Encheleans

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Map of southern Illyria with the original settlement area of ​​the Encheleans (yellow) around 700 BC Chr.

The Encheleans ( Latin : Encheleae , Greek : Εγχελιοι , translates Enchelioi , Albanian : Enkelejtë ) were a tribe of the Illyrians who lived mainly from fishing. Originally he lived in the region around Lake Ohrid , but later further north on the coast of the Adriatic Sea .

history

In the 8th and 7th centuries BC The Encheleans settled the region around Lake Ohrid , between the Chaonian and Taulantier regions . They were often at war for dominance of the area with the ancient Macedonians , who settled further to the east. Other neighbors of the Encheleans were the Dardans in the north and the Dassaretes in the south , who were also Illyrian tribes.

As one of the first Illyrian peoples, the Encheleans found a political organization as a kingdom at this time, but also quickly lost their power again and became politically dependent on the Macedonians by the 6th century. After they finally conquered the area, the Illyrian Dassaretes settled it from the south and made Lychnidos their capital.

Later sources such as the Periplus of the Pseudo-Skylax from the 4th century BC BC is a completely different settlement area for the Encheleans than for the 8th and 7th centuries. Now they lived north of the Taulantier on the lower reaches of the Drin ; so the city of Bouthoe on the Bay of Kotor (today in Montenegro ) is counted to the Enchelean territory, while the (today Albanian) Epidamnus already belonged to the Taulantic area. The fact that the tribe now settled much further north and on the Adriatic coast 300 years after being first mentioned on Lake Ohrid is probably due to the immigration of the Dassaretes into their original settlement area.

Herodotus quotes a prophecy in his history, according to which a people would conquer Thebes and plunder the temple of Delphi , but would then perish. According to Herodotus, Mardonios referred this to the Persians; however, the ancient historian himself claims that the Encheleans were meant by this. So these seem to have invaded Greece with some success.

356/355 BC BC and 344 BC Philip II of Macedonia fought victoriously against the Encheleans and other Illyrian tribes, who at least nominally recognized his rule. After his death in 336 BC They rose again, but were again defeated by Alexander the Great . Over the centuries, however, the identity of the individual tribes was increasingly lost, which were now generally referred to as Illyrians.

Name, economy and culture

The Encheleans lived from fishing (originally in Lake Ohrid) and from trading in Greek goods, as has been proven by archaeological excavations. Its name is derived from the ancient Greek ἔγχελυς ( eel ), which means something like "eel men". This fish was very common in southern Illyria and an important export item.

The Encheleans were the founders of the cities of Lychnidos (the predecessor of today's Ohrid ) and Enhallon (localization uncertain, probably today's Struga ). It is also believed that they brought the cultic worship of Kadmos (from which, according to mythology, they also descended, see below) to Illyria. Places of worship for him were found at the mouths of the rivers Aoos , Drilon and Naron as well as in Rhizon , Bouthoe and Pola .

Greek mythology

According to Greek mythology , the Encheleans got their name from Encheleus , who founded the ruling dynasty of this people and is said to have been a child of Illyrios .

According to the library of Apollodorus, he in turn was the son of Kadmos and Harmonia . According to mythology, these two, the grandparents of Encheleus, who came from Phenicia , founded and ruled Thebes after long adventures . But when the Encheleans were fighting with the Illyrians, an oracle predicted that victory would only be promised to them if Kadmos and Harmonia would lead them into battle as a ruling couple. The two then gave their rule in Thebes to another grandson, Pentheus , and moved to the Encheleans. After the forecast had come true and this had successfully passed the fight, the two remained in the reign and founded the cities of Bouthoe and Lychnidus . Eventually they were turned into snakes by Zeus and carried away to the island of the blessed .

Appian, however, states that Illyrios was a child of Polyphemus and Galateia .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hecataeus of Miletus , fragment 73.
  2. ↑ Pseudo-Skylax , Periplus , 24 f.
  3. ↑ Herodotus , Histories 9.42 f.
  4. ↑ Illyria, Illyrians. In: Hatto H. Schmitt , Ernst Vogt (Ed.): Small Lexicon of Hellenism. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1993, ISBN 3-447-03278-2 , pp. 261–267, here p. 262 (online)
  5. ^ John Wilkes: The Illyrians ( The Peoples of Europe ). Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford 1995, ISBN 0-631-19807-5 , p. 244.
  6. ^ Heinrich Kiepert : Textbook of ancient geography. Dietrich Reimer, Berlin 1878, p. 357, note 2.
  7. ↑ Libraries of Apollodorus , 3,5,4.
  8. ^ Appian , Illyrian War , 2 ( English translation ).