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The Scordisci ( el, Σκορδίσκοι) were a
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 ...
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 notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era, and consolidated into a tribal state. At their zenith, their core territory stretched over regions comprising parts of present-day Serbia, Croatia,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Maced ...
and Romania, while their influence spread even further. After the Roman conquest in the 1st century AD, their territories were included into the Roman provinces of Pannonia, Moesia and Dacia.


Origin

The Scordisci were a
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 ...
group formed after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans, or rather a "Celtic political creation" having mixed with the local Thracians and
Illyrians The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, al ...
. Their tribal name may be connected to the '' Scordus'', the Šar Mountain. The personal names are noted to have been subsequently Illyricized, having South Pannonian–North Dalmatian influence. According to onomastic evidence, Scordiscan settlements to the east of the
Morava River Morava may refer to: Rivers * Great Morava (''Velika Morava''; or only Morava), a river in central Serbia, and its tributaries: ** South Morava (''Južna Morava'') *** Binač Morava (''Binačka Morava'') ** West Morava (''Zapadna Morava'') * Mor ...
were Thracianized. In parts of Moesia (''northeast
Central Serbia Central Serbia ( sr, централна Србија / centralna Srbija), also referred to as Serbia proper ( sr, link=no, ужа Србија / uža Srbija), is the region of Serbia lying outside the autonomous province of Vojvodina to the nor ...
'') the Scordisci and Thracians lived beside each other, which is evident in the archeological findings of pits and treasures, spanning from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century BC. The Scordisci were found during different timelines in Illyria, Thrace and Dacia, sometimes splitting into more than one group like the ''Scordisci Major'' and the ''Scordisci Minor''. Extensive La Tène type finds, of local production, are noted in Pannonia as well as northern
Moesia Superior Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alba ...
, attesting to the concentration of Celtic settlements and cultural contacts. However, such finds south of the Sava river are scarce. Patterson et al. 2022 analyzed one Late La Tène 150-50 BCE sample of a 25-35 male adult from grave which contained weaponry and dog skeleton in today's town of Osijek, Croatia. He carried the
Y-DNA haplogroup In human genetics, a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup is a haplogroup defined by mutations in the non- recombining portions of DNA from the male-specific Y chromosome (called Y-DNA). Many people within a haplogroup share similar numbers of s ...
R1b-V88 (> R-BY17643) and
mtDNA haplogroup In human genetics, a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup is a haplogroup defined by differences in human mitochondrial DNA. Haplogroups are used to represent the major branch points on the mitochondrial phylogenetic tree. Understanding the evolu ...
J1c12. In a three-way admixture model, he approximately had 53.5%
Early European Farmers Early European Farmers (EEF), First European Farmers (FEF), Neolithic European Farmers, Ancient Aegean Farmers, or Anatolian Neolithic Farmers (ANF) are names used to describe a distinct group of early Neolithic farmers who brought agriculture to E ...
, 38.3% Western Steppe Herders and 8.2%
Western Hunter-Gatherer In archaeogenetics, the term Western Hunter-Gatherer (WHG), West European Hunter-Gatherer or Western European Hunter-Gatherer names a distinct ancestral component of modern Europeans, representing descent from a population of Mesolithic hunter-g ...
-related ancestry.


Domain

The Scordisci were centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Sava,
Drava The Drava or Drave''Utrata Fachwörterbuch ...
and Danube rivers. The Scordisci consolidated into a tribal state. At their zenith, their core territory stretched over regions comprising parts of present-day Serbia, Croatia,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Maced ...
and Romania, while their influence spread even further.


Culture

The Romans reported that they had the custom of drinking blood and that they sacrificed prisoners to deities equated with the Roman
Bellona Bellona may refer to: Places *Bellona, Campania, a ''comune'' in the Province of Caserta, Italy * Bellona Reef, a reef in New Caledonia *Bellona Island, an island in Rennell and Bellona Province, Solomon Islands Ships * HMS ''Bellona'' (1760), a 7 ...
and Mars.


History


4th and 3rd century BC

Celtic expansion reached the Carpathians in the beginning of the 4th century BC. According to Livy, perhaps based on Celtic legend, the Celts that migrated to Italy and Illyria numbered 300,000. The Celts established themselves in Pannonia, subjugating the Pannonians, and in the end of the 4th century they renewed raids into the Balkans. By the early 3rd century BC, Pannonia had been Celtiziced. The Celts, retreating from Delphi (280–278 BC), settled on the mouth of the Sava and called themselves Scordisci. The Scordisci established control to the north of the Dardani. There is no mention of the Scordisci until the reign of Philip V of Macedon (r. 221–179 BC), when they emerge as Macedon allies against the Dardani and Rome. The Scordisci, having conquered the important Sava valley, the only route to Italy, in the second half of the 3rd century BC, "gradually became the most important power in the northern Balkans". They controlled the various Pannonian groups in the region, extracting tribute and enjoying the status of the most powerful group in the central Balkans (see the Triballi,
Autariatae 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 va ...
,
Dardanians Dardania, Dardanian or Dardanians may refer to ancient peoples or locations. People * Dardani, an ancient tribe in the Balkans * Dardanians (Trojan) (''Dardanoi''), a people closely related to the Trojans and believed to be related to the Dardani ...
and
Moesians In Roman literature of the early 1st century CE, the Moesi ( or ; grc, Μοισοί, ''Moisoí'' or Μυσοί, ''Mysoí''; lat, Moesi or ''Moesae'') appear as a Paleo-Balkan people who lived in the region around the River Timok to the south ...
), and they erected fortresses in Singidunum (today's city of
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 m ...
) and Taurunum (modern Zemun). They subjugated a number of groups in Moesia, including the Dardani, several west
Thracian tribes This is a list of ancient tribes in Thrace and Dacia ( grc, Θρᾴκη, Δακία) including possibly or partly Thracian or Dacian tribes, and non-Thracian or non-Dacian tribes that inhabited the lands known as Thrace and Dacia. A great number ...
and the
Paeonians Paeonians were an ancient Indo-European people that dwelt in Paeonia. Paeonia was an old country whose location was to the north of Ancient Macedonia, to the south of Dardania, to the west of Thrace and to the east of Illyria, most of their l ...
.


2nd century BC

The Scordisci most likely subdued the Dardani in the mid-2nd century BC, after which there was for a long time no mention of the Dardani. From 141 BC, the Scordisci were constantly involved in battles against Roman-held Macedonia. They were defeated in 135 BC. by Cosconius in Thrace. In 118 BC, according to a memorial stone discovered near Thessalonica, Sextus Pompeius, probably the grandfather of the triumvir, was slain fighting against them near
Stobi Stobi or Stoboi ( grc, Στόβοι, Stóboi; la, Stobi; mk, Стоби, Stobi), was an ancient town of Paeonia, later conquered by Macedon, and finally turned into the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris. It is located nea ...
. In 114 BC, they surprised and destroyed the army of
Gaius Porcius Cato Gaius Porcius Cato (before 157 BC – after 109 BC in Tarraco) was a Roman politician and general, notably consul in 114 BC. He was the son of Marcus Porcius Cato Licinianus and grandson of Cato the Censor. Initially a friend of the Gracchi ...
in the western mountains of Serbia, but two years later they were defeated by Marcus Livius Drusus (112 BC) and a few years later again by Minucius Rufus (107 BC). However, they did not give up their claim over Pannonia, since there is mention of their involvement in the second siege of Sisak in 119 BC.


1st century BC

They still, from time to time, gave trouble to the Roman governors of Macedonia, whose territory they invaded in combination with the Maedi and Dardani. They even advanced as far as Delphi and plundered the temple; but Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus finally overcame them in 88 BC and drove them across the Danube. After this, the power of the Scordisci declined rapidly. This decline was more a result of the political situation in barbaricum rather than the effects of Roman campaigns, as their clients, especially the Pannonians, became more powerful and politically independent. Between 56 and 50 BC, the Scordisci were defeated by
Burebista Burebista ( grc, Βυρεβίστας, Βοιρεβίστας) was the king of the Getae and Dacian tribes from 82/61BC to 45/44BC. He was the first king who successfully unified the tribes of the Dacian kingdom, which comprised the area loca ...
's
Dacians The Dacians (; la, Daci ; grc-gre, Δάκοι, Δάοι, Δάκαι) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often consi ...
, and became subject to him. They were crushed in 15 BC by Tiberius, and became Roman subjects, playing the part as mercenaries. Other sources say the Romans made alliance with the Scordisci in Sirmium and Danube valleys following the Alpine campaign under Tiberius in 15 BC, the alliance would be crucial for the victory over the Pannonians (15 BC) and later
Breuci 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 ...
(12 BC).


1st century AD

Strabo's '' Geographica'' (20 BC–23 AD) mentions that one subgroup of the Scordisci, the Major Scordisci, lived between the mouth of the Sava and mouth of the Morava, while the other subgroup, the Minor Scordisci, lived to the east of the Morava, bordering the Moesi and Triballi. They started receiving Roman citizenship during Trajan's rule (98–117 AD). With their Romanization, they ceased to exist as an independent ethno-political unit. "Autariatae had vanished long before the Roman conquest, and the Triballi, Scordisci and Moesi all declined to insignificant remnants, the Dardani endured."


Archaeological sites

* Singidunum (
Belgrade Fortress The Belgrade Fortress ( sr-Cyrl, Београдска тврђава, Beogradska tvrđava), consists of the old citadel (Upper and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan Park (Large and Little Kalemegdan) on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, in a ...
and
Karaburma Karaburma ( sr-cyr, Карабурма) is an urban neighborhood of the municipality of Palilula, Belgrade, Serbia. As of 2002, it has a population of 55,343 inhabitants. Name The name, Karaburma, is Turkish for ''black ring'' which is suppo ...
) * Taurunum ( Zemun) *Capedunum ( Užice)


Legacy

The Scordisci are regarded as the founders of Belgrade.


See also

*
Prehistoric Serbia The best known cultural archaeological discoveries from the prehistoric period on the territory of modern-day Serbia are the Starčevo culture, Starčevo and Vinča culture, Vinča Prehistoric Balkans, cultures dating back to 6400–6200 BC. Se ...
*
List of ancient tribes in Illyria 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 ...
*
List of ancient cities in Illyria This is a list of settlements in Illyria founded by Illyrians (southern Illyrians, Dardanians, Pannonians), Liburni, Ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire. A number of cities in Illyria and later Illyricum were built on the sites or close to the s ...
*
List of ancient tribes in Thrace and Dacia This is a list of ancient tribes in Thrace and Dacia ( grc, Θρᾴκη, Δακία) including possibly or partly Thracian or Dacian tribes, and non-Thracian or non-Dacian tribes that inhabited the lands known as Thrace and Dacia. A great number ...
*
Vatin culture The Vatin culture ( sr, Ватинска култура, Vatinska kultura / or sr, translit=Vatinska grupa, Ватинска група, label=none) is a name of an prehistoric Bronze Age culture, which was named after Vatin, a village in Serbi ...


References


Sources

* * * * * * * *


Further reading

* Jovanović, Borislav. "The Eastern Celts and their Invasions of Hellenistic Greece and Asia Minor". In: ''BALCANICA'' XLV (2014). pp. 25-36. DOI: 10.2298/BALC1445025J {{Tribes of Serbia Gauls Celtic tribes of Illyria Ancient tribes in Serbia Ancient tribes in Croatia Ancient history of Vojvodina History of Syrmia History of Banat History of Bačka Šar Mountains 3rd-century BC establishments 1st-century BC disestablishments Ancient tribes in Bulgaria Tribes conquered by the Roman Empire Tribes conquered by Rome