Dardania (Europe)
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Dardania (Albanian: Dardania; Serbian and Macedonian: Дарданија Dardanija, Greek: Δαρδανία Dardania) was a region encompassing southern parts of Serbia, including the area of the modern-day province of Kosovo (since 1999 under UN administration), mostly, but not entirely, western parts of the Republic of Macedonia, and parts of north-eastern Albania.
Its native Dardani people were a tribe of mixed Illyrians and Thracians. They seem to have often been a threat to the kingdom of Macedon. Dardania's largest towns were those of Naissus (Niš), Skopje, and its capital was Ulpiana (modern day Priština).
The area was conquered by the Romans in 28 BC and became part of the Roman province of Moesia, on the border with Illyricum and Macedonia. After AD 85 it was part of Moesia Superior. Emperor Diocletian later c. 284 made Dardania into a separate province with its capital at Naissus (Niš).
Austrian geologist Ami Boue [1] has proposed that the name Dardania comes from the Albanian word dardhë which means "pear". However another possible source is ancient Greek mythology: Dardanus was one of the sons of Illyrius (the others being Enchelus, Autarieus, Maedus, Taulas, and Perrhaebus).
Today, there are many places in Kosovo called Dardania, and the individual name Dardan is very common among Albanians. There are also some proposals that a new Kosovan state should be called the "Republic of Dardania".
[edit] References
- Grace Harriet Macurdy. The Wanderings of Dardanus and the Dardani, Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 46 (1915), pp. 119-128
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