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Bardyllis of the Illyrians (also attested as Bardylis in Ancient Greek sources: Βάρδυλις, Βάρδυλιν, Βάρδυλλις, and Latin language Bardulis) was a Dardanii king who ruled from 385 to 358 BC and founded the Illyrian Dynasty.

Name & Etymology

Polybius calls him "Βάρδυλλις ο των Ίλλυριων" and Cicero calls him "Bardullis Illyrius". The name Bardylis is equated traditionally with the Albanian words i bardhë meaning "white" and yll meaning "star".

Life

He was a collier by profession. Coal was sought for its carbon-based energy. During his time, this profession was one of the most profitable because it was the only source of energy that was used to melt metals, a primary source of weaponry. He would become king of the Dardanians, an Illyrian tribe.

Bardhyll took land from the Macedonians (Greeks), killing Perdiccas and expelling Amyntas. In 385 BC, the Molossians were attacked by Illyrians allied with and aided by Dionysius of Syracuse to place Alcetas that was a refugee in his court to the throne. Dionysius planned to control all the Ionian Sea. Sparta had intervened as soon as the events became known and expelled the Illyrians who were led by Bardyllis. Despite being aided by 2000 Greek hoplites and five hundred suits of Greek armour, the Illyrians were defeated by the Spartans led by Agesilaus but not before ravaging the region and killing 15,000 Molossians.

Grabos became the most powerful Illyrian king after the death of Bardyllis in 358 BC. Bardyllis had a grandson named Cleitus the Illyrian, a daughter named Bircenna, and a son named Bardyllis II. Bardyllis was ultimately killed by Phillip of Macedon in battle after he offered peace based on retaining conquered lands (this was rejected by Phillip).

See also

• Illyrian warfare
• List of rulers of Illyria
• Baraliris
• Bardyllis II

References

1. Diodorus Siculus. Library. Book 16.4.4.1.
2. Libanius. Rhetorics. Orations 1–64, Oration 57.52.9.
3. ^ Polybius. Historiae. Book 38.6.4.2.
4. Cicero De off.II 40,"Bardullis Illyrius"
5. The Illyrians: history and culture History and Culture Series Author Aleksandar Stipčević Editor Aleksandar Stipčević Edition illustrated Publisher Noyes Press, 1977 ISBN 0-8155-5052-9, 9780815550525 Length 291 pages, page 48
6. Epirus: the geography, the ancient remains, the history and topography of Epirus and adjacent areas Author Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond Edition braille Publisher Clarendon P., 1967 University of Michigan Length 847 pages, page 278
7. Cicero De off.II 40,"Bardullis Illyrius"
8. An Albanian historical grammar Author Stuart Edward Mann Publisher Buske, 1977 ISBN 3871182621, 9783871182624 p.iii link
9. Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 120, ISBN 0-631-19807-5.
10. Borza, Eugene N. In the Shadow of Olympus: The Emergence of Macedon, 1990, p. 180, ISBN 0-691-00880-9. Amyntas had barely seized the throne in 394/3 when he found his kingdom under attack by a powerful Illyrian force, probably led by Bardylis, king of the Dardanii.
11. Buckley, Terry. Aspects of Greek History 750–323 BC: A Sourced-Based Approach, 1996, p. 469, ISBN 0-415-09957-9. A decisive victory over the Illyrians and their king Bardhullë led to their total withdrawal from Macedonian territory.
12. Orrieux, Claude. A History Of Ancient Greece, 1999, p. 256, ISBN 0-631-20309-5. Perdiccas III (368–359) tried to reconquer upper Macedonia from the Illyrians under Bardylis, but the expedition ended in disaster, with the king killed.
13. Buckley, Terry. Aspects of Greek History 750–323 BC: A Sourced-Based Approach, 1996, p. 468, ISBN 0-415-09958-7. King Perdiccas and 4,000 Macedonians had been killed in battle by the Illyrians under their king Bardylis.
14. Whitehorne, John. Cleopatras, 2001, p. 27, ISBN 0-415-26132-5. ...only to see his newly won kingdom invaded by a powerful group of Illyrian tribes led by Bardylis. Chased from Macedon and lacking the necessary strength to expel the Illyrians unaided, it is surely no coincidence that Amyntas...
15. Hammond, N. G. L. A History of Greece to 322 B.C., 1986, p. 479, ISBN 0-19-873095-0. ...Molossi, Alcetas, who was a refugee at his court, Dionysius sent a supply of arms and 2,000 troops to the Illyrians, who burst into Epirus and slaughtered 15,000 Molossians. Sparta intervened as soon as they had learned of the events and expelled the Illyrians, but Alcetas had regained his...
16. Hammond, N. G. L. A History of Greece to 322 B.C., 1986, p. 470, ISBN 0-19-873095-0. Sparta had the alliance of Thessaly, Macedonia, and Molossia in Epirus, which she had helped to stave off an Illyrian invasion.
17. Diodorus Siculus. Library, Book 15.13.1.
18. Boardman, John. The Cambridge Ancient History, 1923, p. 428, ISBN 0-521-23348-8. Bardyllis who seize power and set himself up as king of the Dardani...Forming and alliance with Dionysius tyrant of Syracuse he killed 15,000 Molossians.
19. Harding, Philip. From the End of the Peloponnesian War to the Battle of Ipsus, 1985, p. 93, ISBN 0-521-29949-7. Grabos became the most powerful Illyrian king after the death of Bardylis in 358.
20. The Ancient Library — Bardyllis
21. "The Journal of Hellenic Studies by Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies (London, England)", 1973, p. 79. Cleitus was evidently the son of Bardylis II the grandson of the very old Bardylis who had fallen in battle against Phillip II in 385 BC.
22. Woodward, B. B. Encyclopedia of Great Events, Places and Personalities, 1993, p. 175, ISBN 81-85066-57-4. "BARDYLIS, king of, defeated and killed by Philip of Macedonia, 359 — CLEITUS, his son, revolts from Alexander and is subdued.
23. Borza, Eugene N. In the Shadow of Olympus: The Emergence of Macedon, 1990, p. 202, ISBN 0-691-00880-9. The Illyrian king Bardylis offered peace based upon a status quo, but Philip insisted on an Illyrian withdrawal from the region.

External links

• The Ancient Library — Bardyllis

• 358 BC deaths
• Illyrian royalty
• Dardanians (Balkan)
• History of Kosovo