Teuta facts for kids

Teuta was a powerful queen who ruled the Ardiaei tribe in an ancient land called Illyria. She was a queen regent, which means she ruled for her young stepson, Pinnes, after her husband, King Agron, passed away. Teuta ruled from about 231 BC to 228 or 227 BC.

During her time as queen, Teuta continued her husband's plans to expand their kingdom in the Adriatic Sea. This led to problems with the Roman Republic, especially because of Illyrian pirates who were attacking trade ships. When one of Rome's ambassadors was killed by these pirates, Rome decided to declare war on Teuta in 229 BC. She lost the First Illyrian War in 228 BC and had to give up some of her land and pay money to Rome. However, she was allowed to keep a smaller part of her kingdom north of a city called Lissus (which is now Lezhë).

It's important to know that the old stories about Teuta were written by Greek and Roman authors. These writers often didn't like Illyrians or their queen, so their accounts might not be completely fair.

Becoming Queen of Illyria

After her husband, King Agron, died in 231 BC, Teuta became the ruler of the Ardiaean Kingdom. She acted as a regent for her stepson, Pinnes, who was still very young. The exact size of their kingdom isn't fully known, but it stretched along the Adriatic coast from what is now central Albania up to the Neretva river. They also controlled much of the land inland.

According to an ancient historian named Polybius, Teuta quickly started causing trouble for neighboring countries. She told her commanders to treat everyone as enemies. She also supported her people in their raids as pirates. These pirate attacks became a big problem for Roman trade ships in the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea. This was the first time Roman forces crossed the Adriatic Sea to deal with issues in this region.

Early Reign and Pirate Troubles

In 231 BC, Teuta's armies attacked areas in Greece called Elis and Messenia. On their way back home, they captured a rich Greek city named Phoenice. This city was a major trading center with Italy. The city was later freed after a payment was made and prisoners were released. Taking over a city, not just raiding the countryside, showed that the Illyrians were becoming a bigger threat to both Greeks and Romans.

While the Illyrians were in Phoenice, some of their pirates attacked so many Italian merchant ships that the Roman Senate had to act. They sent two ambassadors to Teuta's capital city, Scodra. Their job was to ask for reparations (payment for damages) and demand that all pirate attacks stop.

When the Roman ambassadors arrived, Queen Teuta was celebrating a victory over an internal Illyrian rebellion. Her armies were also getting ready to attack the Greek island city of Issa. Teuta promised that her royal forces wouldn't harm the Romans. However, she said that piracy was a traditional custom for Illyrians, and she couldn't stop her people from doing it. She even suggested that it was against the custom of Illyrian kings to stop their subjects from taking "booty from the sea."

One of the Roman envoys reportedly got very angry and told Teuta that Rome would make it its business to "improve relations between sovereign and subject in Illyria." He added that Rome had a custom of punishing those who did wrong and helping those who were wronged.

After this meeting, one of the ambassadors was killed on his way back to Rome. Some stories say Teuta ordered it, while others suggest pirates captured and killed him and the other ambassador before they even met Teuta. Either way, when Rome heard about the death, they prepared for war. They gathered soldiers and ships.

War with Rome

In 229 BC, Rome officially declared war on Illyria. This was the first time Roman armies crossed the Adriatic Sea to enter the western Balkans. A large Roman army of about 20,000 troops, 200 cavalry units, and a fleet of 200 ships was sent to conquer Illyria. This force was led by Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus and Lucius Postumius Albinus.

The Roman attack seemed to surprise Teuta. She had sent most of her ships on a large naval mission against the Greek colony of Corcyra in the winter of 229 BC. When the 200 Roman ships arrived at Corcyra, Teuta's governor, Demetrius, betrayed her. He surrendered the city to the Romans and then helped them for the rest of the war. After the war ended in 228 BC, the Romans made him governor of Pharos and the nearby coasts.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Roman army landed further north at Apollonia. The combined army and navy moved north, conquering one town after another. Eventually, they surrounded Teuta's capital, Scodra. Teuta herself had gone to a strong, well-placed city called Rhizon, which was the main base for the Illyrian fleet.

In the spring of 228 BC, Teuta made a peace treaty. She agreed to pay Rome money every year and to rule only a small area north of Lissus (modern Lezhë). She also promised not to sail beyond Lissus with more than two unarmed ships. Some accounts say she also had to accept that Rome was the final authority. According to another historian, Cassius Dio, she gave up her throne later in 227 BC.

Legacy

Teuta is still remembered today. There's a legend in the modern town of Risan that Teuta, sad after her defeat, threw herself from the Orjen mountains at Lipci. Her name, Teuta, is a common given name for women in modern Albanian culture. An Albanian sports club, Teuta Durrës, is also named after her.

Images for kids

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  Teuta on the back of an Albanian coin (100 Lek).

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  A modern statue of Teuta with her stepson Pinnes in Tirana, Albania.

See also

In Spanish: Teuta de Iliria para niños