ILLYRIAN ISSUES IN THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE STUDIES OF MARJETA ŠAŠEL KOS

The article provides a historiographical overview and analysis of specific English-language publications by contemporary Slovenian researcher Marjeta Šašel Kos on the Illyrian issue. Issues related to hypotheses about the origin of the Illyrians, significant events in their internal history, achievements in various fields of culture, and an objective assessment of their relationship with the Greco-Roman world form the basis for an in-depth study of the ancient population of the Western Balkans, Central and Southwestern Europe. The world of Illyrian tribes, who were inhabitants of the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, the northwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula, and the southeastern part of the Alpine region, was in close proximity to the borders of the spread of the Greco-Roman civilization and its culture. Numerous Illyrian tribes, formed in the northern and southern ethno-cultural zone of the Eastern Hallstatt, were among the oldest tribal formations in the barbarian world of Europe (Pax Barbaricum). The world of the Illyrian tribes was sought to be understood by the ancient Greeks, followed by the Romans. However, contacts between representatives of these two diametrically opposite worlds ended in confrontation and assimilation. After numerous and bloody clashes, the world of the Illyrians lost its identity, underwent powerful Hellenization and Romanization, and acquired signs of deep provinciality. Therefore, the article's author seeks to introduce the reader to the achievements of individual bright and talented representatives of contemporary Illyriology and popularize their scientific work. Marjeta Šašel Kos's scientific work is diverse and productive (several extensive and substantive monographs and more than 70 scientific articles). The Slovenian researcher bases her views on archaeological and epigraphic materials, information comparisons, and reasoned criticism of ancient historians and geographers. All of these trends pursue a particular goal: to overcome the stereotype of perceiving representatives of the tribal world of ancient Europe, which was shaped by Greco-Roman written tradition. The review of her English-language works on the Illyrian issue demonstrates that Slovenian and European Illyriology are actively developing, allowing us to get to know and understand the specifics of the historical development of the ancient Illyrians.