Istria ( lat. Histri ) is an Indo-European people of unknown origin (probably related to venets and liburns ). They lived in the territory of modern Istria . Engaged in shipping, fishing, trade and piracy. One of the types of ancient ships is named in honor of Istria.
They formed as a tribal community at the end of the Bronze Age , probably as descendants of the Castellier culture , whose territory was much wider than the area of Istria in the historical period. Entered into the sphere of influence of the Illyrians , however, the toponymy of the Istrians rather indicates their kinship with the Venets in northern Italy.
Their pirated and commercial activities reached southern Italy. In the III century. BC e. Istria was faced with competitors in the face of both the ancient Greeks and the Romans, whose trading activities they hindered. In 221 BC e. the Romans took a military campaign in Istria. Subsequent expeditions ended with the occupation of Istria. To control the territory inhabited by Istria, from 181 BC. e. the Romans founded a new colony of Aquileia in the north of the Adriatic. Istria tried to prevent the construction of this city, but the Romans during the war of 178/177. BC e. managed to destroy the main city center of the isstr Nesaktsy , now the archaeological site of Visache near the village. Valtura is 11 km east of Pula .
Istria is mentioned in the myths of the Argonauts , Medea . On the Adriatic coast, apparently, the ancient trade route was ending, along which zinc and amber were delivered from the north. The material culture of Istria was influenced by Venets and Etruscans.
Literature
- Bosio, Luciano. Le strade romane della Venetia e dell'Histria . Padova 1997. ISBN 88-86413-26-2
- Božič, Dragan. Kelti in njihovi sodobniki na ozemlju Jugoslavije . Ljubljana, 1983
- Darovec, Darko. Kratka zgodovina Istre . Koper, 2008