The tribes consolidate into kingdoms. Bardylis builds the first substantial Illyrian state in the 4th century BCE and fights Philip II of Macedon, Alexander's father.
Under Agron, and then his widow Teuta, Illyrian ships dominate the Adriatic. Roman sources describe their raiding as piracy; from the Illyrian side it was normal maritime practice for the period. Either way it brought Rome. The First Illyrian War opens in 229 BCE.
Three Illyrian Wars follow. The last king, Gentius, is defeated at Scodra, modern Shkodër, in 168 BCE and paraded through Rome in a triumph. The independent Illyrian state ends there.
Key points
| 229 BCE | First Illyrian War, Rome moves against Queen Teuta's fleets |
| 219 BCE | Second Illyrian War |
| 168 BCE | Gentius defeated at Scodra; the kingdom ends |
| Legacy | Teuta remains the most cited figure of pre-Roman Albania |
Research by ARBËR, the Living Museum of Albania. Published facts are verified or presented as open debate.