European Kingdoms

Iapyges (Italics / Illyrians)
Incorporating Apulians, Calabri, Salentini, Sallentini, Yapigi & Yapodi

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What are generally known as West Indo-European tribes arrived at the eastern edge of Central Europe around 2500 BC. Their northern group later became the proto-Celts of the Urnfield culture while the southern group seemingly migrated westwards and southwards, reaching Iberia, Illyria, and northern Italy.

Already further divided into semi-isolated tribes, they became more civilised in their habits and available forms of technology due to contact with southern Greeks and Etruscans. In the period between the eleventh to eighth centuries BC some of those groups in Illyria crossed by sea into the Italian peninsula and settled along the south-eastern coast.

Those who had entered peninsular Italy via the north Italian piedmont gradually migrated southwards to occupy much of the rest of eastern and central Italy. These tribes all formed part of a general group which are known as Italics, seemingly part of the main population of West Indo-Europeans prior to the emergence of Celtic culture.

The Iapyges (or Iapygians) group of Italics during the Italian Iron Age were located in the south-east. They were neighboured to the north by the Dauni, to the east by the Peucetii and Messapii, to the south by the Oenotri and the Greek colonists of Metapontum, and to the west by the Lucani and by the Hirpini, Caudini, and Pentri clans of the Samnites.

Unlike other Italic tribes in the rest of the peninsula, the Iapyges were probably of Illyrian origin, and/or possibly early Greeks. They are thought to have migrated into south-eastern Italy from the Balkans coast, probably crossing the Adriatic Sea at its narrowest point, from modern Albania.

This migration appears to have taken place between the eleventh and tenth centuries BC, with the Iapyges settling the western strip of Apulia, in a line to the north of Metapontum. Once there, and probably by the ninth century BC, they divided to form the Dauni, Messapii, and Peucetii tribes on their eastern flank.

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(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Edward Dawson, from Researches into the Physical History of Mankind, Vol 3, Issue 1, James Cowles Prichard, from An Historical Geography of Europe, Norman J G Pounds (Abridged Version), from The Roman History: From Romulus and the Foundation of Rome to the Reign of the Emperor Tiberius, Velleius Paterculus, J C Yardley, & Anthony A Barrett, from A Genetic Signal of Central European Celtic Ancestry, David K Faux, from The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, David W Anthony, from The History of Rome, Volume 1, Titus Livius (translated by Rev Canon Roberts), from The Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), from Encyclopaedia of the Roman Empire, Matthew Bunson (1994), and from External Links: The Messapic Language, and Verbix, and The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe (Nature), and Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe (Nature.com), and Indo-European Chronology - Countries and Peoples, and Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, J Pokorny, and Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, William Smith (1854, Perseus Digital Library), and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition), and L'Arbre Celtique (The Celtic Tree, in French), and Pleiades (Ancient World Mapping Center and Institute for the Study of the Ancient World).)

12th century BC?

Eponymous legendary founder of the tribe.

According to Greek legend, Iapyx, Daunius, and Peucetius are three sons of an Illyrian (Arcadian) king named Lycaon, who is himself the son of Pelasgos, ancestor of the Pelasgoi. They lead their people across the Adriatic Sea and into south-eastern Italy, where they settle, mixing in with the native pre-Italic population.

This map shows not only the greatest extent of Etruscan influence in Italy, during the seventh to fifth centuries BC, but also Gaulish intrusion to the north, which compressed Etruscan borders there (click or tap on map to view on a separate page)

The tribe fragments into at least four segments: the Iapyges, Dauni, Messapii, and Peucetii (and perhaps also the Oenotri). Subsequently, towns in the southern parts of the region are founded by the Greek colonists of Magna Graecia.

11th century BC

The settlement of Gnapia, first founded in the fifteenth century BC during the Italian Bronze Age, is invaded and settled by the Iapyges as they occupy large tracts of territory in south-eastern Italy.

8th century BC

With the beginning of the Italian Iron Age, signs of territorial variation begin to emerge, although the gradual differentiation between a western area, an eastern area, and an Alpine area will only acquire more consistency in the seventh century BC. This is the Golasecca I A period.

Objects which have been found in tombs in the Como region of Italy testify to the progressive opening up by the Golasecca people to exchanges with the transalpine world to the north and the central-Italic Etruscan area to the south

The Messapii appear to emerge with an identity of their own out of the Iapyges collective. Their southern town of Gnapia, as well as the entire region of Salento in the Italian 'heel', flourishes between now and the third century BC. It seems likely that the Dauni and Messapii also emerge with their own identity at this time.

500 BC

The Spartan Greeks of Tarentum (modern Taranto), located on the 'arch' of Italy's 'boot', defeat the Iapyges, Messapii, and Peucetii. This appears the be the first stage of a war which continues until 467 BC, but the Iapyges are not mentioned again in connection with it.

412 BC

The conclusion of the Second Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, and the defeat of the former city, sees many Athenian artisans emigrate to the colonies of Magna Graecia. They build new workshops and contribute to a flourishing of output, something which also influences the Iapyges and other tribes of the Apulia region.

Athenian black figure pottery began to be created around 630 BC, although the earlier date of about 700 BC is claimed for Corinth - by the 630s it was certainly the dominant form of pottery

325 - 304 BC

Rome fights the Second Samnite War against the Samnites in 325 BC. During this period the Marsi ally themselves to the Romans, while the Dauni, Iapyges, Lucani, Messapii, and Peucetii side with the Samnites.

When the Samnites are defeated, so are their allies, and all of them are subjugated by Rome. Roman authors know the Iapyges principally as the Apulians, Calabri, Salentini, or Sallentini. This period proves to be the end for the Golasecca culture within the Italian Iron Age.

218 - 202 BC

The Second Punic War is fought against Carthage. Rome is aided by its Etruscan, Picene, and Umbrian forces, but Italy is invaded by Hannibal Barca and a Roman army is massacred at the Battle of Cannae (in the heart of Peucetii territory), killing sixty thousand.

The final stages of the war in Italy are fought out at Monte Gargano, in the northernmost part of the modern region of Apulia and the heart of Dauni territory. When the Carthaginians withdraw, Rome is able to capture the ports of Brundisium (Brindisi, on the eastern coast) and Tarentum (Taranto), both of which border Messapii territory). This establishes full Roman dominion over the south-east of Italy.

Italo-Illyrian pottery was at its height between about 800-350 BC, albeit with significant Greek influences, and the vessels shown here date to the third quarter of that period, the 'Subgeometric II' of 550-450 BC

91 - 89 BC

Along with the Etruscans, Lucani, Marrucini, Marsi, Paeligni, Picentes, Samnites, and Vestini, the Iapyges fight the Social War (Italian War, or Marsic War) against Rome.

The war is the result of increasing inequality in Roman land ownership, and the spark for conflict is delivered by the assassination of the reforming Marcus Livius Drusus, whose efforts would have led to citizenship for all of Rome's allies. Although defeated, the Italic tribes are granted the Roman citizenship which had previously been withheld from them.

91 - 89 BC

Possibly commanded the Iapyges during the Social War.

1st century AD

During the Roman imperial age, the regions of Apulia and Calabria become production houses of grain and oil, and form the main export route for the eastern provinces. The Iapyges tribe is absorbed into the general Roman population, although Apulia emerges in the medieval period with a distinct identity.

During his long 'reign' as Rome's first citizen, Augustus brought peace to the city and oversaw its transition from failing republic to vigorous and expanding empire