The Thunatae (
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
: Θουνᾶται) were a
Dardani
The Dardani (; grc, Δαρδάνιοι, Δάρδανοι; la, Dardani) or Dardanians were a Paleo-Balkan people, who lived in a region that was named Dardania after their settlement there. They were among the oldest Balkan peoples, and their ...
an tribe, along with the
Galabri The Galabri (Ancient Greek: Γαλάβριοι) were a Dardanian tribe, along with the Thunatae, mentioned by Strabo.; .
Name
The tribe is mentioned by Ancient Greek author Strabo in his '' Geographica'' as ''Galabrioi''. The tribal name ''Ga ...
, mentioned by
Strabo. The Thunatae are mentioned as neighbors of the
Maedi
The Maedi (also ''Maidans'', ''Maedans'', or ''Medi''; grc, Μαῖδοι or Μαιδοί) were a Thracian tribe in antiquity. In historic times, they occupied the area between Paionia and Thrace, on the southwestern fringes of Thrace, along t ...
, a
Thracian
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...
tribe.
[; .]
Name
The tribe is mentioned by
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
author
Strabo in his ''
Geographica'' as ''Thunatai''. The tribal name ''Thunatae/Thunatai'' has been connected to the
Messapic name ''
Daunioi/Daunii'' in
Apulia (south-eastern Italy).
Geography
According to Strabo the Thunatae were a Dardanian tribe who bordered with the Thracian
Maedi
The Maedi (also ''Maidans'', ''Maedans'', or ''Medi''; grc, Μαῖδοι or Μαιδοί) were a Thracian tribe in antiquity. In historic times, they occupied the area between Paionia and Thrace, on the southwestern fringes of Thrace, along t ...
in the east.
It has been suggested that the Thunatae may have been a Thracian people or probably strongly influenced by the neighbouring Thracians. However Strabo explicitly considers the Thunatae as a Dardanian people, also separating them from the Thracian tribe Maedi, hence from the
Thracians
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...
. Strabo's account provides evidence that in their eastern territory the Dardanians bordered the Thracians.
See also
*
Dardania (Roman province)
Dardania (; grc, Δαρδανία; la, Dardania) was a Roman province in the Central Balkans, initially an unofficial region in Moesia (87–284), and then a province administratively part of the Diocese of Moesia (293–337). It was named after ...
*
List of ancient tribes in Illyria
This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria ( grc-gre, Ἰλλυρία; la, Illyria). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
{{Tribes of Serbia
Dardanians
Illyrian tribes
Thracian tribes
Ancient tribes in Bulgaria
Ancient tribes in Kosovo
Ancient tribes in North Macedonia
Dardania (Roman province)
Illyrian Kosovo
Illyrian North Macedonia