Illyrian Warfare - Tactics and Troop Organization

Tactics and Troop Organization

Illyrians in ancient sources were known as brave and skilled fighters. The Illyrians appeared in war as free warriors under their rulers or kings. Similar to other societies the status of a leader was determined by the number of warriors who followed him. Obedience to a higher authority such as a king was channeled through the collective loyalty of a tribe to the chief. In historical sources they are described as a peasant infantry fighting under aristocratic proprietors (polydynastae) each one controlling a town within the kingdom. The Dalmatians were known to use Partisan tactics against the Romans which were successful in inflicting serious defeats on the best of the Roman legions.

Much more is known on the tactics of warfare of the southern Illyrians. It is supposed that The Illyrian since the 4th century BC had warrior formations which did not differ from Macedonian phalanxes. The best example of this organization was shown when Bardyllis led his army under war against the Macedonians under Philip II.

Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC) writes of the Illyrian phalanxes in this battle that was an attempt for a coordinated stance by forming a square. His exact words are: "Ἰλλυριοὶ συντάξαντες ἑαυτούς εἰς πλινθίον ἐρρωμένος".

"But the Illyrians, forming themselves into a square, courageously entered the fray. And at first for a long while the battle was evenly poised because of the exceeding gallantry displayed on both sides, and as many were slain and still more wounded, the fortune of battle vacillated first one way then the other"

In the 2nd century BC the army of Agron and Teuta is no more represented in phalanxes but in smaller troops, armored well and fast moving. These tactics also used in Roman times were ready for independent operations and so were more effective than earlier phalanxes. These exact tactics were agile for quick and surprising actions and soon showed to be superior against Greek tactics and as a result the Illyrians received some wonderful victories against the Greeks.

On the sea the Illyrians used guerrilla-partisan tactics with their sophisticated navy. These sea tactics made the Illyrians masters of the Adriatic Sea for many centuries. Their ships, which were relatively small were not capable of direct naval battle with the heavier war-ships of the Greeks and Romans and most of the time were defeated. An exception is the victory over the island of Paxoi when the Illyrians used a new form of tactic which involved connecting their ships in groups of four and attacking the Greek ships.