Editing Albania (section)

=== Antiquity ===
{{Main|History of Albania#Antiquity|l1=Antiquity in Albania}}

[[File:The City and the Prokletije from the castle.jpg|thumb|right|Founded in the 4th century BC, the city of [[Scodra]] was the capital of the [[Illyrian kingdom]] of [[Ardiaei]] and [[Labeatae]].]]

The incorporated territory of Albania was historically inhabited by [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European people]]s, amongst them numerous [[Illyrian tribes|Illyrian]] and [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirote]] tribes. There were also several [[Greek colonization|Greek colonies]]. The territory referred to as [[Illyria]] corresponded roughly to the area east of the [[Adriatic Sea]] in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] extending in the south to the mouth of the [[Vjosë]].<ref>The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes, 1996, {{ISBN|978-0-631-19807-9}}, page 92, "Appian's description of the Illyrian territories records a southern boundary with Chaonia and Thesprotia, where ancient Epirus began south of river Aoous (Vjose)" [https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C&pg=PR20 also map]</ref><ref>Cambridge University Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=0qAoqP4g1fEC&pg=PA266 ''The Cambridge ancient history'']. 2000. {{ISBN|0-521-23447-6}}, page 261,"...&nbsp;down to the mouth of Aous"</ref> The first account of the Illyrian groups comes from [[Periplus of the Euxine Sea]], a Greek text written in the 4th century BC.<ref name=wilkes/> The [[Bryges]] were also present in central Albania, while the south was inhabited by the Epirote [[Chaonians]], whose capital was at [[Phoenice]].<ref name=wilkes/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Boardman|first1=John|last2=Hammond|first2=Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière|title=The Cambridge Ancient History: The Expansion of the Greek World, Eighth to Six Centuries B.C|location=Cambridge, United Kingdom|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1982|isbn=0-521-23447-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0qAoqP4g1fEC |page=284}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=David Malcolm|last2=Boardman|first2=John|title=The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 6: The Fourth Century BC|location=Cambridge, United Kingdom|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1994|isbn=0-521-23348-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vx251bK988gC |pages=430, 434}}</ref> Other colonies such as [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]] and [[Epidamnos]] were established by Greek city-states on the coast by the 7th century BC.<ref name=wilkes>{{cite book|last=Wilkes|first=John|title=The Illyrians|location=Oxford, United Kingdom|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=1995|isbn=0-631-19807-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C |pages=94, 96, 104}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Nigel Guy|title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece|location=New York, New York and Oxford, United Kingdom|publisher=Routledge (Taylor & Francis)|year=2006|isbn=978-0-415-87396-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-aFtPdh6-2QC |page=594}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Chamoux|first=François|title=Hellenistic Civilization|location=Oxford, United Kingdom|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=2003|isbn=0-631-22242-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nafU9ADpCwcC|page=97}}</ref>

[[File:Parku Arkeologjik i Apollonisë 04.jpg|thumb|left|[[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]] was an important [[Colonies in antiquity#Greek colonies|Greek colony]] on the [[Illyria]]n coast along the [[Adriatic Sea]] and one of the western points of the [[Via Egnatia]] route, that connected Rome and [[Constantinople]].]]

The Illyrian [[Taulantii|Taulanti]] were a powerful Illyrian tribe that were among the earliest recorded tribes in the area. They lived in an area that corresponds much of present-day Albania. Together with the Dardanian ruler [[Cleitus (son of Bardylis)|Cleitus]], [[Glaucias of Taulantii|Glaucias]], the ruler of the Taulantian kingdom, fought against [[Alexander the Great]] at the [[Siege of Pelium|Battle of Pelium]] in 335 BC. As the time passed, the ruler of Ancient Macedonia, [[Cassander|Cassander of Macedon]] captured Apollonia and crossed the river [[Shkumbin|Genusus]] ({{Langx|sq|Shkumbin}}) in 314 BC. A few years later Glaucias laid siege to Apollonia and captured the Greek colony of [[Epidamnos]].<ref>Justin, ''Epitome'', 17.3</ref>

The Illyrian [[Ardiaei]] tribe, centred in Montenegro, ruled over most of the territory of northern Albania. Their [[Ardiaean Kingdom]] reached its greatest extent under [[Agron of Illyria|King Agron]], the son of [[Pleuratus II]]. Agron extended his rule over other neighbouring tribes as well.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hammond |first1=Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière |last2=Walbank |first2=Frank William |date=1 January 1972 |title=A History of Macedonia: 336–167 B.C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qpb3JdwuDQIC |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=978-0-19-814815-9}}</ref> Following Agron's death in 230 BC, his wife, [[Teuta]], inherited the&nbsp;Ardiaean kingdom. Teuta's forces extended their operations further southwards to the&nbsp;Ionian Sea.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jackson-Laufer |first=Guida Myrl |date=1 January 1999 |title=Women Rulers Throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9791576070917 |url-access=registration |publisher=ABC-CLIO |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9791576070917/page/382 382]–383 |isbn=978-1-57607-091-8}}</ref> In 229 BC, Rome declared war<ref>{{Cite book |title=The History of Rome |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j74oAAAAYAAJ |publisher=D. Appleton & Company |date=1 January 1846 |page=259}}</ref> on the kingdom for extensively plundering Roman ships. The war ended in Illyrian defeat in 227&nbsp;BC. Teuta was eventually succeeded by&nbsp;[[Gentius]]&nbsp;in 181&nbsp;BC.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Illyrians |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C |publisher=Wiley |date=9 January 1996 |isbn=978-0-631-19807-9 |first=John |last=Wilkes |page=189}}</ref> Gentius clashed with the Romans in 168&nbsp;BC, initiating the [[Third Illyrian War]]. The conflict resulted in Roman conquest of the region by 167&nbsp;BC. The Romans split the region into three administrative divisions.<ref>Marjeta Šašel Kos, "The Illyrian King Ballaeus – Some Historical Aspects", ''Épire, Illyrie, Macédoine: Mélanges offerts au professeur Pierre Cabanes'', ed. Danièle Berranger (Clermont-Ferrand: Presses Universitaires Blaise Pascal, 2007), 127.</ref>