Geopolitical position and administrative affiliation of the Iapodes in the Roman province of Dalmatia

Abstract

The Romans specified the Iapodes as one of the most bellicose indigenous communities. Nevertheless, the preserved works of Roman authors show that even the Romans were aware that the Iapodes were, in fact, an alliance of smaller communities. The Romans gave a generic name to this alliance based on their experience in warfare and their knowledge of their territory. In terms of topic, this paper is divided into three units. The first part addresses the question of a fragmentary identity of the Iapodian communities based on literary and epigraphic sources and literature analysis. Using the same methodology, the second part analyses the problem of the position and number of the Iapodes in Conventus Scardonitanus. In the last part, using the example of the Iapodian communities whose assumed territory was in the valley of the Una River, shows the existence of a separate local identity especially manifested through the role of the elites.