As modern tourism relies more and more on "storytelling" with interesting cultural and historical stories, we delved a little deeper into the history of the clashes between the domiciled Illyrians and the Romans, the masters of Europe at the time. Although similar conflicts took place in other parts of Europe, it still seems to us that these traces left the deepest and most interesting traces in our region.
A recent meeting with Mr. Anto Zirdum, a well-known writer and historian who often presents his research through literary works as well as nonfiction, caught my ear with the story of the Roman governor Dolabella, who came to our region after a military victory.
I also received a shorter excerpt from his historical literary work (in links is an integral part of that text...) so on the occasion of the approx. 2000th anniversary of the work of the Roman governor and famous builder of roads, which we still call DOLABELLINE CESTE today, it is an opportunity to dedicate this blog post to him.
Namely, although all the centers of Roman power in the Mediterranean and even on the eastern coast of the Adriatic are relatively well? valorized for tourism - from the Pula Arena, through Salona and Narona to Sirmium... however, this segment of clashes with Illyrian tribes is missing for a deeper tourist story - from the Japoda, Liburna Desitiate to the Delmata, Ardijejaci and Daorsi.
Although it is difficult to talk about scientific historical truths, because the Romans are known for erasing the identity and culture of their subjects, whose uprisings were also "bloodily suppressed", a very interesting cultural and touristic mosaic can be created on the basis of artifacts, as well as academic reflection on the circumstances of the time. . It is also known that they certainly built their centers of government, as well as their travel routes, on Illyrian foundations, and probably kept the customs of making meat (delma is translated as sheep) and vegetable specialties. They must have made various drinks from the fruit, but they also enjoyed a drop of wine, which they improved for their bacchanalia.
Rustic villas were also built, both for the rest of soldiers and officers, and later a good part of the veterans stayed and lived, mingling with the resident population. There are also other traces that may not have been adequately investigated, so the letters of the great orator Cicero are also recorded, who is looking for the names of his assistant, probably a learned Illyrian, who stole some of his books and fled to Illyricum, to return them to him...
There is also the already mentioned Dolabella, who was best known for building roads, so it is also known that the road routes and the main center in Salona went through today's Klis and then Trilj (Tilurij), where the bridge over the Cetina was in the most convenient place. From there it branched in three directions - east to Narona (today Vid near Metković), northeast through Bosnia (Bistu) to Sirmium in today's Serbia near the mouth of the Sava into the Danube... and northwest to Siscia.
There are also interesting resting places, which were built about a day's walk away, about thirty kilometers away, and which even today represent an archaeological treasure that can be valorized as a tourist.
Here's hoping that this blog will interest many tourist enthusiasts and heritage interpreters to enrich their destinations with these increasingly popular tourist products. The main mission of modern tourism is to inform, educate, entertain and spiritualize, as well as culturally inspire both the tourist and the intending traveler. And Dinaric civilizations and their conquerors certainly have something to offer.
