The Autariatae or Autariatai (alternatively, Autariates; grc, Αὐταριᾶται, ''Autariatai''; la, Autariatae) were an
Illyrian people that lived between the valleys of the
Lim and the
Tara, beyond the
Accursed Mountains, and the valley of
West Morava. Their territory was located inland from the
Ardiaei and the
Lake Skodra, extending east to the
Dardani
The Dardani (; grc, Δαρδάνιοι, Δάρδανοι; la, Dardani) or Dardanians were a Paleo-Balkan people, who lived in a region that was named Dardania after their settlement there. They were among the oldest Balkan peoples, and their ...
and north or northeast to the
Triballi
The Triballi ( grc, Τριβαλλοί, Triballoí, lat, Triballi) were an ancient people who lived in northern Bulgaria in the region of Roman Oescus up to southeastern Serbia, possibly near the territory of the Morava Valley in the late Iron ...
.
Along with the Ardiaei and the Dardani, the Autariatae are mentioned by
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...
in his ''
Geographica'' as one of the three strongest Illyrian peoples in the pre-
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
Balkans. Following defeat during the
Celtic invasions of the Balkans in the 4th century, a part of the Autariatae who remained in Bosnia
adopted Celtic culture later in their history. Another part moved southwards and after an agreement with the
Kingdom of Macedonia
Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...
, 20,000 settled in the
Parorbelian mountain range, in the borderlands between modern southeastern North Macedonia, northern Greece and southwestern Bulgaria.
Name
An Illyrian people named Αὐταριᾶται, ''Autariatai'' was firstly recorded in the
''Periplus'' of Pseudo-Skylax dating back to the middle of the 4th century BC. According to a mythological tradition reported by
Appian (2nd century AD), the Autariatae descended from a common progenitor called
Autarieus, one of the sons of
Illyrius, the eponymous ancestor of all the
Illyrian peoples. The name ''Autariatae'' has been connected to the
hydronym and
oronym ''Tara''. The
Tara river and
Tara mountain are both considered to have been located in Autariatan territory.
History
The Autariatan communities unified into a single political entity that can be called with the collective name Autariatae in the period 6th – 4th centuries BC. They began to expand eastward into territories controlled by the
Triballi
The Triballi ( grc, Τριβαλλοί, Triballoí, lat, Triballi) were an ancient people who lived in northern Bulgaria in the region of Roman Oescus up to southeastern Serbia, possibly near the territory of the Morava Valley in the late Iron ...
. Moreover, they expanded southward where they defeated the
Ardiaei, their old rivals, in struggles for control over pastures and salty springs. Activities of the Autariatae at the turn of the 6th and 5th centuries BC profoundly influenced the peoples who were directly affected by their expansion. The
Ardiaei were moved toward the coasts and the
Triballi
The Triballi ( grc, Τριβαλλοί, Triballoí, lat, Triballi) were an ancient people who lived in northern Bulgaria in the region of Roman Oescus up to southeastern Serbia, possibly near the territory of the Morava Valley in the late Iron ...
to the east. The expansion of the Autariatae enabled them to achieve hegemonic control over one part of the interior of the Balkan Peninsula. The leading class of the Autariatae society reached the peak of its political and economic development indicated through many great luxurious royal tumuli and graves created during the 5th century BC.
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...
’s comment on the Autariatae as "the once greatest and most powerful Illyrian people" most likely refers to this period. Their peak of development was followed by the gradual decline of the Autariatae ending in 310 BC with their sudden disappearance due to
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foo ...
migrations.
As reported by ancient historian
Arrian, the Autariatae were one of the three Illyrian tribes that made war against
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
during his
335 BC campaign. Although modern historians usually assume that the Autariatae and the southern Illyrians were undertaking a joint attack against the Macedonians, it is not explicitly stated by Arrian. Arrian reports that Alexander receaved news of a revolt undertaken by the Illyrian chieftain Cleitus, aided by
Glaukias, king of the
Taulantii, while the Autariatae were preparing to ambush the main force of Macedon during Alexander's absence. Macedonian ally
Langarus, king of the
Agrianes, with Alexander's appproval invaded the territory of Autariatae preventing their attack to Macedon. Alexander did not wait the end of Langarus' conflict, but instead quickly moved southward. Langarus took by surprise the Autariatae and plundered their land. After his victory, Langarus returned to his kingdom with rich spoils. According to a modern interpretation, Arrian's account concerning Autariatae's aim to attack Macedonia was likely introduced into writing as a pretext to justify Langaru's raid against Autariatae. The Agrianian king's demand to raid and pillage the Autariatae would have been granted by Alexander because the Macedonian king considered him a trustworthy ally. Arrian mentions in his accounts that the Autariate were a tribe without a king. He also states that Langarus described them as "the least warlike" prople, on the other hand this statement is contradicted by
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...
's accounts, which describe the Autariatae as an expanding tribe of conquerors.
Appian (95 – 165) writes that the
Ardiaei were destroyed by the Autariatae and that in contrast to the Autariatae had maritime power. He also reports that the Autariatae were punished by
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
for raiding the
Pythian Oracle together with the Celtic
Cimbri
The Cimbri (Greek Κίμβροι, ''Kímbroi''; Latin ''Cimbri'') were an ancient tribe in Europe. Ancient authors described them variously as a Celtic people (or Gaulish), Germanic people, or even Cimmerian. Several ancient sources indicate ...
, after which moment they migrated to the lands of the
Getae near the tribe of
Bastarnae. This could be an explanation why the Autariatae "disappear" after 310 B.C., according to Wilkes. The ancient geographer, Strabo, lists the Autariatae as one of the three strongest tribes - the other two being the
Ardiaei and the
Dardanii.
The Autariatae and the Celtic
Scordisci
The Scordisci ( el, Σκορδίσκοι) were a Celtic Iron Age cultural group centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus (Sava), Dravus (Drava), Margus (Morava) and Danube rivers. They were historically ...
are thought to have merged into one tribe in the Lower Morava valley, after 313 BC, since excavations show that the two groups made burials at the same exact grave field in
Pecine, near
Kostolac. Nine graves of Autariatae dating to 4th century BC and scattered Autariatae and
Celtic graves around these earlier graves show that the two groups mixed rather than made war and this resulted in the lower Morava valley becoming a
Celto-
Thraco
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...
-Illyrian interaction zone.
Culture
A standard practice of the Autariatae entailed killing their weak and wounded. This was meant to prevent meek individuals from falling into the hands of their enemies. This practice perhaps was motivated by the superstitious belief that the enemy, by drinking the blood of prisoners and by eating parts of their bodies containing their virtues, would become even stronger and acquire a special power over the entire community of the Autariatae.
The Autariatae left a legacy of material wealth. So far, more than 100 castle ruins were identified to have been inhabited by the Autariatae, as well as thousands of tumuli in which they had been buried. Movable materials (mostly jewelry and weapons) reveal all specific features associated with the ethno-cultural originality of the Autariatae. The Autariatae established a continuous tradition of manufacturing metal and ceramic products. Artifacts consisting of metal sheets with luxurious golden and silver belts of Mramorac type indicate the complexity of this tradition.
The Autariatae are a classic example of a "highland" people who also show all the characteristics of a "highland" mentality (i.e. preservation of old beliefs). Case in point, the Autariatae have strongly maintained their burial customs of burning the dead in tumuli, which did not change until the end of the
Glasinac culture. Archaeological remains indicate that the religious life of the Autariatae was influenced by both their ancestor cult and the cult of their solar god. One can find the numerous evidence of the solar cult throughout the territories once controlled by the Autariatae. The Autariatae economy was based on cattle breeding, metalwork, handicraft and trade. Because of its need for
Greek and
Italic goods, this Illyrian tribe was one of the biggest trade partners of the western and central Balkans to both Greek and Italic traders between the 7th and 6th centuries BC.
See also
*
List of ancient Illyrian peoples and tribes
*
List of ancient tribes in Illyria
References
Bibliography
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{{Tribes of Serbia
Illyrian tribes
Ancient tribes in Albania
Ancient tribes in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ancient tribes in Kosovo
Ancient tribes in Montenegro
Ancient tribes in North Macedonia