Page 47 - Zbornik 27

48 Dr Viktorija Sokolovska NZ27/2003

Dr Viktorija Sokolovska

THE DARDANIANS IN THE BEFORE ROMAN PERIOD

About ethnic belonging of the Dardanians divided opinions exist in science.
Some scientists consider them for the Illyrians, the others that they are close to the
Thracians, until the third group believes that the Dardanians are the rest of the auto-
chthon before Indo-European population. Nowadays linguistic researches showed
that on the Dardanian territory are situated names, but they are not appearing in the
other neighboring Thracian or Illyrian regions and they had Asia Minor analogies.
In this article it is brought opinion that the Dardanians had came on the Bal-
kans more before then the Trojan War and that their origin should be connected to
Asia Minor’s Dardania, relatively Troad. Later especially in the Roman period
Illyrian and Thracian’s influences are present and they are decisive for forming of
an opinion about the ethnic belonging of the Dardanians.
The Dardanians were, by author’s opinion, came in a small number and set-
tled themselves in the stream of the Beli Drim River and its backing a mounta-
in-range Prokletije and Mokra Gora. When they had came far away from their ho-
meland in to more brutal conditions, they started to leave their customs, habits and
whole way of living which they had to practice in their homeland.
In science exists persuasion that the Dardanians in the before Roman period
accommodated territory of Kosovo and Metohija and Skoplje — Kumanovo regi-
on. In article brought is opinion that mentioned region in the archaic and the Agri-
ans settled the early Roman antique period and that is confirmed with expressive
Hellenism. The names of the Agrians rulers, which are on the Damastion’s coins,
leads into conclusion that that region was on the territory of So~anica near by Ko-
sovska Mitrovica, where was situated Municipium D. D. in which shortening is hi-
ding Damastion Dardanorum. From that originates conclusion that a mounta-
in-range which divides Metohija from Kosovo Polje was the borderline between
the Agrians in the east and the Dardanians in the west.
The first stage of the Dardanian expansion was instantly after the death of Ale-
xander the Great. They conquered valley of the Ibar and the space of Kopaonik and
Rogozna. The conquest of this territory stopped the work of the Damastions mint.
The second stage of the Dardanian expansion was instantly after the death
of the king Audeleon. The Dardanians expansion and conquest to the south and so-
utheast than (Skoplje — Kumanovo and west part of south Moravian region), me-
ant the conquest of the space that belonged to the Agrijans.
The third stage of the Dardanian expansion is in the period of the Celts inva-
sion. The Dardanians were directed to the north and they conquered the space of
the Autariat’s and Tribal’s, reaching Ni{, which became one of the four greatest
towns in the Roman province Dardania.