ne trevat veriore ilire. Edhe ketu si mbeshtetje kryesore per rindertimin e realitetit antik sherbejne te dhenat arkeologjike te cilat japin mundesi te evidendohen disa ve‡ori te organizimit shoqeror e politik ne veriun Ilir gjate pax romana. Edhe paraqitja e menyres se jeteses te iliret, kum perfshihen veshja, ushqimi, grate, vera apo aktivitetet ekonomike, behet kryesisht ne kuadrin e dokumentacionit arkeologjik te periudhes romake perandorake.

Nga kapitujt me interesante eshte trajtimi i integrimit te ilireve ne jeten e perandorise, ku treguesi me i larte eshte seria e perandoreve romake me origjine ilire, me emra te tille te famshem si Aurelianus, Diocletianus, Constatinus etj.

Fati historik i ilireve permbyll librin me kapitullin "Medieval and Modern Illyrians", ku autori angazhohet ne diskutimin mbi vazhdimesine etnike nga iliret te shqiptaret e sotem, duke u mbeshtetur kryesisht ne argumentat arkeologjike te grupti kulturor Koman-Kruje.

Natyrisht nje veshtrim kaq i gjere, qe shpesh here futet ne thellesine e analizave kopetente, nuk i ka shpetuar disa mungesave. Ne pergjithesi ndjehet me teper pesha e te dhenave nga trevat veriore te ilireve, te cilat autori i njeh me mire, por qe nuk kane qene gjithmone vendimtare ne profilimin e kultures dhe historise se ilireve. Kjo ka bere qe per periudhen historike te mbizoteroje nje shpjegim me teper spontan i ngjarjeve historike pak i ndikuar nga nje fare ekzagjerimi i rolit te piraterise ne jeten ilire. Keshtu kolonizimi grek shikohet me teper ne shembujt sporadike te veriut, se sa ne qendrueshmerine dhe proceset integruese te Dyrrhachium a Apollonise. Ne kete optike edhe Gajtani, nje qender tribale prehistorike, eshte transplatuar gabimisht si perfaqesues i vendbanimeve te shek.IV-III (f.127) kohe e cila ka qene percaktuar nga vendbanime qytetare si Bylis, Dimalo, Lissos etj. te cilave autori iu rezervon nje vend te merituar ne librin e tij (f. 133-136). Nga ana tjeter eshte nje ekzagjerim i nje mendimi te pakonfrontuar me te dhena arkeologjike lidhja e qyteteve ilire me veprimtarine ndertuese te Pyrrhus (V.Garasanin, Moeonia, Aeacia, Starinar 17, 1966)Po keshtu duhet vleresuar si nje hipoteze pa mbeshtetje faktike pushtimi i Dyrrhachium nga nje mbret dardan me emrin Monounios rreth 280 p.kr. Kaq sa per te permedur diasa pika ku materiali i pasur i ka shpetuar absorbimit apo vleresimit kritik. Perndryshe libri permban vlera te padiskutueshme te nje botimi themelor per iliret. Keto vlera ngrihen edhe me shume nga nje bibliografi selektive dhe ilustrim i mjaftueshem.