Illyrians and Macedonians in the Fifth Century BC. An Impossible Peace

The Illyrians lived in a mountainous territory that bordered the rich plains of Macedonia. Therefore, since the archaic age, they tried several times to penetrate Macedonia. Greek sources emphasize the resistance of the Macedonian kings, who were repeatedly defeated by the Illyrians. During the Peloponnesian War Macedonian king Perdikkas II allied with the Spartan general Brasidas to fight against the Illyrians and stopped their advance. But only half a century later the great king Philip II managed to keep the Illyrians permanently away from the borders of Macedonia