Roman–Dardanian wars

The Roman–Dardanian wars were a series of conflicts between the Roman Republic and the Kingdom of Dardania, starting in 97 BC with the Roman expeditions against the Dardanian–Mede alliance. The Dardanians resisted Roman occupation until 28 BC after being fully conquered by Marcus Licinius Crassus in the Illyrian wars of Augustus.

Background

For several decades the Dardani and the Roman Republic had enjoyed a period of peace with each other. They would eventually establish an alliance, which would last until 168 BC. The diplomatic ties between the two nations were severed after the Third Macedonian War, when the Romans did not return Paeonia, a region which had belonged to the Kingdom of Dardania but was later occupied by Macedon, to the Dardani. Instead the Roman senate only recognized the Dardani right to trade salt. Thereafter the Dardani, as sworn enemies of Rome, carried out several raids into Roman territory.

Conflict

The fall of the Scordisci to the north made the Kingdom of Dardania exposed to Roman attacks. Thus the Dardanians formed an alliance with their eastern neighbors, the Maedi tribe, in 97 BC. The Romans led several expeditions between 97 BC - 85 BC against the Dardanian–Mede alliance however these expeditions were unsuccessful and the Romans suffered heavy losses. The second conflict between the Dardanians and the Romans occurred one year later in 84 BC, when a Balkan alliance was formed with the goal of raiding the Roman province of Macedon. The Dardani, as a part of this alliance plundered the Roman province all the way to Delphi.