The Illyrians (, Illyrioi; ) were a group of Indo-European speaking peoples, who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, along with the Thracians and Greeks.
Timeline
Enchelii under Cadmus against Illyrians in Illyria, Illyrian defeat
20th century BC
Around 2000 BC, the proto-Illyrian culture begins to form when indigenous Danubian farmers were invaded by warrior-herders belonging to the Yamnaya culture from the Plateau of Phrygia. They inhabit the western half of the Balkan Peninsula.
12th century BC
1200BC (or perhaps earlier), some Illyrians begin a movement to Gaul, Spain, England, northern and central Italy, Poland and even Scandinavia.
10th century BC
1000 BC, Illyrians mining salt in Gmunden, present-day Austria; by 900 BC they had lost their silver mines in Oberzeiring to the Celts.
8th century BC
800 BC, Illyrian culture begins to flourish on the coasts of the Adriatic, centered in Glasinac and Shkodra. 735 BC. Liburnians abandon Corfu under pressure from Corinthian ruler Hersikrates. First recorded battle between Illyrians and Greeks.
7th century BC
691 BC. First Illyrian invasion of Macedonia after bad relations developed. ? BC. Gaularos, ruler of the Taulanti state wages war on the Macedonians. 628 BC. Liburnians expelled from Durrës by Corinthians which were invited as aid by the neighbouring Taulantii 602 BC. Philip I of Macedon is killed in battle by the Illyrians
6th century BC
524 BC. Etruscans defeat the Liburnians in order to open trade routes to the Aegean. 524 BC. Aristodemus of Cumae defeats the allied Daunian and Etruscan armies 511 BC. Persians under Megabazus defeat the Paeonians and depart two of their tribes to Darius in Asia. 500 BC. Start of the Tarentine-Iapygian wars results in an Iapygian defeat
5th century BC
490 BC. Tarentines defeat the Messapians
466 BC. Taranto again defeated by the Iapygians
460 BC. Competitive trading leads to the destruction of Thronion by Apollonia
460 BC. Opis of the Iapyges falls in battle against Taranto
440 BC. Brindidi and Thurrii enter into an alliance against Taranto
436 BC. Taulantii attack the city of Epidamnos contributing to the start of the Peloponnesian War 433 BC. Messapian-Thurian victory over the Lucanians in the Sybaris lain 432 BC. Messapian-Thurian forces successfully throw off another Lucanian invasion in the Crati gorge 430 BC. Grabus of the royal house of the Grabaei enters an alliance with Athens 429 BC. Agrianes become subject to the Odrysian kingdom 424 BC. Autariatae expand their territory, pushing the Thracian Triballi eastwards into western Serbia and Bulgaria 423 BC. Illyrians & Lyncestians cause the Macedonians to flee and the Spartans to escape during the Peloponnesian War (Battle of Lyncestis) 418 BC. Artas made a proxenos of Athens as operations in Sicily begin 413 BC. Artas supplies the Athens with one hundred and fifty javelin-throwers for the war against Syracuse.