THE LEGEND OF CADMUS - The foundation of the city of Butoa and the possible origin of the name Illyrians
THE LEGEND OF CADMUS - The foundation of the city of Butoa and the possible origin of the name Illyrians

Summary/Abstract: During one hundred years of the development of archaeology in southeast Europe, one of the dominant issues was the origin of communities that were recognized by former researchers as a homogenous component named the Illyrians. The issue of their origin was observed through different interpretations of ethnogenetic processes which numerous researchers tried to use to create different developmental phases of creating communities named after the Illyrians. By combining the most recent interpretations of concepts of myths and legends of the past communities, written data containing live memories of these myths during the past two centuries, as well as archaeological and historical data, the relationship and complexities of the oldest myths and legends, such as the one of Cadmus and Harmonia, are reimposed as they suggest the origin of the entire term of the Illyrians as a geographic and religious concept entirely dichotomous compared to, seemingly, misinterpretations of the wider ethnic context of the prehistoric Balkans.

• Details
• Contents