Liburnian and Roman artifacts at the Archaeological Museum of Zadar, Croatia

Liburnian and Roman artifacts at the Archaeological Museum of Zadar, Croatia.
Zadar was established as a Liburnian settlement in the 9th century BCE. The Liburnians, an Illyrian tribe, were known as great sailors and merchants, but also had a reputation for piracy in the later years. By the 7th century BCE, Zadar had become an important center for their trading activities with the Phoenicians, Etruscans, Ancient Greeks and other Mediterranean peoples. In 59 BCE the province of Illyricum was created by the Romans and Liburnian Ladera (Zadar) became a Roman municipium. During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey, Ladera sided with Caesar and after his victory was granted the title of Colonia Iulia Lader followed by the settlement of some of Caesar's veterans.



Image: Roman Stonework outside the Church of St. Donat in Zadar, Croatia. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributor Adam Jones.

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