Grabus (also Grabos; ; ruled c. 358–356 BC) was an
Illyrian king
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
who reigned in southern
Illyria
In classical and late antiquity, Illyria (; , ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; , ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyrians.
The Ancient Gree ...
in the 4th century BC.
Biography
According to a historical reconstruction, Grabus belonged to the
Grabaei
The Grabaei (also Kambaioi; ) were a minor Illyrians, Illyrian tribe who lived near Lake Skadar. They were mentioned by Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD).
History
After Philip II of Macedon defeated Bardylis (358 BC), the Grabaei, under Grabos II, ...
, an Illyrian tribe mentioned by
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...
(23–79 AD), although the tribe may have been incorporated into the
Taulantii
Taulantii or Taulantians ('swallow-men'; Ancient Greek: , or , ; ) were an Illyrians, Illyrian people that lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria (modern Albania). They dominated at various times much of the plain between the rivers Dri ...
realm of which Grabus became king. It has been further conjectured that after
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon (; 382 BC – October 336 BC) was the king (''basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...
defeated
Bardylis
Bardylis or Bardyllis (; ; –358 BC) was an Illyrian
king, and the founder of the first attested Illyrian dynasty. During his reign, Bardylis aimed to make Illyria a regional power interfering with Macedon. He united many southern Illyrian ...
(c. 358 BC), the Grabaei, under Grabus, became the most powerful tribe in Illyria.
In 356 BC, Athens formed an alliance with Grabus,
Paeonian
In antiquity, Paeonia or Paionia () was the land and kingdom of the Paeonians (or Paionians; ).
The exact original boundaries of Paeonia, like the early history of its inhabitants, are obscure, but it is known that it roughly corresponds to m ...
king
Lyppeius
Lyppeius () was king of the ancient kingdom of Paeonia from 359/8 until his death around 335 BC. He succeeded the first known Paeonian king, Agis, under unknown circumstances and may have been his son, but this is only speculation.
The maj ...
, and
Thracian
The Thracians (; ; ) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Southeast Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied the area that today is shared between north-eastern Greece, ...
king
Cetriporis
Cetriporis (), also known as Ketriporis, an anthroponym from the Thracian language, was a king of the Odrysian kingdom in western Thrace from c. 357-356 BC, in succession to his father Berisades, with whom he may already have been a co-ruler. He ...
against Philip. Some months later the three northern kings were defeated by Philip's general
Parmenion
Parmenion (also Parmenio; ; 400 – 330 BC), son of Philotas, was a Macedonian general in the service of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great. A nobleman, Parmenion rose to become Philip's chief military lieutenant and Alexander's ...
, while the Athenians were otherwise engaged in the
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans and Anatolia, and covers an area of some . In the north, the Aegean is connected to the Marmara Sea, which in turn con ...
.
[Hammond, N. G. L., ''Philip of Macedon'', Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994, p. 33.]
See also
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List of rulers of Illyria
The Illyrians (; ) were a conglomeration of Indo-European peoples and tribes in the Balkan Peninsula, Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Illyrian language and practiced a multitude of common religious and cultural practices. Many Illyrian group ...
References
Bibliography
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{{Illyrians
Illyrian kings
4th-century BC monarchs
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown