Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/23

E:IENT AND CHARACTER OF THE ILLYRIANS. 5 banian Schkipetars, in whom probably their blood yet flows, though with considerable admixture from subsequent emigrations. Of the Illyrian kingdom on the Adriatic coast, with Skodra (Scu- tari) for its capital city, which became formidable by its reckless piracies in the third century B.C., we hear nothing in the flourishing period of Grecian history. The description of Skylax notices in his day, all along the northern Adriatic, a considerable and standing traffic between the coast and the interior, carried on by Liburnians, Istrians, and the small Grecian insular settlements of Pharus and Issa. But he does not name Skodra, and prob- ably this strong post together with the Greek town Lissus, founded by Dionysius of Syracuse was occupied after his time by conquerors from the interior, 1 the predecessors of Agron and Gentius, just as the coast-land of the Thermaic gulf was con- quered by inland Macedonians. Once during the Peloponnesian war, a detachment of hired Illyrians, marching into Macedonia Lynkestis (seemingly over the pass of Skardus a little east of Lyclmidus, or Ochrida), tried the valor of the Spartan Brasidas ; and on that occasion as in the expedition above alluded to of the Epirots against Akarnania we shall notice the marked superiority of the Grecian character, even in the case of an armament chiefly composed of helots newly enfranchised, over both Macedonians and Illyrians, we shall see the contrast between brave men acting in concert and obedience to a common authority, and an assailing host of warriors, not less brave individually, but in which every man is his own master, 2 and fights as he pleases. The rapid and impet- uous rush of the Illyrians, if the first shock failed of its effect, was succeeded by an equally rapid retreat or flight. We hear nothing afterwards respecting these barbarians until the time of Philip of Macedon, whose vigor and military energy first repress- ed their incursions, and afterwards partially c nquered them. It seems to have been about this period (400-350 B.C.) that the 1 Diodor. xv, 13; Polyb. ii, 4. 2 See the description in Thucydides (iv. 124-128) ; especially the exhon tation which he puts into the mouth of Brasidas, avroKparup ftu,x^ contrasted with the orderly array of Greeks. " niyriorum velocitas ad excursiones et impetus subitos." ( Livy, xxxi, 35.*