Shpirti i
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THE ROMAN EMPIRE
The
Romans ruled Ilyria--which now became the province of Illyricum--for
about six centuries. Under Roman rule Ilyrian society underwent great
change, especially in its outward, material aspect. Art and culture
flourished, particularly in Apollonia, whose school of philosophy became
celebrated in antiquity. To a great extent, though, the Ilyrians resisted
assimilation into Roman culture. Ilyrian culture survived, along with
the Illyrian tongue, though many Latin words entered the language and
later became a part of the Albanian language. Christianity manifested
itself in Illyria during Roman rule, about the middle of the 1st century
AD. At first the new religion had to compete with Oriental cults--among
them that of Mithra, Persian god of light--which had entered the land
in the wake of Illyria's growing interaction with eastern regions of
the empire. For a long time it also had to compete with gods worshiped
by Illyrian pagans. The steady growth of the Christian community in
Dyrrhachium (the Roman name for Epidamnus) led to the creation
there of a bishopric in AD 58. Later, episcopal seats were established
in Apollonia, Buthrotum
(modern Butrint), and Scodra (modern
Shkodra). By the time the empire began to decline, the Illyrians,
profiting from a long tradition of martial habits and skills, had acquired
great influence in the Roman military hierarchy. Indeed, several of
them went on from there to become emperors. From the mid-3rd to the
mid-4th century AD the reins of the empire were almost continuously
in the hands of emperors of Illyrian origin: Gaius Decius, Claudius
Gothicus, Aurelian, Probus, Diocletian, and Constantine the Great.
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