Weaponry
The fact that Illyrian warriors were buried with their weapons has resulted in an abundant amount of surviving intact. The works of ancient authors fail to provide a clear picture on Illyrian weapons and the only true contributor to this matter was the Roman poet Ennius (239 BC – 169 BC) who was of Messapian origin. Weaponry was very important to the Illyrian in the time of war however sometimes only the rich and nobles could afford some types such as greaves and helmets. A lot of armor was imported to mainly from the Greek mainland proved by the findings of Greek weapons in the Glacinac graves dating from the 7th century BC.
Shields were used among the Illyrian as early as the Bronze Age. In the Iron Age two types of shiels were used, the Illyrian circular shield and the oval/rectangular type used by the northern Illyrians. The most common was the circular shield which was made of wood and leather with a bronze boss and was like a mostly light pelte. The Illyrian circular shield resembled the Macedonian version but differed from the number of circular decortication. Their shapes with either round (peltes), rectangular or oval. A type of wooden oblong shield with an iron boss was introduced to Illyria from the Celts. This type of shield resembled the Illyrian oval sheld used in northern Illyria.
Breast-armor and greaves were a specialty for the rich only in Illyrian society. Bronze breast-armor was used very rarely by the northern Illyrians and only three examples have been discovered so far in Slovenia. However another form of body armor was a bronze pectoral that may have protected part of the back as well. It was more like a disc "breastplate" of 10 cm in diameter. Greaves to protect the legs were used from the 7th century BC and probably even earlier. They first appeared in Illyria from its southern borders and are found only in princely graves.
In northern Illyria the bronze helmet was employed. The bronze helmet developed into the common Conical helmet which sometimes contained a plume. The most intriguing of all Illyrian helmets developed, the Shmarjet helmet, was made by the Japodes in the Lika valley. It was made from wicker and chain-mail while metal plates around the sides were optional. Under influence from Illyria's northern neighbours, the Italic peoples, the Negau helmet helmet was used from the 5th century BC to the 4th century BC. The most widespread helmet was the Illyrian helmet with its use beginning from the 7th century BC. The Illyrian helmet was made from bronze and consisted of a great, crested plume on the top. The origin and the time period this helmet used has been a subject of much debate. Some experts allocate its origins in Corinth and claim it went out of use in Illyria in the 4th century BC. Others claim that the helmet has its origins in Illyria and that it was used up to the 2nd century BC, proven by depictions on Illyrian city coins of the time.
The principal sword of the Illyrians was the sica, a single-edged curved sword similar to the Greek machaira. The sica was developed during the Bronze Age. The sica's blade was about 16–18 inches long (40–45 cm). It became widely used and adopted by other peoples such as the Thracians, Dacians and the Romans. The Illyrians also used the fighting sword short curved swords, long swords in addition to various knives. According to historian John Wilkes:
Although a short curved sword was used by several peoples around the Mediterranean the Romans regarded the sica as a distinct Illyrian weapon used by the stealthy 'assassin' (sicarius)
The Illyrians also used a variety of other weapons, like javelins, long metallic spears called Sibyna (Ancient Greek Σιβύνη) that resembled boar spears, short thrusting spears, battle axes, single-handed axes that could be hurled and also bows and arrows which were used from the start of the 2nd millennium BC.
Read more about this topic: Illyrian Warfare