Daesitiates were an

Illyrian tribe This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria ( grc-gre, Ἰλλυρία; la, Illyria). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks ...

that lived on the territory of today's

central Bosnia Central Bosnia (, ) is a central subregion of Bosnia, which consists of a core mountainous area with several basins, valleys and mountains. It is bordered by Bosnian Krajina to the northwest, Tropolje ( Livno area) to the west, Herzegovina to t ...

, during the time of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

. Along with the

Maezaei Mazaei or Maezaei (Ancient Greek: Μαζαῖοι/Μαιζαῖοι) were a sub-tribe of the Illyrians, autochthonous to the interior of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, settled mainly in the Sana river basin, the middle course of Vrbas, and around ...

, the Daesitiates were part of the western group of

Pannonians This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria ( grc-gre, Ἰλλυρία; la, Illyria). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks ...

Roman Dalmatia Dalmatia was a Roman province. Its name is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Dalmatae, which lived in the central area of the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It encompassed the northern part of present-day Albania, much of C ...

. They were prominent from the end of the 4th century BC up until the beginning of the 3rd century CE. Evidence of their daily activities can be found in literary sources, as well as in the rich material finds from

Central Bosnian cultural group Central Bosnian culture () was a Bronze and Iron Age cultural group. This group, which ranged over the areas of the upper and mid course of the rivers Vrbas (to Jajce) and Bosna (to Zenica, but not including the Sarajevo plain), constituted an ...

that is commonly associated with tribe of Daesitiates.

Etymology

The name is thought to be connected to the Illyrian word for ''ram''. It is also believed that it may derive from the

Proto-Albanian The Proto-Albanian language is the unattested language from which Albanian later developed. Albanian evolved from an ancient Paleo-Balkan language, traditionally thought to be Illyrian, or otherwise a totally unattested Balkan Indo-European ...

term for ram, ''*dalša''

History

The

Daesitiates lived on the territory of today's central Bosnia, during the time of the Roman Republic, and along with the

, they were part of the western group of

. Because the Daesitiates were present during Roman rule in the western Balkans, their name can be found in many inscriptions and historical works of ancient writers. During the 19th century, scientific interest in the Daesitiates materialized whereby research was focused in parts of Upper Bosnia. However, all research efforts have yet to provide a complete analysis of the Daesitiates. They were one of the main components of the Illyrian ethno-cultural complex that stretched from the southern

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...

to the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

in the north. The capital of the tribe could be in the modern day town of Breza located in central part of

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

. They developed cohesive community that was characterized by clearly defined political, social and economic structures. Because of their favorable geographical position and rich ore deposits and fertile land they played significant role among neighboring Illyrian tribes. They have developed a degree of cultural unity and several organized centres.

Roman Empire

After nearly three centuries of political independence, the Daesitiates (and their polity) were conquered by Roman Emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

. Afterwards, the Daesitiates were incorporated into the province of Illyricum with a low total of 103 ''decuriae''. Ultimately, the widening gap between the Roman government and its subjects in Illyricum led to the

Great Illyrian revolt The (Latin for 'War of the Batos') was a military conflict fought in the Roman province of Illyricum in the 1st century AD, in which an alliance of native peoples of the two regions of Illyricum, Dalmatia and Pannonia, revolted against the Roma ...

, which began in the spring of 6 AD. The Daesitiates were the first to revolt under the leadership of

Bato the Daesitiate Bato the Daesitiate (also known as Bato of the Daesitiates) was a chieftain of the Daesitiates, an Illyrian tribe which fought against the Roman Empire between 6 and 9 AD in a conflict known as '' Bellum Batonianum'' ("Bato's War"). Biography ...

and were soon joined by the Breuci. Other natives were recruited to fight against the

Marcomanni The Marcomanni were a Germanic people * * * that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian. Origin ...

while the rebellion swiftly overtook enormous areas of the western Balkans and the Danube region. The four-year war, which lasted from AD 6 to 9, saw huge concentrations of Roman forces in the area, (on one occasion 10 legions and their auxiliaries in a single camp), with whole armies operating across the western

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and fighting on more than one front. The role of the Daesitiates in the rebellion was immense, which contributed to their ultimate disappearance in subsequent Romanization that followed. Their identity in the later antiquity was transformed into municipal identities and a provincial Dalmatian identity.

Archeological sites

Roman_period_tribes_in_Illyria_and_Lower_Pannonia

Considerable number of remains of fortifications, villages and settlements were left behind. Some of them were partly investigated by archaeological excavations during which numerous

necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...

and tombs were discovered such as fortifications in the

Lašva Valley The Lašva Valley ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Lašvanska dolina, Лашванска долина) is a 17 kilometers long valley in central Bosnia, defined geographically by the Lašva River's route. It is a tributary of the Bosna River. The Lašva River bas ...

, Gradine near

Kiseljak Kiseljak (Кисељак) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the valley of the Fojnica River, the Lepenica and the Kreševka ...

, Gradine in Sarajevo Field, archeological site of Kamenjak. However, most significant site was found in Bugojno, called Gradina Pod. It is characterized by urban-type settlements located close to large arable land complexes and contained high level of residential architecture.

References

Bibliography

* * Andrijana PRAVIDUR - Prilog poznavanju metalurških središta željeznodobnih naselja Srednje Bosne u svijetlu novih istraživanja – Zemaljski muzej Bosne i Hercegovine, Sarajevo, 2011 *

External links

The Daesitiates: The Identity-construct between contemporary and ancient perceptions

Roman conquest of the Sarajevo Region and its consequences on the example of urbanism and Early Christian (Late Antique) architecture

Salmedin Mesihovic – Ilirike – Illyrian nations Autariates and DaesitiatesRoman wolf and Illyrian snake, Last Battle
Salmedin Mesihović, 2011 ''(in Bosnian)''
Ancient Illyrians of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Ardian Adzanela
{{Illyrians Illyrian tribes Illyrian Bosnia and Herzegovina Ancient tribes in Bosnia and Herzegovina Tribes conquered by Rome Tribes conquered by the Roman Republic