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Eagles of the Balkans |
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They were
called the Illyrians, a multi-tribe race of peoples who
settled in the Balkan Peninsula centuries before succumbing
to Roman conquest. As part of the Empire, Illyrians occupied
the province of Illyricum, where art, culture, and
philosophy flourished, and where they retained their ethnic
identity while at the same time rising to positions of
prominence, even that of Emperor. The
province of Illyricum, 1st century AD.
When the Empire was divided in 395 AD, the Illyrians came under the jurisdiction of the Eastern portion (the Byzantine Empire); yet their religious affiliation was with the Church of Rome. They continued to distinguish themselves in government, achieving once again the highest seat of power: the emperors Anastasius I, Justin I, and Justinian I were all Illyrians.
Slavic
invasions c. 500-700 AD. Original province of Illyricum can
be seen in violet. During
the early years of Byzantine rule, the one-time province of
Illyricum suffered raids from Huns, Ostrogoths, and
Visigoths. In the sixth century, invasions by the Slavs
began, and much of the area was assimilated by the invaders,
which included Bohemians, Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs.
However, the southern Illyrians managed to hold onto their
racial identity and their language.
It was sometime after these invasions that the Illyrians, influenced by the many cultures of the invaders as well as their allies, underwent a change. The name "Illyria" gradually gave way to that of "Albania." The first recorded instance of its use is in an account by Emperor Alexius Comnenus in 1081. Although the connection between modern Albanians and the ancient Illyrians has been disputed, it is generally accepted by ethnographers, and Albanians have claimed a link.
Due to
the Iconoclastic
Controversy,
Emperor Leo III removed the Albanian church from Roman
jurisdiction in 732 and placed it under the patriarch
of Constantinople.
In 1054, when the schism
between the Eastern and Western Church became final,
northern Albania reverted to the jurisdiction of Rome while
southern Albania remained allied to Constantinople.
In
addition to this religious division, parts of (and at times,
all of) Albania, never fully protected by the Byzantine
Empire, came under the political control of Bulgarians,
Norman crusaders, the Angevins of southern Italy, Venetians,
and Serbs. In the early 13th century, Albanian chieftains
joined with Michael Angelus Ducas to form the Despotate of
Epirus, which became the center of Greek resistance to Latin
occupation of Byzantium after the Fourth Crusade. Bulgarian
territory in the 10th c. The
Despotate of Epirus in the early 13th c.
The
Principality of Albania after 1347. The
occupation of their homeland in 1347 by the Serbs, led by
Stefan Dusan, caused many Albanians to migrate abroad,
particularly to Greece and the Aegean islands. Not long
afterward the last of the Byzantine influence withdrew from
the area as the Empire shrank in reaction to invading Turks.
Now the Serbs and the Albanians were just two of several
Balkan groups who faced the danger of these invaders.
Please join me next time for Part Two of Eagles of the Balkans. |
Note: All maps are rough estimates by your Guide based on The Times Atlas of World History. They are not meant to be definitive representations, but are instead intended to offer a general idea of political boundaries throughout history.
Additional Resources
Albania:
Historical Setting
Public-domain history of Albania through the Middle Ages from a
larger work on the country of Albania produced by the Library of
Congress, online here at the Medieval History site.
Yugoslavia:
Historical Setting
Public-domain history of the former Yugoslavia through the Middle
Ages from a larger work on the country of Yugoslavia produced by the
Library of Congress, online here at the Medieval History
site.
Links of Interest
Balkan
Cleansing
About Guide to Ancient/Classical History, N.S. Gill, provides helpful
info about the history of the Illyrians and some great links to
Albanian history sites.
Geographical
Dictionary of the Balkans
About Guide to Geography, Matt Rosenberg, provides useful
information on the geography and history of Albania, Serbia, and
other Balkan countries, including maps and links.
Sources and Suggested Reading
The links below will take you to an online bookstore, where you can find more information about the book to help you get it from your local library. This is provided as a convenience to you; neither Melissa Snell nor About is responsible for any purchases you make through these links.
The
Albanians: An Ethnic History from Prehistoric Times to the
Present
by Edwin E. Jacques
Though covering an extensive period of time, Jacques also manages to
provide significant detail and draws from substantial
sources.
Kosovo:
A Short History
by Noel Malcolm
Offering new evidence and some controversial theories, Malcolm takes
a fresh look at this highly volatile area. Includes an excellent
bibliography.
Response
to Noel Malcolm's Book: Kosovo: A Short
History
by Milorad Ekmecic; translated by Tihomir Vuckovic
Malcolm's book provoked this reply.
The
Three-Arched Bridge
by Ismail Kadare; translated by John Hodgson
An extraordinary novel set in medieval Albania chronicles the
construction of a bridge, which serves as an allegory for political
developments both then and now.
The
Times Atlas of World History
edited by Geoffrey Barraclough
Excellent reference work of beautifully-presented historical
maps.
Eagles of the Balkans, part 1 is copyright © 1999-2003 Melissa Snell. Permission is granted to reproduce this article for personal or classroom use only, provided that the URL below is included. For reprint permission, please contact Melissa Snell.
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