Early History of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Roman Period

Roman Period

Conflict between the Illyrians and ancient Romans started in 229 BC. In the year 168 BC, the land of Illyrians became the Roman province of Illyricum. Rome complete its annexation of the region in 9, ending a three-year rebellion of Illyrians against Romans. In year 10, Illyria was divided and the northern strip of today's Bosnia along the south side of the Sava River became part of the new province of Pannonia. The rest of what is today Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Dalmatia, and western Serbia became part of the Roman province of Dalmatia.

In the Roman period, Latin-speaking settlers from all over the Roman Empire settled among the Illyrians and Roman soldiers were encouraged to retire in the region. Several towns of today's Bosnia were founded under Roman rule. For example the town of Blagaj on the Buna River is built on the site of the Roman town of Bona. Roman Bosnia enjoyed a huge development, with many "Roman via" and "castra" and an economy based on the exploitation of mines.

Christianity had already arrived in the region by the end of the 1st century, and numerous artifacts and objects from the time testify to this. Following events from the years 337 and 395, when the Roman Empire split, Dalmatia and Pannonia were included in the Western Roman Empire. The region was conquered by Huns, and later by the Ostrogoths in 455. The Ostrogoth Kingdom was defeated by Byzantine Empire in the Gothic War (535–553) by the Emperor Justinian I, and the area was re-conquered for the Byzantine Empire.