- The Pirates of Liburnia, also known as the Pirates of the Illyrian Sea, controlled the Adriatic from their many islands off the coast of Croatia.
- The Romans fought three wars against the Illyrian Fleets, known as the Illyrian Wars, between 229-168 BCE.
History of the Pirates of Liburnia
- A Fleet of 220 Liburnians belonged to the Pirates of Liburnia,
- The Pirates invented the Liburnian Warship with its two banks of oars.
- They usually hired out their Fleet to the Kings of Macedon or to Carthage, and not to Rome.
- During the Carthaginian Wars they were allied with Carthage.
The Illyrian Wars (229-168 BCE)
- The Romans fought three Wars against the Illyrian Fleets, known as the Illyrian Wars (229-168 BCE),
- After the Illyrian Wars, Illyricum became a Roman Province in 168 BCE.
- However, the Province remained in Rebellion until 10 CE.
Battle of Actium (31 BCE)
- The Pirates of Liburnia were finally suppressed by Octavian between 35-32 BCE, and Liburnia became the Roman Province of Dalmatia by 10 CE.
- The Fleet of Liburnians was used at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE.
Influence on the Roman Navy
- The Roman Imperial Navy then adopted the Liburnian as the standard warship in all its Italian and Provincial fleets, along with the larger Trireme.
- The larger Quadrireme and Quinquereme were dropped as not being as easy to manoeuvre.
Other Pirates
Liburnia (Croatia)