TheLabeatae,Labeatai orLabeates (Ancient Greek:Λαβεᾶται;Latin:Labeatae) were anIllyrianpeople that lived on theAdriatic coast of southernIllyria, between modernAlbania andMontenegro, aroundLake Scodra (the ancientLacus Labeatis).[1]
Their territory, which was calledLabeatis in classical antiquity, seems to have stretched fromLissus at the riverDrin in the south, or probably even from the valley ofMat, up toMeteon in the north.[2] Their centre and main stronghold wasSkodra, which during the last period of theIllyrian kingdom was thecapital city.[3] The Labeatan kingdom was also in possession ofRhizon, theArdiean capital.[4]
The dynasty of the lastIllyrian kings (Scerdilaidas,Pleuratus,Gentius) was Labeatan.[5] It is possible that the decline of theArdiaean dynasty after QueenTeuta's defeat in theFirst Illyrian War againstRome caused the emergence of the Labeatan dynasty on the political scene.[6] In Roman times the Labeatae minted coins bearing the inscription of theirethnicon.[7]
The name is attested for the first time inThe Histories byPolybius (2nd century BC), who mentioned the regionΛαβεᾶτιςLabeatis.Livy in hisAb Urbe Condita Libri mentioned several times the tribal nameLabeatae, the regionLabeatis andpalus Labeatis/lacus Labeatum (Lake Scodra).[8] Coins bearing the inscription of theethnicon ΛΑΒΙΑΤΑΝ have been found in northernAlbania.[9]
The name of theLabeatae is formed by theLab- particle which is frequently found in the southernIllyrian onomastic area and the common Illyrian suffix-at(ae). TheLab- particle represents ametathesis fromAlb- >Lab-, which itself could be related to the appearance of the ethnonym of theAlbanians in the same area. It is present in hydronyms like theLlapi river and toponyms likeLlapashticë along the later Roman route fromLissus toUlpiana and indicates the movement of Illyrian tribes from the interior ofIllyria to the coastline or vice versa.[10]
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Unlike other Illyrian tribes, the extent of the territory of the Labeatae can be determined with relative precision through some important literary informations from ancient sources. In the accounts of theRoman-Illyrian war involving Gentius,Livy (c. 1st century BC – 1st century AD) described the location ofSkodra reporting that the Illyrian king was ruler of the Labeatae and referring to theLake Shkodra asLacus Labeatium. The core of the Labeatan territory must therefore have been the area around this lake.[12][13] The Labeatan king Genthius was also in possession ofRhizon, the capital of theArdiaean kingdom.[4]
In the description of the place where the envoy of Gentius andPerseus met in 168 BC,Polybius (c. 2nd century BC) reports that the site ofMeteon was located in the territory of the Labeatae. It was there that the Illyrian and Macedonian kings established an alliance against theRomans.[12][14] Livy mentions Meteon as a "city of the Labeates", where at the end of the war Gentius' wifeEtleuta, their two sons, and Gentius' brotherCaravantius took refuge, implying that this city belonged to Labeatan territory until it was conquered by the Romans. Meteon can be considered as the northern border of Labeatan territory, beyond whichDocleatan territory began encompassing the area between the riversZeta andMorača. In the west the territory of Labeatae was bordered by theAdriatic Sea, its eastern border was presumably marked by theAccursed Mountains. The southern border may be considered the site ofLissus at the mouth of the riverDrin, or further south the mouth of the riverMat, beyond which stretched the region of theTaulantii.[12][15][16] In Roman times Lissus was located in the territory of the Labeatae,[12][17] however ancient sources never relate it with this tribe. Taking into account archaeological and historical considerations, the city of Lissus should have been founded in a Labeatanethnos context, but perhaps by the time of queenTeuta's fall in the end of the 3rd century BC, it was organized as a properpolis separating from the context of theethnos.[12]
The territory of the Labeatae comprised a number of relevant rivers, includingDrin (Oriund),Buna (Barbana),Kiri (Klausali) andMorača, and the alluvial plains surrounding theLake Shkodra (Lacus orPalusLabeatis).[11][18] However, the only navigable rivers in antiquity were Buna and Drin.[11]
After theRoman conquest of southern Illyria, the territory of the Illyrian realm of Gentius was separated into three parts. One of these areas coincided with the Labeatan region.[7]
By the end of theBronze Age and the beginning of theIron Age (c. 1100–800 BC), the formation of a large, cohesive, and quite homogeneous cultural group had already occurred in a well defined territory of the Shkodra region, which was referred in historical sources to as 'the tribe of the Labeatae' in later times.[19]
The number of fortified settlements throughout the Shkodra basin increased at the beginning of the Iron Age, and the proceeding of social and economic diversification occurred in the area. Remarkable examples are the fortified settlement on the site of Gajtan, along with the cemeteries in Shtoj and Shkrel. In Grunas, in the deep mountainous valley of theShala river in theDukagjin Highlands, a fortified community has been discovered, dating back to the 11th–8th centuries BC. These fortifications shed new lights on the history of theIllyrian people, and in particular of the inhabitants of the Shkodra region where a politically complex society emerged. In this region the population practiced seasonaltranshumance, built mountainfortifications andterraces, and defended a keytrade route across an isolated harsh territory. There evidently emerged a social stratum ofmerchants andartisans.[19]
The idiom spoken by the tribe ofLabeatae belonged to the southeasternIllyrian linguistic area.[20]
Severalcult-objects with similar features are found in differentIllyrian regions, including the territory of the Illyrian tribes of Labeatae,Dassaretii,Daorsi, and comprising also theIapodes. In particular, a 3rd century BCsilvered bronze belt buckle, found inside theIllyrian Tombs of Selca e Poshtme near the western shore ofLake Lychnidus in Dassaretan territory, depicts a scene of warriors and horsemen in combat, with a giant serpent as a protectortotem of one of the horsemen; a very similar belt was found also in the necropolis of Gostilj near theLake Scutari in the territory of the Labeatae, indicating a common hero-cult practice in those regions. Modern scholars suggest that the iconographic representation of the same mythological event includes the Illyrian cults of theserpent, ofCadmus, and of thehorseman, the latter being a commonPaleo-Balkan hero.[21][22] The cult of the serpent among the Labeatae is reflected also on their coinage: ships depicted withfigureheads of serpents are often engraved on Labeatan coins.[23] The serpents depicted on ships were related to the beliefs of the sailors that these animal totems would have safeguarded them from storms and enemies. The serpent was a powerful symbol among southern Illyrians, who attributed it an important role as a protector animal.[24]
The Labeates minted coins around the 2nd century BC. Coins bearing the inscription of theethnicon ΛΑΒΙΑΤΑΝ (LABIATAN) have been found in northernAlbania. Illyrian light ships (lembus, pl.lembi) are often engraved on Labeatan coins,[9] sometimes depicted withfigureheads of serpents.[23]
During his reign, the Illyrian kingGentius adopted economic measures which are well testified by archaeological finds. He developed a new system of coinage in the territory of his political entity. He allowed to mint coins to the cities ofSkodra,Lissus,Rhizon andLychnidus, allowing it also to the Labeatae andDaorsi, two of the most important Illyrian ethnics of the region at that time. This system considerably expanded the circulation of coins reaching even the deepest areas of the kingdom.[25]
Gentius centralized the production of the coins, interrupting the old minting of Skodra, and starting the production of new coins, which, instead of the engraving of Zeus, adopted the portrait of the king, while on the reverse continued bearing the typical engraving of the Illyrian ship (lembus), but the name of the king was engraved on them instead of the legend of the city.[25] Thus Gentius had evidently removed monetary autonomy from the city of Skodra, and transformed themint of Skodra'skoinon into a royal mint.[26]
Gentius allowed other communities like Lissus, Labeatae and Daorsi to mint coins with the names of theirkoinon orethnos, but nevertheless obliged them to respect the state standard, that was to engrave in the coins the portrait of the king and the Illyrian light ships. In addition, the coins of all these political entities had to respect the same size and weight as the coins produced in the royal mint of Skodra.[27]
Coins bearing theethnicon of the Labeatae were minted also during theRoman period. These coins are mainly found on the mountainous area surrounding Skodra.[7]
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