Liburnia

Liburnia in ancient geography was the land of the Liburnians, a region along the northeastern Adriatic coast in Europe, which is today part of Croatia, whose borders shifted according to the extent of Liburnian dominance at a given time between 11th and 1st century BC.

Early Liburnia

Liburnia was south of the Istrian peninsula along the Adriatic coast, though Liburnian dominance may have spread into eastern portions of Istria at times. In Hellenistic and Roman times, the river Titius (now the Krka) marked the southeastern boundary of Liburnia, dividing Liburnia from the southern lands of the Dalmatae. If the Greek "Katarbates" (literally, "Steeply-falling") river mentioned in the "Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax" (which may date back to the fourth century BC) is the Titius (Krka), then even in earlier times this river would have formed the southern limit of Liburnia. The inland limit of Liburnia toward the continental area of Iapydes was "Mons Baebius" (now Velebit range). The classical Liburnia included also the adjacent islands in northern Adriatic i.e. Krk (ancient "Curycta"), Rab ("Arba"), Cres ("Crepsa"), Lošinj ("Apsorus"), Pag ("Gissa"), Dugi ("Celadussa"), Sestrunj ("Sissa"), Škarda ("Scardagissa") and other minor ones.

Roman Liburnia

When the Romans later conquered the region, the delineation of Liburnia as a region became more settled. Liburnia was included in the Dalmatia province, and its main town was Scardona (now "Skradin") at Krka river estuary. Lucius Artorius Castus acted as "Procurator Centenarius" for the region in the late 2nd century after he retired from the Roman military, a reward for his dedicated service.

Medieval Liburnia

In AD 634 Heraclius invited the "Chrovates" or "Chrobati" (ancestors of the Croats), who lived on the north side of the Carpathians, in what is now southern Poland (or Galicia), to occupy the province as vassals of the Empire."Const. Porph. "de Admin. Imp." c. 31"] This connection with the Byzantine court, and their occupation of countries which had embraced Christianity in the Apostolic age (Titus was in Dalmatia in the time of St. Paul" "Il. Ep. Tim." iv. 10"] ), naturally led to the conversion of these Slavonian strangers as early as the seventh century." "Cf." Schafarik, "Slav. Alt." vol. ii. pp. 277-309; Neigebaur, "Die Sud-Slaven", pp. 224-244."] The first Croatian rulers had the official title "dux Croatiae et Liburniae". Then in later medieval times, the name Liburnia was used periodically in the eastern coast of Istria, and also in northern Dalmatian plain around Zadar. Recently this name of classical Liburnia almost disappeared from public use, and it is partly replaced by the newer Italian name "Quarnero" and Croatian synonym "Kvarner", covering the northern Adriatic islands and adjacent coast between Istria and Dalmatia. The old name of Liburnia persisted in literary use only, and as the name of some hotels and ships in the Adriatic.

References

*Batovic, Šime. "Die Eisenzeit aus dem Gebiet des illyrischen Stammes der Liburnen." Archaeologia Jugoslavica 6, 55, 1965.

*Sciavo, F. Lo. "Il gruppo liburnico-japodico." Atti della Accademia nazionale dei Lincei, Classe di Scienze morali, storiche e filologiche, 14, 363, 1970.

*Yoshamya, Mitjel & Yoshamya, Zyelimer. "Gan-Veyan: Neo-Liburnic glossary, grammar, culture, genom." Old-Croatian Archidioms, Monograph I, p. 1 - 1224, Scientific society for Ethnogenesis studies, Zagreb 2005.

Publications

* Friedrich Lübker, "Realllexikon des klassichen Altertums", volume ii (eighth edition, Leipzig, 1914); article, "Liburni"

ee also

* Liburnians
* Dalmatia
* Croatia
* Adriatic
* Ancient Rome