Eurydice (1) of Hierapolis,
Made to the Muses this her offering,
When she had gained her soul's desire to learn.
Mother of young and lusty sons was she,
And by her diligence attained to learn
Letters, wherein lies buried all our lore.
- epigram from "The Education of Children,"
- Plutarch's Moralia
How true that last fragment, " ... wherein lies buried all our lore," rings in the case of the Illyrians. These ancient peoples left no "letters" of their own, but archaeology, on the other hand, has uncovered some of the lore that had been buried for centuries. These discoveries brought to light aspects of their character, culture and customs.
The ancient Greeks, Macedonians and Romans knew them well, particularly, in their warfares with them. The Greeks and the Romans recorded much of these events along with some detailed descriptions of the Illyrians brought about either by their dealings with them or perhaps through some type of affinity ... a shadowed reflection of themselves ... (2).
(1) The Eurydice of this inscription was the daughter of the Illyrian king, Sirras; wife of the Macedonian king, Amyntas III and mother of Philip II (see Kingdoms). (2) Casson, Macedonia, Thrace and Illyria (pp. 325ff)
