The Ancient Illyrians Connection to Todays Albanians

Mystery enshrouds the exact origins of todays Albanians. Most historians of the Balkans believe the Albanian people are in large part descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who, like other Balkan peoples, were subdivided into tribes and clans. The name Albania is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Arber, or Arbereshà «, and later Albanoi, that lived near Durrà «s. The Illyrians were Indo-European tribesmen who appeared in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula about 1000 B.C., a period coinciding with the end of the Bronze Age and beginning of the Iron Age. They inhabited much of the area for at least the next millennium. Archaeologists associate the Illyrians with the Hallstatt culture, an Iron Age people noted for production of iron and bronze swords with winged-shaped handles and for domestication of horses. The Illyrians occupied lands extending from the Danube, Sava, and Morava rivers to the Adriatic Sea and the Sar Mountains. At various times, groups of Il lyrians migrated over land and sea into Italy. The Illyrians carried on commerce and warfare with their neighbors. The ancient Macedonians probably had some Illyrian roots, but their ruling class adopted Greek cultural characteristics. The Illyrians also mingled with the Thracians, another ancient people with adjoining lands on the east. In the south and along the Adriatic Sea coast, the Illyrians were heavily influenced by the Greeks, who founded trading colonies there. The present-day city of Durrà «s evolved from a Greek colony known as Epidamnos, which was founded at the end of the seventh century B.C. Another famous Greek colony, Apollonia, arose between Durrà «s and the port city of Vlorà «. The Illyrians produced and traded cattle, horses, agricultural goods, and wares fashioned from locally mined copper and iron. Feuds and warfare were constant facts of life for the Illyrian tribes, and Illyrian pirates plagued shipping on the Adriatic Sea. Councils of elders chose the chieftains who headed each of the numerous Illyrian tribes. From time to time, local chieftains extended their rule over other tribes and formed short-lived kingdoms. During the fifth century B.C., a well-developed Illyrian population center existed as far north as the upper Sava River valley in what is now Slovenia. Illyrian friezes discovered near the present-day Slovenian city of Ljubljana depict ritual sacrifices, feasts, battles, sporting events, and other activities. The Illyrian kingdom of Bardhyllus became a formidable local power in the fourth century B.C. In 358 B.C., however, Macedonias Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, defeated the Illyrians and assumed control of their territory as far as Lake Ohrid (see fig. 5). Alexander himself routed the forces of the Illyrian chieftain Clitus in 335 B.C., and Illyrian tribal leaders and soldiers accompanied Alexander on his conquest of Persia. After Alexanders death in 323 B.C., independent Illyrian kingdoms again arose. In 312 B.C., King Glaucius expelled the Greeks from Durrà «s. By the end of the third century, an Illyrian kingdom based near what is now the Albanian city of Shkodà «r controlled parts of northern Albania, Montenegro, and Hercegovina. Under Queen Teuta, Illyrians attacked Roman merchant vessels plying the Adriatic Sea and gave Rome an excuse to invade the Balkans. In the Illyrian Wars of 229 and 219 B.C., Rome overran the Illyrian settlements in the Neretva River valley. The Romans made new gains in 168 B.C., and Roman forces captured Illyrias King Gentius at Shkodà «r, which they called Scodra, and brought him to Rome in 165 B.C. A century later, Julius Caesar and his rival Pompey fought their decisive battle near Durrà «s (Dyrrachium). Rome finally subjugated recalcitrant Illyrian tribes in the western Balkans [during the reign] of Emperor Tiberius in A.D. 9. The Romans divided the lands that make up present-day Albania among the provinces of Macedonia, Dalmatia, and Epirus. For about four centuries, Roman rule brought the Illyrian-populated lands economic and cultural advancement and ended most of the enervating clashes among local tribes. The Illyrian mountain clansmen retained local authority but pledged allegiance to the emperor and acknowledged the authority of his envoys. During a yearly holiday honoring the Caesars, the Illyrian mountaineers swore loyalty to the emperor and reaffirmed their political rights. A form of this tradition, known as the kuvend, has survived to the present day in northern Albania. The Romans established numerous military camps and colonies and completely latinized the coastal cities. They also oversaw the construction of aqueducts and roads, including the Via Egnatia, a famous military highway and trade route that led from Durrà «s through the Shkumbin River valley to Macedonia and Byzantium (later Constantinople) Constantinople Originally a Greek city, Byzantium, it was made the capital of the Byzantine Empire by Constantine the Great and was soon renamed Constantinople in his honor. The city was captured by the Turks in 1453 and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks called the city Istanbul, but most of the non-Muslim world knew it as Constantinople until about 1930. Copper, asphalt, and silver were extracted from the mountains. The main exports were wine, cheese, oil, and fish from Lake Scutari and Lake Ohrid. Imports included tools, metalware, luxury goods, and other manufactured articles. Apollonia became a cultural center, and Julius Caesar himself sent his nephew, later the Emperor Augustus, to study there. Illyrians distinguished themselves as warriors in the Roman legions and made up a significant portion of the Praetorian Guard. Several of the Roman emperors were of Illyrian origin, including Diocletian (284-305), who saved the empire from disintegration by introducing institutional reforms, and Constantine the Great (324-37)--who accepted Christianity and transferred the empires capital from Rome to Byzantium, which he called Constantinople. Emperor Justinian (527-65)--who codified Roman law, built the most famous Byzantine church, the Hagia Sofia, and re-extended the empires control over lost territories- -was probably also an Illyrian. Christianity came to the Illyrian-populated lands in the first century A.D. Saint Paul wrote that he preached in the Roman province of Illyricum, and legend holds that he visited Durrà «s. When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves in A.D. 395, the lands that now make up Albania were administered by the Eastern Empire but were ecclesiastically dependent on Rome. In A.D. 732, however, a Byzantine emperor, Leo the Isaurian, subordinated the area to the patriarchate of Constantinople. For centuries thereafter, the Albanian lands became an arena for the ecclesiastical struggle between Rome and Constantinople. Most Albanians living in the mountainous north became Roman Catholic, while in the southern and central regions, the majority became Orthodox. Source [for the Library of Congress]: Based on information from R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy, The Encyclopedia of Military History, New York, 1970, 95; Herman Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, The Anchor Atlas of World History, 1, New York, 1974, 90, 94; and Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15, New York, 1975, 1092. Data as of April 1992SOURCE: The Library of Congress - ALBANIA - A Country Study

The Case Of Japan With Saigo Takamori - 1463 Words

The world is full of government, each one with people who believe that it should be changed in order to progress. This is the case of Japan with Saigo Takamori in 1877and Nazi Germany with Claus von Stauffenberg in 1944. Both were respectable warriors who believed that the current government was damaging their country’s honor and a transformation was needed, and because of this they decided to betray their countries. The difference between this to men comes to the origin of why they betrayed their country, the society of the time, who they were against, and the aftermath of their actions. When such factors are taken into consideration, Claus von Stauffenberg’s actions of disloyalty for his government for the greater good should be held in higher regard in public memory. Japan in at the end of the nineteenth century was going through a change in government. The old system, the shogunate, had been toppled by a group of intellectual, Saigo included, and the power returned to the Emperor. Japan’s new government was becoming starting to go through a process of westernization, and the samurais were paying the price. In 1877 samurai stipends were eliminated and the carrying of weapons prohibited. Saigo believed that the samurai class represented the epitome of honor and self-valor, so he decided to confront the government over their actions and on September 24, 1887 he died in battle. Honor and courage were very important for Saigo, because of this he believed that a true warriorShow MoreRelatedWhat Were The Consequences Of Political And Nationalistic Revolutions?1799 Words   |  8 Pagesnationalistic revolutions? What factors contributed to the growth of nation-states and the rise of nationalism? How did the growth of nation-states in Europe differ from that in the rest of the world? How was China weakened by European influence? How did Japan build itself into a world power in a short time? Content Standards Addressed: Content Standards Addressed: WHG 6.1.5 Interpreting Europe’s Increasing Global Power – Describe Europe’s increasing global power between 1500 and 1900, and evaluate theRead MoreThe Japanese Castles And Power During The Nineteenth Century3372 Words   |  14 PagesTo understand the Japanese castles, one must immerse in history of the country. Japan despite a very different culture, like the old continent, also had a medieval time. Different regions were then divided into small entities over which ruled a local lord. The equivalence would be Dukes or Counts. The Emperor of divine ancestry, could be seen as the Pope while the Shogun was in charge of the power of the reigning emperor. This feudal system then required to have stronghold, but it is only with the

Our Friends, Ourselves Essay Example For Students

Our Friends, Ourselves Essay In the reading Our friends, ourselves by Steve Duck he tells us that there are four rules that characterize friend ship. The rules are to hold a conversation, not to disclose confidences to other people, what I think is important and to refrain from public criticism, and to repay debts and favors. These rules allow friends to be open, helpful, trusting, affectionate, reliable, respect our privacy and us and will do favors for us and return the favors that we do for them. The reality of functions one of the items listed that really stuck out was that we need friends to keep us emotionally stable. My own personal experience is when both my grandfathers were very ill. One had a heart attack and had to have bypass surgery and the other had to have his throat cancer removed. My best friend, who just happens to also be my boyfriend, was there to not only support and comfort me but to also comfort my family. It was hard on us because we were down here, my dad was in Rhode Island, and all this was going on in Pennsylvania. All we could do was wait by the phone. Eric, my boyfriend, told us everything would be all right. He kept us from thinking about it in different ways. And of course he was right and both of my grandfathers are still alive and kicking today. The relationship between friendship networks is: we need friends to keep us mentally healthy. It is important to find ways of keeping and gaining friends. We also have to recgonize the different needs that each friendship has for us. I agree with this claim because people who do not have a lot of friends or any at all, always seem to be depressed and exclude themselves from society. Like that video that we watched in class where that little boy died of loneliness. I really think that friends affect that type of situation. Private language, intimate relationships, and personal idioms have a function of being private understandings. Friendships and cultures are similar, because in different cultures they use different languages or different dialects. Friendships have routine behaviors it is more important for daily life in cultures. This article has shown the importance to have friends. True friends are always there for you through thick and thin as you should be for them. Speech and Communications

Sugars And Carbohydrates Essays - Nutrition, Oxidizing Agents

Sugars And Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are present in sugars, starch, acids, and in many other nutrients that consist elements of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Having a ratio of 1: 2: 1 or written as CH20. A monosaccharide meaning monomer of sugar is a "simple" carbohydrate. Containing backbone of five carbon atoms that are present in ribose and deoxyribose, components of RNA and DNA. Glucose a six carbon atom that is common cellulose, starch, and glycogen are classified as polysaccharide, Known as a "complex" carbohydrate, with straight or branched chains of many sugar monomers. These categories of carbohydrates are tested in two laboratory experiments. It will allow us (my partner and I) to detect the presence of sugar or starch. The first test, using two different solutions to expose the presence of sugar or starch by color alteration. I hypothesize that both samples of the experiment will result differently in order to pursue the next test. The second test consists of 9 food items, identifying the appearance of sugar or starch. I guess in identifying 75% out of the 9 items right. Conducting both experiments will test my hypotheses either right or wrong. The first experiment on "simple" and "complex" carbohydrates, several tools and liquids were obtained: two test tubes, spot plate, test tube holder, benedicts reagent, lugol's iodine, 10% karo syrup solution, 1% starch solution. In a test tube (holding it with a test tube holder,) my partner fills 1 cm from the bottom of 10% karo syrup solution. With the benedicts reagent I gently add four drops, then quickly placed the tube in 98 degrees of boiling water, at 3:17p.m. While waiting for 3 minutes, we noticed that before placing the tube in the boiling water, the benedict reagent in the 10% karo syrup was blue. After heating, we observed at 3:20 p.m. that the benedict solution activated and turned yellow. Which meant that sugar (simple carbohydrate) was present in the karo syrup. A different procedure was conducted to test starch. Using a spot plate, 1% of starch (about 4 drops) was placed into the well spot. Then two drops of lugol's iodine was added. It generated a dark purple color with immediate contact with the iodine. The results for this experiment meant that lugol's iodine would test purple, positive for complex carbohydrate and yellow for simple carbohydrates. Both samples of the experiment resulted differently agreeing with my hypotheses. With the color alteration of benedict reagent and lugol's iodine, my partner and I was ready to test sugar and starch on the 9 food items. Know will test the 9 items, to state weather starch or sugar is present. I made a prediction that 75% of the items would be identified correctly. The experiment consist of: apple juice, potato juice, salt water, baking powder solution, baking soda solution, ozorka flavored water, powdered sugar solution, clearly Canadian flavored water, vinegar, benedicts reagent, lugol's iodine, wax pencil, and 18 test tubes. My partner numbered the test tubes, having two sets from 1 through 9. He filled one set while I filled the other, both with food solution about, 1 cm from the bottom of the test tubes. After filling the tubes, we placed 5 drops of benedicts reagent on one set, then placing them in boiling water at about 98 degrees for five minutes (3:40 p.m.). Within the five minutes, I placed three drops of lugol's iodine on the second set (3:42 p.m.). We shook the tubes, then resting them for 3 minutes. At 3:45 p.m., my partner took out the benedict set, and we started to record our result as we also recorded the lugol's iodine. We both had amazing outputs; I resulted on having 6 items accurately correct out of the 9. Baking soda solution and vinegar failed both the benedict and lugol's iodine fluids, appearing negative results for sugar and starch. I predicted that Salt water would show starch therefore it appeared negative. Vinegar has an acidic elements, that are naturally fermented by which bacterium (prokaryotic) go through, an anaerobic cycle. Baking soda is a sodium bicarbonate, it is naturally occurring in the form of an ore called torna. It releases more OH , which it has a pH above 7. Salt is a sodium chloride, also with a pH number greater than 7. For these reasons, my estimation was not accurate. Some of the items were organic fluids, processed powders, and flavored water, which contain either starches or/and sugars. The categories of carbohydrates were tested in two laboratory experiments. It allowed my partner and I to detect the