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Genealogy
Like other Americans, Albanian-Americans are quite young, but Albanians have a very old history. Albanians descend from Illyrians. The ancestors of Illyrians were Pelasgians who lived in Europe way before the Greeks, Romans, and Slavs migrated to their lands and became their neighbors.
It is believed that the first social organization of Illyrians started somewhere around the 9th or 8th century BC when small groups of them evolved into more complex political units and created their first federations and kingdoms- most important of which flourished between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC. At the same time, Rome was developing on the Apennine peninsula, across the Adriatic Sea. The Romans saw Illyria as a bridge for eastern conquests, so in 229 BC, they crossed the Adriatic and conquered it. Rome ruled the region for the next six centuries, but the Illyrians resisted assimilation and their distinctive culture and language persevered.
In 395 the Roman Empire was split into a western and eastern empire, and the lands of Illyrians became part of the eastern, or Byzantine, Empire.
In the 5th century Visigoths, Huns, and Ostrogoths raided and devastated the region, and between the 6th and 8th centuries Slavic peoples settled in big lots of the north-eastern parts of the Illyrian territories. The Slavs pushed the predecessors of Albanians, the Illyrians, to the west and south of the Illyrian Peninsula- a region now known as the Balkans. They assimilated many of the Illyrians in what is today Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. However, the southern Illyrian tribes, including those in modern day Kosova, southern Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Republic of Albania and northern Greece, resisted assimilation and acculturation.
In the 9th century the Byzantine Empire’s power began to weaken as Bulgarian Slavs, followed by Norman Crusaders, Italian Angevins, Venetians, and Serbs, invaded the region. During the Middle Ages (5th century to 15th century) Albanian cities expanded and commerce flourished, particularly in the Adriatic region and central Kosova. With urban prosperity came the growth of art, culture, and education. The Albanian language survived, but was not used in churches, government, or schools; instead, Greek and Latin remained the official languages of administration and theocratic institutions. It is believed that around the 10th century the name Albania which was derived from a powerful tribe in central Albania called Albanoi appeared for the first time.
Like other Americans, Albanian-Americans are quite young, but Albanians have a very old history. Albanians descend from Illyrians. The ancestors of Illyrians were Pelasgians who lived in Europe way before the Greeks, Romans, and Slavs migrated to their lands and became their neighbors.
It is believed that the first social organization of Illyrians started somewhere around the 9th or 8th century BC when small groups of them evolved into more complex political units and created their first federations and kingdoms- most important of which flourished between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC. At the same time, Rome was developing on the Apennine peninsula, across the Adriatic Sea. The Romans saw Illyria as a bridge for eastern conquests, so in 229 BC, they crossed the Adriatic and conquered it. Rome ruled the region for the next six centuries, but the Illyrians resisted assimilation and their distinctive culture and language persevered.
In 395 the Roman Empire was split into a western and eastern empire, and the lands of Illyrians became part of the eastern, or Byzantine, Empire.
In the 5th century Visigoths, Huns, and Ostrogoths raided and devastated the region, and between the 6th and 8th centuries Slavic peoples settled in big lots of the north-eastern parts of the Illyrian territories. The Slavs pushed the predecessors of Albanians, the Illyrians, to the west and south of the Illyrian Peninsula- a region now known as the Balkans. They assimilated many of the Illyrians in what is today Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. However, the southern Illyrian tribes, including those in modern day Kosova, southern Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Republic of Albania and northern Greece, resisted assimilation and acculturation.
In the 9th century the Byzantine Empire’s power began to weaken as Bulgarian Slavs, followed by Norman Crusaders, Italian Angevins, Venetians, and Serbs, invaded the region. During the Middle Ages (5th century to 15th century) Albanian cities expanded and commerce flourished, particularly in the Adriatic region and central Kosova. With urban prosperity came the growth of art, culture, and education. The Albanian language survived, but was not used in churches, government, or schools; instead, Greek and Latin remained the official languages of administration and theocratic institutions. It is believed that around the 10th century the name Albania which was derived from a powerful tribe in central Albania called Albanoi appeared for the first time.
