The Cavii were an Illyrian tribe. They lived close to
Lake Shkodër. Their main settlement was
Epicaria
Epicaria (Ancient Greek: Ἐπικάρια) or Durnium was a settlement in ancient Illyria, of the Illyrian tribe called the Cavii.The classical gazetteer: a dictionary of ancient geography, sacred and profane by William Hazlitt, 1851, "Epicaria ...
, which is thought to be probably located around modern-day
Pukë
Pukë ( sq-definite, Puka) is a town and municipality in northern Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Gjegjan, Pukë, Qelëz, Qerret and Rrapë, that became municipal units. Th ...
. They are occasionally mentioned by ancient writers.
Gentius
Gentius (, ''Génthios''; 181–168 BC) was an Illyrian king who belonged to the Labeatan dynasty. He ruled in 181–168 BC, being the last attested Illyrian king. He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept positive relations with Rome. ...
the Illyrian king during the
third Illyrian war
The Illyrian Wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Illyrian kingdom under the Ardiaei and Labeatae. In the ''First Illyrian War'', which lasted from 229 BC to 228 BC, Rome's concern was that the trade across the Adri ...
sent his half-brother
Caravantius Caravantius, an Illyrian, was half brother to Gentius, the last Illyria
In classical and late antiquity, Illyria (; , ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; , ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerou ...
, detaching 1,000 infantry and 50 horsemen, attacked the
Cavii, failing to capture one of their cities while ravaging the fields of the city of Caravandis.
References
{{Reflist
Illyrian tribes