Histri

The Histri or from Istria (Latin Histrii ) were an ancient tribe that (lat. Histria ) and the northerly adjacent land inhabited the peninsula of Istria. 177 BC their territory was conquered by the Roman army and incorporated into the Empire.

Settlement area

The area of ​​the Istrian peninsula comprised named after them, but enough at least temporarily beyond. Archaeologists found artifacts in the Istrian territory of Trieste and west of it, as in the southern part of Carniola. In the west, bordering the territory of the Istrian to which the Veneti, in the north were their neighbors, the Celtic tribes, the Northeast and the Iapoden somewhere between the present towns of Opatija and Rijeka pushed the Istrian territory to the territory of the Bishopric. For the period around 200 BC, the Roman historian Titus Livius know of three cities ( oppida ) report to the Istrian: Nesactium, the location in the south of the peninsula capital, also Mutilla and Faveria. Nesactium, which was also an important Roman settlement later, is archaeologically well researched. It is located 10 kilometers east of Pula at today's Town Vizače / Valtura.

Language

The language of the Istrian is largely unknown, there are only a few place names and some personal names survived. Because of the few material, some researchers want to identify a close linguistic relationship with the Veneti, others Illyrian with the Liburni. Relatively safe seems that the Istrian not among the Celtic peoples.

History

Istria was at the edge of the Greek world. The Greeks founded in this region only a few small trading posts, such as Aegida ( in Koper) and Emonia (now Novigrad ). The Istrian had at that time but is fairly intense trade relations with the Greeks, as can be proven by numerous finds of Greek pottery.

At the turn of the 5th from the 4th century BC, Celtic tribes were one to Istria. However, they could be either repulsed or integrated by the local population, because the culture of Istrian continues seamlessly.

In the second half of the 3rd century BC, the Istrian first appear in the written tradition. This is due to the expansion of the Roman north of the Po together, whereby the Istrian peninsula became the field of interest of Rome. The ancient writers described the Istrian as skillful navigator and as a dreaded pirate, a stereotype that she offerings almost all Illyrian tribes on the eastern Adriatic coast, whether rightly or wrongly. In any case of piracy the Istrian were the reasons for the Romans, as they 221 BC undertook an expedition to the peninsula of Istria after the conquest of the Veneto region. Rome was victorious in a short time, but gave up the occupation of Istria. At that time, the Senate balked back before a conquests east of the Adriatic, trying to control those areas indirectly. It is believed that the Romans during their expedition an important Istrian coastal fortress on the site of the destroyed where it 150 years later founded the colony of Pola.

In order to protect their conquests in the north, the Romans put to the colony of Aquileia. The Istrian saw this foundation as a threat to their independence and tried the new city in 181 BC to destroy, but were repulsed. Three years later, the Senate decided again to send out an army against the Istrian to one to eliminate the problem in the Northeast and for all.

The Istrian were of her only known by name king, Epulo ( Aepulo ) cited. Livy characterizes him as a wild hard fighter, who took power in Istria, as you get there prepared to defend against the Romans. After some initial difficulties, the Romans were able to 178 BC win a complete victory under their consul Aulus Manlius Vulso. After a long siege, finally, the capital Nesactium was taken. King Epulo and many Istrian committed suicide to avoid falling into the hands of the Romans. Mutilla and Faveria contributed some time resistance and were therefore razed to the ground after the conquest by the Romans. The victory was celebrated in Rome with a two days -long festival.

A large part of the Istrian population was led away into slavery. The Romans began from 177 BC to create many fortified bases on the coast of the peninsula. It seems as if the Istrian had not yet been completely subdued at this time, so that the strong military presence was necessary. Roman military settlements ( coloniae or municipia ) did not exist in the initial phase of the Roman Empire. By the middle of the 1st century BC, it was mainly Roman merchants who were active in Istria and with the local population in the shadow of castles traded. ( The Istrian coast was one of the endpoints of the coming from Central Europe Amber Road, the main trade route between the Baltic and Adriatic Sea, in the course was also the erzreiche Noricum. )

When Julius Caesar in 58 BC was awarded over Gaul and Illyricum the governorship, Istria also fell in its sphere of influence. During this time the Roman colonization of the country began. A third of the country was declared a state property ( ager publicus ) and output to Roman citizens. This provoked minor revolts of the Istrian, which the Romans but were quickly Lord. There now began the rapid Romanization of Istria. To 50 BC Pula is re-established as a Roman colony Pietas Iulia. Pliny the Elder called the oppidum in his Naturalis Historia Nesactium as municipium. It had the typical for devices: the Romans had built temples and baths and created a forum. Under Augustus and Tiberius Istria, a region of Italy. All free inhabitants of Istria were since Roman citizens.

Until the period of the principality into but traces of the Istrian culture remained, demonstrating the continued existence of this people tribe. Autochthonous deities were worshiped further. The important goddess Magna Mater Deorum - a statue from the 2nd century AD, is preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Istria in Pula - for example, Istrian origin. Many place names in the region have the Istrian origin still see Trieste ( Tergestum ), Buzet / Pinguente ( Piquentum ) Pićan / Pedina ( Petina ), Labin / Albona ( Albona ) and Plomin / Fianona ( Flanona ).

Ancient sources

  • Titus Livy: Ab urbe condita, VI ,40 -41.
  • Pliny: Naturalis Historia, III, 19
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