Valamar Blog

Who exactly were Histris and what was their historic role? Histris were a tribe which had settled on the Istrian peninsula in the 2nd century b.C.. The historians mostly mention them in context of wars led against the Romans, inevitable events considering the historic circumstances. A few written evidences exist on the Histris tribe and the first one to mention them is Dion Kasije in his records, in which he described the first Histrian war, led in 221 b.C. Far more historical data are preserved of the second war between the Histris and the Romans, led some decades later with the objective to defeat the tribe and conquer the Istrian peninsula. The merit for that goes especially to Tit Livije.

The events succeeded more or less as follows: in 221 b.C. the Romans attack the Histris, who were known to be dangerous pirates, from the sea. The Romans defeat them but manage to conquer in this war only the coastal part of the peninsula. After that, in 183 b.C. the Romans conquer the Aquileia, a new colony, and the purpose of this settlement is to prevent the breakthrough of the Histris and to build a land fortification for the next, not long-awaited, war against the Histris. In that period, Epulon, the uncompromising warrior, arises as the main figure among the Histris.

178 b.C. Romans leave the Aquileia to conquer the Histris and the fights last for years. According to Livije’s records, around 12 000 people fought on the Histris side. The next year, we are in 177 b.C., under the Epulon leadership the Histris are beaten in the northern part of Istria and decide to retrocede in fortified Nezakcij, the tribal, political and religious center of HIstris. Finally, the Romans manage to conquer Nezakcij in the same year, after sanguineous fights in which the Histris did not surrender until the very end.

The definite victory over Histris after which the Romans occupied the whole peninsula is attributed to Gaj Semproni Tuditan, who in 129 b.C. brings under the Roman rule the entire area from Aquileia to the river Krka.

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