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ILLYRICUM

(Gk. Illyrikón)

A large mountainous Roman province in the northwestern Balkan Peninsula. Illyricum incorporates the territory along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea from Macedonia to Italy and west to the Danube River. The exact boundaries of the territory fluctuated over time. Ancient Illyrian tribes had the reputation of being wild, and they often took up piracy. The Greeks attempted unsuccessfully to colonize the coast from the 6th century b.c.e., thwarted by both geography and the native people. The name of the region comes from one of the first tribes encountered by the Greeks.

The Illyrians were defeated but not subdued by Philip II of Macedon. The Romans incorporated the full area into the empire in the 1st century c.e. under Tiberius (14-37), but it had taken them 250 years to subjugate the Illyrians, including two wars (229-28 and 219 b.c.e.). In 148-47 the southern districts were united for a time with Roman Macedonia and were thus under Macedonian jurisdiction. Augustus made Illyricum a senatorial province in 27 b.c.e. and an imperial province in 11 b.c.e. In the 1st century c.e. it was divided into the provinces of Pannonia in the north and Dalmatia in the south.

Paul claims to have “fulfilled” the gospel of Christ in the geographic circle from Jerusalem to Illyricum (Rom. 15:19), but it is unclear whether he preached in the province or whether it was the eastern boundary of his missionary activity. Illyricum is probably again referred to when Paul indicates to Timothy that Titus is working in Dalmatia (2 Tim. 4:10).

Bibliography. S. Casson, Macedonia, Thrace and Illyria (1926, repr. Westport, Conn., 1971), 287-327; J. Knox, “Romans 15 14-33 and Paul’s Conception of His Apostolic Mission,” JBL 83 (1964): 1-11.

Richard S. Ascough

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ILLYRICUM

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)