The Ilienses or Iolaes or Ilians or Iolai ();Strabo, Geography, 5.2
/ref>Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Iolai
/ref> later known as Diagesbes (Διαγησβεῖς) or Diagebres (Διαγηβρεῖς)

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

Geographica The ''Geographica'' (, ''Geōgraphiká''; or , "Strabo's 17 Books on Geographical Topics") or ''Geography'', is an encyclopedia of geographical knowledge, consisting of 17 'books', written in Greek in the late 1st century BC, or early 1st cen ...

V, 2,7. were an ancient Nuragic people who lived during the

Bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

and

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

s in central-southern

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

, as well as one of the three major groups among which the ancient

Sardinians Sardinians or Sards are an Italians, Italian ethno-linguistic group and a nation indigenous to Sardinia, an island in the western Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean which is administratively an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special st ...

considered themselves divided (along with the Corsi and the Balares). After the

Sicilian Wars The Sicilian Wars, or Greco-Punic Wars, were a series of conflicts fought between ancient Carthage and the List of ancient Greek cities, Greek city-states led by Syracuse, Sicily, Syracuse over control of Sicily and the western Mediterranean b ...

began with the Punic invasion in the sixth century BC, part of them retreated to the mountainous interior of the island, from which they opposed the foreign rule for centuries.

History

Mythological origins

According to the legend recorded by Greek historians, the etymology of their name (Iolaes) is to be traced back to

Iolaus In Greek mythology, Iolaus (; Ancient Greek: Ἰόλαος ''Iólāos'') was a Theban divine hero. He was famed for being Heracles' charioteer and squire, and for helping with some of his Labors, as well as for being one of the Argonauts. Fa ...

, the hero who led the ''Thespiades'', sons of

Heracles Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...

and the daughters of

Thespius In Greek mythology, Thespius (; Ancient Greek: Θέσπιος ''Théspios'') or Thestius (; Ancient Greek: Θέστιος) was a legendary founder and king of Thespiae, Boeotia. His life account is considered part of Greek mythology. Biography Th ...

(king of the Boeotian city-state of

Thespiae Thespiae ( ; ) was an ancient Greek city (''polis'') in Boeotia. It sits at the foot of Mount Helicon and near right bank of the Thespius River (modern name Kanavari River). Thespiae was a Boeotian state sporadically involved in the military fe ...

) in Sardinia, where he founded a colony. Another myth tell that the old inhabitants of Ilium, better known as

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

, after the fall of the city established themselves in this part of Sardinia (where they mixed with the Iolaes), hence the name of Ilienses.

Pomponius Mela Pomponius Mela, who wrote around AD 43, was the earliest known Roman geographer. He was born at the end of the 1st century BC in Tingentera (now Algeciras) and died AD 45. His short work (''De situ orbis libri III.'') remained in use nea ...

considered the Ilienses as the oldest people of the island. .

Nuragic period

Despite the myth, they were most likely a tribal group indigenous to the island. According to the archaeologist Giovanni Ugas, the Ilienses were the most important population of Nuragic Sardinia and were connected with the

Sherden The Sherden (Egyptian: ''šrdn'', ''šꜣrdꜣnꜣ'' or ''šꜣrdynꜣ''; Ugaritic: ''šrdnn(m)'' and ''trtn(m)''; possibly Akkadian: ''šêrtânnu''; also glossed "Shardana" or "Sherdanu") are one of the several ethnic groups the Sea Peoples wer ...

, one of the

Sea Peoples The Sea Peoples were a group of tribes hypothesized to have attacked Ancient Egypt, Egypt and other Eastern Mediterranean regions around 1200 BC during the Late Bronze Age. The hypothesis was proposed by the 19th-century Egyptology, Egyptologis ...

widely cited in

Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

ian sources. This hypothesis has been, however, opposed by other archaeologists and historians.

Eduardo Blasco Ferrer Eduardo Blasco Ferrer (Barcelona, 1956 – Bastia, 12 January 2017) was a Spanish-Italian linguist and a professor at the University of Cagliari, Sardinia. He is best known as the author of several studies about the Paleo-Sardinian and Sardinian ...

correlates their name with the Iberian root ''*ili-'', meaning settlement. In the nuragic period their territory extended from the plain of

Campidano Campidano () is a plain located in South-Western Sardinia (Italy), covering approximately 100 kilometres between Cagliari and Oristano. Geography Geologically, it is a graben, a tectonic structure formed in the mid-Pliocene/early Pleistocene ...

(called in antiquity ''Iolean plain'') to the Tirso river in north where began the territory of the Balares. They were probably divided into 40 tribes, each ruled by a king or chieftain. These rulers lived in the complex

nuraghi The nuraghe, or nurhag, is the main type of ancient megalithic Building, edifice found in Sardinia, Italy, developed during the History of Sardinia#Nuragic period, Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 BC. Today it has come to be the symbol of ...

, called "polilobates", such as

Su Nuraxi Su Nuraxi is a Nuragic archaeological site in Barumini, Sardinia, Italy. ''Su Nuraxi'' simply means "The Nuraghe" in Campidanese, the southern variant of the Sardinian language. Su Nuraxi is a settlement consisting of a seventeenth century B ...

Barumini Barumini () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of South Sardinia in the Italian region of Sardinia, located about north of Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and ...

. In what was once their territory, very important are the findings of Mycenaean artifacts, confirming the wealth of exchanges between these two ancient populations. Of particular interest are also the

Oxhide ingot Oxhide ingots are heavy (20–30 kg) metal slabs, usually of copper but sometimes of tin, produced and widely distributed during the Mediterranean Late Bronze Age (LBA). Their shape resembles the hide of an ox with a protruding handle in ea ...

, which perhaps came from

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

and was discovered in various locations, including the

Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...

area, in the province of Ogliastra and other central areas. Between 1300 and 1200 BC in central-southern Sardinia was produced a kind of gray pottery also called "gray Sardinian"; remains of this type of pottery have been found in Kommos, Crete, and at Cannatello near

Agrigento Agrigento (; or ) is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. Founded around 582 BC by Greek colonists from Gela, Agrigento, then known as Akragas, was one of the leading cities during the golden ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

Punic and Roman period

As witnessed by the ancient sources (

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...

, ''

Bibliotheca historica ''Bibliotheca historica'' (, ) is a work of Universal history (genre), universal history by Diodorus Siculus. It consisted of forty books, which were divided into three sections. The first six books are geographical in theme, and describe the h ...

'' and Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'') since the sixth century BC this population opposed fiercely to the domination of

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

. After the end of the

First Punic War The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the early 3rd century BC. For 23 years, in the longest continuous conflict and grea ...

in 238 BC the Romans occupied the main strongholds of the Punic Sardinia, but the people of the interior opposed even to the new invaders. In 227 BC, Corsica and Sardinia became the second

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

(the first was Sicily). The outbreak of the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...

and the victories of

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

in the Italian Peninsula provoked new stirrings of rebellion in Sardinia where, after the Roman defeat at the

Battle of Cannae The Battle of Cannae (; ) was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Ancient Carthage, Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy. The Carthaginians and ...

, the Sardinian-Punic landowner and military Hampsicora, helped by the Carthaginians and by Ilienses, organized a new uprising. In 215 BC the rebels were defeated and massacred in the battle of Decimomannu by Titus Manlius Torquatus and so

lost the island definitively. In Roman times the Ilienses and the Balares of the interior continued to resist, but in 177 BC they were heavily defeated by the consul

Tiberius Gracchus Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (; 163 – 133 BC) was a Roman politician best known for his agrarian reform law entailing the transfer of land from the Roman state and wealthy landowners to poorer citizens. He had also served in the ...

who killed or enslaved about 80,000 Sardinians. However still in imperial time they were not completely subjugated by

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and continued to live relatively independently in the central region called Barbagia.

Ilienses / Iolaes tribes (Iolei)

Source: * Acconites (Acconiti) * Aechilenenses / Aichilenses (Aichilensi) / Cornenses / Cornenses Pelliti * Aesaronenses / Aisaronenses (Esanorensi) * Alcitani ( Alkitani) * Alticientes ( Altikientes) / Altic(ienses) * Barbaricini ( Barbarikini) (in the region later known as Barbagia) * Beronicenses ( Beronikenses) (Beronicensi) * Bulgares ( Ilienses Bulgares) * Campani ( Patulcenses Campani) * Caralitani ( Carales, today's

, was in their territory) * Carenses, they dwelt south of the Coracenses and north of the Salcitani and the Lucuidonenses. * Celes(itani) / Celsitani, they dwelt south of the

Rucensi The Rucensi were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III, 3). They dwelt south of the Æchilenenses The Æchilenenses also called the Cornenses and Æchilenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy Claudius Ptol ...

and north of the Scapitani and the Siculensi. * Corpicenses, they dwelt south of the

and north of the Scapitani and the Siculensi. * Cunusitani / Cusin(itani), they dwelt south of the Coracenses and north of the Salcitani and the Lucuidonenses. * Euthychiani ( Euthicani) (they were not a tribe of the Balares) * Fifenses * Galillenses (Galillesi) * Hypsitani * Ilienses ( Ilienses Proprii) / Iolei (Iolei Proprii) / Pelliti / Sardi Pelliti * Lesitani * Maltamonenses * Martenses *

Mauri Mauri (from which derives the English term "Moors") was the Latin designation for the Berber population of Mauretania, located in the west side of North Africa on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Mauretania Tingitana and Mauretania Caesarien ...

(Paleo-Sardinian tribe) ( Mauri Ilienses), in an area of far southwestern Sardinia (they may have been a tribe related to or of

origin that was assimilated by the Ilienses ( Iolei)) * Moddol(...) * Muthon(enses) * Neapolitani, they dwelt north of the

Sulcitani The Solcitani (also called the Sulcitani), were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III, 3). They dwelt at the extreme south part of the island, immediately south of the Neapolitani and the Valentini (ancient people), Valentini. Their ...

and the Noritani. * Noritani / Norenses, they dwelt at the extreme south part of the island, immediately south of the Neapolitani and the Valentini (not to be confused with the Nurritani or Nurrenses) * Nurrenses ( Nurensi) (not to be confused with the Norenses or Noritani) * Parati * Patulcenses (not to be confused with the Patulcii or Patulci) * Patulcii / Patulci (not to be confused with the Patulcenses) * Rubrenses / Rubri / Rubrinses * Rucenses (Rucensi), they dwelt south of the

Æchilenenses The Æchilenenses also called the Cornenses and Æchilenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music the ...

(also called Cornenses) and north of the Celsitani and the Corpicenses * Salcitani (Salkitani), they dwelt south of the Carenses and the Cunusitani and north of the

Æsaronenses The Æsaronenses or Aesaronenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III, 3). They dwelt south of the Salcitani and the Lucuidonenses and north of the Æchilenenses The Æchilenenses also called the Cornenses and Æchilenses ...

. * Sarrapitani * Scapitani, they dwelt south of the Celsitani and the Corpicenses and north of the Neapolitani and the Valentini * Semilitenses (Semilitensi) / Maltamonenses (Maltamonensi) * Siculenses (Siculesi), they dwelt south of the Celsitani and the Corpicenses and north of the Neapolitani and the Valentini. (may have been a tribe of

Siculian Siculian (or Sicel) is an extinct Indo-European language spoken in central and eastern Sicily by the Sicels. It is attested in fewer than thirty inscriptions in eastern Sicily from the late 6th century to 4th century BCE, and in around twenty-five ...

or Sicel origin assimilated by the Ilienses or Iolei) * Sossinates (Sossinati) *

/ Solcitani, they dwelt at the extreme south part of

, immediately south of the Neapolitani and the Valentini * Uterini * Uthicenses / Uthikenses / Othocenses * Valentini, they dwelt south of the Scapitani and the Siculensi and north of the Solcitani and the Noritani. * Vitenses * ..arri uisiaru

References

Bibliography

* {{cite book , first=Giovanni , last=Ugas , title=L'Alba dei Nuraghi , location=Cagliari , year=2005 , publisher=Fabula editrice , isbn=88-89661-00-3 Ancient peoples of Sardinia Tribes conquered by Rome