Romalıların Doğu’ya Yönelişinin Başlangıcı ve Illyria Kraliçesi Teuta
The Beginning of Roman Eastward Expansion and Illyrian Queen Teuta

Summary/Abstract: In ancient times, the region known as Illyria to the east of the Adriatic Sea was inhabited by various independent tribes with very few cultural and ethnic ties to each other. Ancient Greek and Roman authors perceived Illyria as a wild and isolated region, which led to limited information about Illyrian affairs and their interactions with other peoples. While the details of Illyrian history remain obscure, our knowledge about their origins, languages, lifestyles, and relationships with neighbouring peoples is gradually increasing thanks to archaeological and epigraphic evidence. In ancient sources, the Illyrians were notorious for their acts of piracy, and ancient authors even provided anecdotes suggesting that they sustained their livelihood through such activities. The pirates’ raiding behaviour in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, where they plundered ships from Italy and Hellas, and their attacks on traders eventually brought Romans and Illyrians into conflict. In this regard, the nature and extent of Roman control over the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, as well as when it began at the earliest, have always been subjects of curiosity. Teuta, Queen Regent of Illyria holds significant importance in understanding the expansion of Rome towards the east. It can be argued that her reign (ca. 231-227 BCE) marked the beginning of the first military intervention by the Romans in the regions east of the Adriatic Sea and the initiation of the process of Illyrian peoples coming under Roman influence. While piracy activities are often cited as the cause of the war, sources present conflicting information regarding the outbreak of the war between Teuta and the Romans. The aim of this study is to make certain inferences about the underlying motivations of Roman intervention in the Adriatic by focusing on Queen Teuta and her role in the war.

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