Pinnes
Encyclopedia
Pinnes (230 BC – 217 BC) was the son of Agron
, king of the Ardiaei in Illyria
, and Agron's first wife Triteuta
. He officially succeeded his father as king in 230 BC, but the Ardiaean kingdom was ruled by Agron's second wife, Queen Teuta.
Pinnes was only a young boy when his father died in 230 BC
, and his stepmother Teuta assumed de facto control. Local chiefs demanded greater power and autonomy for their regions and Teuta, who feared losing her status, appeased the aggressors. This act was seen as a sign of weakness and no ship in the Adriatic
and Ionian
sea was safe from Illyrian pirates who raided regardless of a ship's country or the damage it would due to Illyria's foreign relations.
Greece
was the most affected by this new danger as their economy depended on the seas. Rome
, sympathetic to Greece, sent delegates to mediate the situation, but this act was in vain due to Teuta's policy of isolationism
. She ordered the assassinations of the delegates and sparked the First Roman-Illyrian War
in 229 BC
. Teuta once again gave in, this time to Rome's peace terms which included her abdication and the reinstatement of Pinnes.
Pinnes once again lost his throne when, Demetrius of Pharos
(Pharos is today the island of Hvar
) married Triteuta
and declared himself king. Demetrius ignored the treaty with Rome and allied Illyria with Rome's long term enemy Macedon
. The Second Roman-Illyrian War began in 219 BC
when a Roman army was sent to Illyria. Demetrius fled to Macedon
and Pinnes finally became king, though his sudden death in 217 BC
at the age of 15 was ironic since he never actually ruled.
Pinnes is not even mentioned by Polybius
, though Appian
and Cassius Dio refer to him as the legitimate heir. Appian writes that Pinnes asked for the aid of the Romans but nothing seems to have come of it.
Agron (king)
Agron was the greatest king of the Ardiaean Kingdom. The son of Pleuratus, Agron brought about a great revival among the Illyrians; during his reign, the Ardiaean State was not only the most powerful Illyrian state of the time, but also one of the greatest in the Balkans. He succeeded in extending...
, king of the Ardiaei in Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
, and Agron's first wife Triteuta
Triteuta
Triteuta was an Illyrian queen of the Adraeian State.Trieteuta was the first wife of Agron. With Agron, Triteuta had a son named Pinnes in 230 BC. Agron divorced Triteuta and married Teuta...
. He officially succeeded his father as king in 230 BC, but the Ardiaean kingdom was ruled by Agron's second wife, Queen Teuta.
Pinnes was only a young boy when his father died in 230 BC
230 BC
Year 230 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Barbula and Pera...
, and his stepmother Teuta assumed de facto control. Local chiefs demanded greater power and autonomy for their regions and Teuta, who feared losing her status, appeased the aggressors. This act was seen as a sign of weakness and no ship in the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and Ionian
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
sea was safe from Illyrian pirates who raided regardless of a ship's country or the damage it would due to Illyria's foreign relations.
Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
was the most affected by this new danger as their economy depended on the seas. Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, sympathetic to Greece, sent delegates to mediate the situation, but this act was in vain due to Teuta's policy of isolationism
Isolationism
Isolationism is the policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one's country to its own advancement and remain at peace by...
. She ordered the assassinations of the delegates and sparked the First Roman-Illyrian War
Illyrian Wars
Illyrian Wars were a set of conflicts of 229 BC, 219 BC and 168 BC when Rome overran the Illyrian settlements and suppressed the piracy that had made the Adriatic unsafe for Italian commerce. There were three campaigns, the first against Teuta, the second against Demetrius of Pharos and the third...
in 229 BC
229 BC
Year 229 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Albinus and Centumalus...
. Teuta once again gave in, this time to Rome's peace terms which included her abdication and the reinstatement of Pinnes.
Pinnes once again lost his throne when, Demetrius of Pharos
Demetrius of Pharos
Demetrius of Pharos was a ruler of Pharos involved in the First Illyrian War, after which he ruled a portion of the Illyrian Adriatic coast on behalf of the Romans, as a Client king....
(Pharos is today the island of Hvar
Hvar
- Climate :The climate of Hvar is characterized by mild winters and warm summers. The yearly average air temperature is , 686 mm of precipitation fall on the town of Hvar on average every year and the town has a total of 2800 sunshine hours per year. For comparison Hvar has an average of 7.7...
) married Triteuta
Triteuta
Triteuta was an Illyrian queen of the Adraeian State.Trieteuta was the first wife of Agron. With Agron, Triteuta had a son named Pinnes in 230 BC. Agron divorced Triteuta and married Teuta...
and declared himself king. Demetrius ignored the treaty with Rome and allied Illyria with Rome's long term enemy Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
. The Second Roman-Illyrian War began in 219 BC
219 BC
Year 219 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Paullus and Salinator...
when a Roman army was sent to Illyria. Demetrius fled to Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
and Pinnes finally became king, though his sudden death in 217 BC
217 BC
Year 217 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Geminus and Flaminius/Regulus...
at the age of 15 was ironic since he never actually ruled.
Pinnes is not even mentioned by Polybius
Polybius
Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...
, though Appian
Appian
Appian of Alexandria was a Roman historian of Greek ethnicity who flourished during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius.He was born ca. 95 in Alexandria. He tells us that, after having filled the chief offices in the province of Egypt, he went to Rome ca. 120, where he practised as...
and Cassius Dio refer to him as the legitimate heir. Appian writes that Pinnes asked for the aid of the Romans but nothing seems to have come of it.
See also
- Illyrian warfareIllyrian warfareThe history of Illyrian warfare spans from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC up to the 1st century AD in the region of Illyria and in southern Italy where the Iapygian civilization flourished....
- List of rulers of Illyria