Pleuratus I (
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...
: Πλευρᾶτος; ruled 356335 ) was an
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...
n king of the Illyrian tribe of the
Taulantii
Taulantii or Taulantians ('swallow-men'; Ancient Greek: , or , ; la, Taulantii) were an Illyrian people that lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria (modern Albania). They dominated at various times much of the plain between the rivers ...
. Pleuratus was the father of
Glaucias. Pleuratus managed to defeat
philip II during
Macedon's expansion, wounding the Macedonian king in the right leg.
Military activities
In 344 BC,
Philip II had inherited from his father a quarrel with the Illyrians and found no means of reconciling his disagreement. Philip therefore invaded the Taulantii State with a large force, devastated the countryside, captured many cities and towns and returned to Macedonia laden with booty. After Philip's reduction of the Grabaei, Pleuratus, in a losing effort, tried to thwart Philip's advances in
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...
and succeeded in wounding one hundred and fifty of his
elite corps and Hippostratus the son of Amyntas, in their pursuit of Pleuratus. Philip himself was wounded and lost part of his close group of friends, the hetairoi, contenting himself with the possession of the eastern Illyrian province of Dassaretia. Philip's advances into the Taulantii State ceased by coming to peace terms with Pleurtaus.
After this conflict the Taulantii State of Pleuratus was limited only to the lands along the
Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the 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 ...
. However, this state continued an anti-Macedonian policy down to 335 BC when Glaucias and
Cleitus rebelled against Alexander the Great.
[Isocrates (5,21)]
See also
*
List of rulers of Illyria
The Illyrians, ; la, Illyrii}) were a conglomeration of Indo-European peoples and tribes in the Balkan Peninsula, Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Illyrian language and practiced a multitude of common religious and cultural practices. Many o ...
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pleuratus I
Illyrian royalty
4th-century BC rulers
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown