{"id":9923,"date":"2023-10-16T16:50:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T15:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=9923"},"modified":"2023-10-16T16:50:16","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T15:50:16","slug":"why-is-croatia-included-in-map-of-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/why-is-croatia-included-in-map-of-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Croatia Included In Map Of Ancient Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Ancient Romans and Croatia<\/h2>\n

For centuries the Roman Empire was a powerful and influential force across Europe and the Mediterranean, making it an important and relevant feature of Europe’s history. Roman rule stretched from the River Rhine in the north to the Sahara desert in the south and included parts of modern day Croatia. Scholars have often puzzled over why Croatia makes an appearance in maps of the ancient Roman Empire, a fact that still confounds many due to the country’s current location on the Balkan peninsula.<\/p>\n

The answer lies in Croatia being a part of the Roman province of Illyricum, whereby it acted as a buffer zone between the Roman Empire and other empires to its east. This is an extremely important position to defend as it contributed to the security and defensive strategies employed by the Romans. Illyricum was located in the presumed heartland of Croatia, where it served as a demarcation line and the starting point for Roman conquests.<\/p>\n

Croatian people and the Roman Empire first started to interact with each other when Julius Caesar invaded in 49 BC. This was followed by the conquest of Dalmatia by Augustus and the expanding of the Roman Empire’s boundaries. During the 1st century BC, the Romans held large parts of Croatia as either part of Pannonia or Dalmatia. These regions, which are now located in modern-day Central and Southern Croatia, were occupied by Roman legions and municipalities.<\/p>\n

The Romans were very active in Croatia during the first century BC. They built military bases, roads, bridges, and aqueducts across the country, paving the way for modern infrastructure. Furthermore, they also introduced their culture, beliefs, and laws to the indigenous Croatian people. This period of civilizational exchange has been described as the point of modern Croats’ “formation as a nation”. Consequently, marks of the ancient Roman tradition such as the Latin language (with some of its dialects still spoken in Croatian today) and Christian faith (the Roman Catholic Church is still prevalent in contemporary Croatia) are present throughout the country.<\/p>\n