tribal confederation · Balkans and Hungary
Delmatae
Origins
The Delmatae lived in the karst uplands behind the Adriatic coast, around Delminium (near modern Tomislavgrad). Around 180 BCE they broke away from the Illyrian king Gentius and built their own league, extending their power over neighbouring peoples and the coastal towns.
Rule and society
Their league joined communities of herders and farmers living in hillforts. They raided the Daorsi and the Greek cities of Issa's mainland colonies. Rome fought them in 156–155 BCE, when Scipio Nasica destroyed Delminium, and again in 119 and 78–76 BCE. In the winter of 48–47 BCE they defeated a Roman army under Aulus Gabinius.
Decline and legacy
Octavian's campaign of 34–33 BCE took their strongholds such as Promona. They rose again in the Great Illyrian Revolt of 6–9 CE, and their last fortress, Andetrium, fell to Tiberius in 9 CE. Their name lived on in the Roman province of Dalmatia.
Lineage
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- Delmatae was conquered by Roman Empire9 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Delmatae. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/delmatae
- MLA
- “Delmatae.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/delmatae. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Delmatae.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/delmatae.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Delmatae’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/delmatae (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻