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Eagles of the Balkans

Part 1

by Melissa Snell

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

For useful links, maps, and a hyperlinked book list, please return to the regular feature.

Sources and Suggested Reading

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.

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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