Jump to content

Gentius

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gentius
Coin of Gentius
Reign181 – 168 BC
PredecessorPleuratus III
SuccessorBallaios(probable)
Diedafter 167 BC
Italy
ConsortEtuta
DynastyLabeatai[1]
FatherPleuratus

Gentius(Albanian:Genti;Ancient Greek:Γένθιος,"Génthios";fl.181 – 168 BC) was anIllyrianking who belonged to theLabeatandynasty.[1]He ruled in 181–168 BC,[1][2]being the last attested Illyrian king.[3]He was the son ofPleuratus III,a king who kept positive relations withRome.The capital city of the Illyrian kingdom under Gentius wasScodra(nowShkodër,Albania).[4]

In 180 BC, during his early reign, theDalmataeandDaorsideclared themselves independent from his rule and the city ofRhizonabandoned him prior to his defeat, receiving immunity from theRomans.[5]He marriedEtuta,the daughter of theDardaniankingMonunius II.[6]

In 171 BC, Gentius was allied with the Romans against theMacedonians,but in 169 BC he changed sides and allied himself withPerseus of Macedon.The southernmost city of the Illyrian kingdom wasLissus(nowLezhë,Albania), a situation established since theFirst Illyrian War.[7]He arrested two Romanlegati,accusing them of not coming as emissaries but as spies. Gentius destroyed the cities ofApolloniaandEpidamnos(RomanDyrrachium,nowDurrës,Albania), which were allied with Rome. In 168 BC, he was defeated at Scodra by a Roman force underL. Anicius Gallus,in only twenty or thirty days,[3]and in 167 brought to Rome as a captive to participate in Gallus'striumph,after which he was interned inIguvium.The date of his death is unknown. After his defeat, the Romans split the region into three administrative divisions,[8]calledmeris.[5]The extent of the first meris is not known, while the second wasLabeates,and the third wasAcruvium,Rhizon,Olciniumand their environs.[9]

Name[edit]

TheIllyriannameGentiusappears to derive fromPIE*ǵenh₁-"to beget", cognate toLatingens,gentis"kin, clan, race".[10]It must reflect the reconstructed noun*gent(i)yos,designating the king as the head of his kin, like theProto-Germanic*kun-ing-az.[11]

Biography[edit]

Relations with Rome[edit]

By 181 BC the loyalPleuratushad been succeeded by his son Gentius. During his reign relations with theArdiaeanstate and Rome started to dwindle. The coast and hinterland south of theDrinremained under Roman control since the First Illyrian Wars againstTeuta.Gentius moved to increase power over kindred peoples living to the north and west. Among the islands the Greek city ofIssa(now Vis, Croatia) had retained some form of independence under Roman protection butPharos(now Hvar, Croatia) remained an Illyrian[clarification needed]possession. On the mainland theDelmataeand the Daorsi were at one time subjects, but the former defected soon after the accession of Gentius. Illyrian strength lay in the navy and ships and it was their interference with Adriatic shipping which once more aroused Roman interest in the area. In 180 BC a Romanpraetorresponsible for coastal protection arrived in Brudisium with some ships of Gentius said to have been caught in the act of piracy. An embassy to Illyria failed to locate the king; but the praetor discovered that Romans were held for ransom atKorčula.No outcome of the affair is reported and it may well be that the Senate accepted a claim by Gentius' envoys that the charges were false. Ten years later, when Rome was gripped with war-fever againstPerseus of Macedon,Issa accused Gentius of plotting war with the king and now the Illyrian envoys were denied a hearing before the Senate. Instead the Romans seized 54 Illyrianlembiat anchor in the harbour of Epidamnos. On the eve of war a Roman senator was sent to Illyria to remind Gentius of his formal friendship with the Roman Republic.

Alliance with the Dardani and Macedon[edit]

In 169 BC Gentius arranged the murder of his brotherPlatorkilled because his plan to marryEtuta,daughter of theDardaniankingMonunius II,would have made him too powerful. Gentius then married Plator's fiancée for himself, securing the alliance of the powerful Dardani.

Perseus of Macedon having recaptured several Roman outposts in Roman occupied Illyria controlled the route leading west to the Ardiaean state. At this point Perseus sent his first embassy to Gentius, consisting of the Illyrian exile Pleuratus and the Macedonian Adaeus and Beroea. They found Gentius at Lissos and informed him of Perseus' successes against the Romans and Dardani and the recent victory over thePenestae.The Illyrians replied that he lacked not the will to fight the Romans but the money. No promises were made on this point either by this embassy or another sent fromStuberrashortly afterwards. Perseus continued his efforts to involve Gentius in the war, preferably it was said, at no cost to his treasury. The Illyrian exile Plearatus raised 1,000 infantry and 200 cavalry from the Penestae. The Roman invasion of Macedonia in 168 BC forced the king to promise a subsidy to Gentius, whose ships might be employed to attack the Romans. A sum of 300talentswas mentioned and Perseus sent his companion Pantauchus to make the arrangements. In the city ofMeteon(now Medun, Montenegro) hostages were agreed and Gentius accepted the oath of the king. He sent Olympio with a delegation to Perseus to collect the money, and the treaty was concluded with some ceremony atDiumon the Thermaic Gulf. A formal parade of the Macedonian cavalry was held which may have impressed the Illyrians and the cavalry may have represented the Macedonians in the ratification of the treaty.

The 300 talents were counted out of the royal treasure atPellaand the Illyrians were permitted to mark it with their own stamp. An advance of ten talents was forwarded to Gentius and when this was passed over by Pantauchus the king was urged to commence hostilities against the Romans. When Gentius imprisoned two Roman envoys sent by Appius Claudius at Lychnidus, Perseus recalled the rest of the subsidy in belief that Gentius was now his ally, come what may.[12]

Rise to power[edit]

Gentius accompanied the new anti-Roman orientation in Illyrian foreign policy with a series of measures to strengthen his state. First, he concentrated the finances by establishing a single tax over all the subjects and by taking royal control of the monetary workshops or mints of Lissus and Scodra, the two cities where he resided. At this time Gentius was issuing bronze coins. In the Selcë hoard there are two coins of Gentius with Macedonian emblems. The other coins of Gentius have what is probably his head with a cap not unlike thepetasos,and a torque around his head, and on the reverse in one case a thunderbolt and in the others a warship, thelembi.Thus, according to an inventory made by the Romans, the state treasury had 27 pounds of gold, 19 of silver, 120,000 Illyrian drachmas and 13,000 Romandenariion the eve of the war with Rome.

Gentius and Perseus sent a joint embassy to inviteRhodesin the war against Rome. Gentius also built up a fleet of 270lembi,showing that he awaited an enemy in theAdriatic.His army numbered 15,000 men. Gentius was now prepared to go to war with Rome.

Third Illyrian War[edit]

In January/February 168 BC Gentius, having mustered his force of 15,000 men and fleet of lembi atLissus,the southernmost city of his state, advanced into Roman territory and laid siege to the Illyrian city ofBassania,a Roman ally which refused to yield although it was only 5 miles from Lissus. His half-brotherCaravantius,detaching 1,000 infantry and 50 horsemen, attacked theCavii,failing to capture one of their cities while ravaging the fields of the city of Caravandis. A flotilla of eightlembiset off a little later to attack the coastal colonial cities of Epidamno and Appolonia. Meanwhile, the Romans under Appius Claudius had heard of the alliance that Gentius made with Perseus of Macedonia and the arrest of the Roman envoys. He therefore moved his army out of their winter quarters atNymphaeum,added to it with troops fromByllis,Epidamnos and Appolonia as he marched north, and encamped by the river Genesus (Shkumbin,Albania). There he met with the new Roman commander, Lucius Anicius Gallus, apraetor.Anicius had crossed over from Italy to Appolonia with two legions, comprising 600 cavalry and 10,400 infantry, and 800 cavalry and 10,000 infantry from the Italian allies. His fleet, whose size is not known, was strengthened by a draft of 5,000 sailors. To this imposing force he added 200 cavalry and 2,000 infantry of theParthini,an Illyriankoinonallied to the Romans. These combined forces outnumbered those of Gentius by two to one.

As a folio of Livy's text is missing, little is known of this campaign. It seems that Anicius's fleet engaged the Illyrians at sea and captured a number of their lembi. Next, they defeated the Illyrians on land, allowing them to advance into the heart of Illyrian territory. Once there, they secured the surrender of enemy cities mostly through negotiation rather than direct assault. Gentius concentrated his remaining forces near his capitalShkodra,a well-fortified city situated in a strong natural position. When Anicius approached with his army in battle formation, the Illyrians fled into the city in panic. Gentius asked for, and was given, a three-day truce hoping that Caravantius would come at any moment with a large relieving army: but that it did not happen. After his defeat, Gentius sent two envoys from among the prominent tribal leaders, Teuticus[13]and Bellus, to negotiate with the Roman commander.[14][15][16]On the third day of the truce, Gentius came to the Roman camp and surrendered to Anicius who gave him a dinner with full honours and then put him under arrest. The Illyrians in Shkodra surrendered and released the Roman envoys. The Roman army marched north ofScutari Lakewhere, at Meteon (present day Medun, Montenegro), they captured Gentius's queen Teuta, his brother Caravantius and his sons Scerdilaides and Pleuratus along with other leading Illyrians.

The fall of the Ardiaean State is transmitted byLivyin a ceremonial manner of the triumph of Anicius in Rome:

In a few days, both on land and sea did he defeat the brave Illyrian tribe, who had relied on their knowledge of their own territory and fortifications

This part of the campaign had only lasted thirty days. There were certainly further operations in the northern part of the Ardiaean State for Anicius placed garrisons in some towns, citadels and fortresses. These include the cities of Issa, Rhizon and Olcinium and the tribal states of the Daorsi and the Pirustae. Some came over to Rome on their own accord while other places such as Pharos were reduced by force and their property looted.[17]

Aftermath[edit]

The genus nameGentianawas named after Gentius as a tribute to him, as he may have been the discoverer of tonic properties ofGentiana lutea.[18]

Rome's triumph included the capture of many royal flags, other booty, the furniture of the king himself and the treasure mentioned above. Millions ofsecterciiwere gained from the sale of the booty, in addition to the gold and silver that went to the state treasury.

By decision of the Senate, Gentius and his family were sent toSpoletum,to be kept under observation. The other captives were imprisoned in Rome. But the inhabitants of Spoletum refused to keep the royal family under watch, so they were transferred toIguvium.The booty seized in Illyria included 220 vessels. By decree of the Senate, C. Cassius Longinus gave these vessels taken from Gentius to the inhabitants ofCorcyra,Appolonia and Epidamnus. The year of Gentius' death is not known but there are ruins of what is perhaps his tomb.[19]

The Roman punishment of Illyria spared only those koina that had backed Rome openly in the war. Those who had been enemies, their cities, buildings and public institutions were burned and thoroughly looted. Those spared retained their previous manner of administration, with officials elected every year, and paid Rome only half the taxes that they had previously paid to Gentius. The federation-basedkoinawere dissolved and each unit was recognized as a separatekoinon,enjoying local autonomy and often the right to mint its own coins.

While the southern Illyrian lands had been conquered once and for all, the Roman legions continued for about another hundred years with attempts to conquer the northern and eastern territories.

Probable continuance[edit]

The archaeologist Hasan Ceka has hypothesized that the name of one of the envoys of Gentius, Bellus might have been an incorrect transcription of Ballaeus (Ballaios). Although from the linguistic point of view this identification is very problematic, some have accepted the idea that Ballaois was the successor of Gentius, who had friendly relations with Rome. Ballaois was an Illyrian king only attested on his coins and ruled (perhaps 167–135 BC or other dates) of the Ardiaei.[20]Ballaios appears to have ruled after 168 BC at QueenTeuta's old stronghold,Rhizon.At the time the region was part of the Roman Republic and the Ardiaean kingdom had been dissolved since the time of Gentius. He had some sort of rivalry with Pharos. Whilst the abundance of his coinage in the region would suggest that he was a very influential figure there is no literary or historical evidence of his existence.

Legacy[edit]

Gentius on the 2,000 lekë banknote

Gentiana lutea,and by extension the rest of theGentianagenus, was named after Gentius, as a tribute as it was thought that he had found out that the herbs had tonic properties.[18]Gentius is depicted on thereverseof the Albanian 50lekëcoin, issued in 1996 and 2000,[21]and on theobverseof the 2000 lekë banknote, issued in 2008.[22]

See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toGentius.

References[edit]

  1. ^abcDzino 2010,p. xvii.
  2. ^Wilkes 1995,p. 189.
  3. ^abŠašel Kos 2007,p. 136.
  4. ^Shpuza & Dyczek 2015,p. 273.
  5. ^abŠašel Kos 2007,p. 137.
  6. ^Wilkes 1995,p. 85
  7. ^Hammond & Walbank 1988,p. 537
  8. ^Šašel Kos 2007,p. 127.
  9. ^Šašel Kos 2007,p. 138.
  10. ^May 1946,pp. 48–56.
  11. ^Polomé 1982,p. 870
  12. ^Wilkes 1995,p.?.
  13. ^A Latinised name. See "Before the State: Systemic Political Change in the West from the Greeks to the French Revolution Before the State: Systemic Political Change in the West from the Greeks to the French Revolution by Andreas Osiander", 2008,ISBN0-19-829451-4,page 259, "... a Latin adjectival suffix like -icus. This yields the word teuticus, which around the turn of the millennium is indeed attested..."
  14. ^Épire, Illyrie, Macédoine: mélanges offerts au professeur Pierre Cabanes
  15. ^Rome and the Mediterranean: Books XXXI-XLV of the History of Rome from its Foundation,ISBN0-14-044318-5,1976, page 560, "... of the gate. This inspired such panic in the town that Gentius at once sent to the praetor two spokesmen, Teuticus and Bellus, leading men of that nation, to beg a truce so that the king might take council about the..."
  16. ^Wilkes 1995,p.?
  17. ^A History of Macedonia: Volume III: 336-167 B.C. by N. G. L. Hammond, F. W. Walbank
  18. ^abJepson 1975,p. 763.
  19. ^"LacusCurtius • Iguvium (Gubbio) — the Roman Mausoleum".
  20. ^Šašel Kos 2007,p. 137, 145.
  21. ^Bank of Albania.Currency:Albanian coins in circulation, issue of 1995, 1996 and 2000Archived2009-03-06 at theWayback Machine.– Retrieved on 23 March 2009.
  22. ^Bank of Albania- Currency:Banknotes in circulationArchivedFebruary 26, 2009, at theWayback Machine.– Retrieved on 23 March 2009.

Bibliography[edit]

Gentius
Born:UnknownDied:167 BC
Preceded by King of the Labeatai
181–168 BC 		Succeeded by
Roman rule
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gentius&oldid=1234842284"