Taulantii or Taulantians were an Illyrian people that lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria. They dominated at various times much of the plain between the Drin and the Aous. The centre of Taulantian kingdom is likely to have been in the area of Tirana, in the hinterland of Dyrrah/Epidamnus. The Taulantii are among the oldest attested Illyrian peoples, who established a powerful kingdom in southern Illyria.
Name
An Illyrian people named Taulantii was firstly recorded in written sources by ancient Greek writer Hecataeus of Miletus in the 6th century BC. The Taulantii are often mentioned in the works of ancient writers describing the numerous wars they waged against the Macedonians, the Epirotes, and the ancient Greek colonies on the Illyrian coast. The term taulantii is connected with the Albanian word , or tallandushe, meaning "swallow". The name Chelidones also reported by Hecateus is the translation of the name Taulantii as khelīdṓn means "swallow" in Ancient Greek.
History
The Taulantii are one of the most anciently known Illyrian group of tribes. They lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria, dominating at various times much of the plain between the Drin and the Aous. In earlier times the Taulantii inhabited the northern part of the Drin river; later they lived in the sites of Dyrrah and Apollonia. Taulantian arrival at the site of Dyrrah is estimated to have happened not later than the 10th century BC. After their occupation of the site, Illyrian tribes most likely left the eastern coast of the Adriatic for Italy departing from the region of Dyrrah for the best crossing to Bari, in Apulia. When they settled in the area of Dyrrah, it seems that the Taulantii replaced the previous inhabitants, the Bryges. About the 9th century BC the Liburni expanded their dominion southwards, and took possession of the site expelling the Taulantii. In the 7th century BC the Taulantii invoked the aid of Corcyra and Corinth in a war against the Liburni. After the defeat and expulsion from the region of the Liburni, the Corcyreans founded in 627 BC on the Illyrian mainland a colony on the headland Dyrrah, mixing with the local population and establishing the Greek element to the port. The city was called Epidamnus, thought to have been the name of a barbarian king of the region. A flourishing commercial centre emergend and the city grew rapidly. Business relations with the Illyrians of the hinterland were conducted by the poletes. The Taulantii continued to play an important role in Illyrian history between the 5th and 4th–3rd centuries BC. They significantly influenced the affairs of the city, especially in the internal conflicts between aristocrats and democrats. When the democrats seized power, their opponents sought help from the Illyrians. In 435 the Illyrians besieged the city in strength, and through the occupation of the surrounding region, they caused much damage to the economy of the city. When describing the Illyrian invasion of Macedonia ruled by Argaeus I, somewhere between 678–640 BC, the historian Polyaenus recorded the oldest known king in Illyria, Galaurus or Galabrus, a ruler of the Taulantii who reigned in the latter part of the 7th century BC. However nothing guarantees the authenticity of Polyaenus' passage. In the well attested historical period, the Taulantian kingdom seems to have reached its acme during Glaucias' rule, in the years between 335 BC and 302 BC. After Glaucias' rule, the Taulantian territory likely were absorbed partly by Pyrrhus in the Epirotan state and partly by other Illyrian realms established in southern Illyria.
