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Ballaios
| Ballaios | |
|---|---|
 Coin of Ballaios | |
| Reign | c. 260-230 BC[1] |
| Predecessor | ? |
| Successor | Agron[2] |
Ballaios (Ancient Greek: Βαλλαῖος; ruled c. 260 – c. 230 BC)[1] was an Illyrian king of the Ardiaei tribe. Attested only in coinage, Ballaios is considered as the predecessor of Agron.[2] He is considered to have been a powerful and influential king as testified by the abundance of his silver and bronze coinage found along both coasts of the Adriatic.[3] A hoard found in 2010 is one of the biggest hoards of ancient coins known, not only from Illyria.[4] The capital of Ballaios' kingdom was Rhizon.[5]
His silver issues are rare, but bronze coins,[6] without the royal title, occur on Hvar, both in single finds and in hoards, and at Rhizon in a different series bearing the royal title. In the city of Ulcinj there is still a fully functioning water source bearing his name: "Kroni i Ballos". The coins of Ballaios were widely imitated in the region, sometimes so crudely that they are unintelligible.
- ^ a b Bilić 2020, p. 15: "During the last decade, the archaeological investigations conducted in the area of Rhizon on the Boka Kotorska Bay have revealed that Ballaios was in power and minted coins ca. 260–230 BC (Ciołek 2011: 92). This has finally put an end to the seemingly endless discussions on the dating of Ballaios' reign; prior to the Rhizon excavations, the closest that the researchers came to the actual date of his rule was 195–175 BC (Šašel Kos 2007: 127–131, 137)."
- ^ a b Dyczek 2019, pp. 198, 200.
- ^ Šašel Kos 2007, p. 137.
- ^ Ciołek 2010, p. 8: "The "great hoard" discovered in 2010, while not the first from Risan, is definitely the largest — 4656 pieces, weighing altogether close to 15 kilograms.7 As a matter of fact, it is one of the biggest hoards of ancient coins known, not only from Illyria.8 The overall number of coins of Ballaios now in existence suggests a greater than previously anticipated importance of this king and Rhizon under his rule, especially in the context of the history of the Illyrian state and the tribes related to the Illyrians."
- ^ Dyczek 2019, pp. 195.
- ^ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, ISBN 0-631-19807-5, page 179
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