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Antique

Delmats, Ardijejs, Daors and other nacions who inhabited the area of Herzegovina at the end of the prehistoric period met with antique civilization when Greeks, during the 4th century AD, when they have founded the cities of Issus and Pharos on the islands of Vis and Hvar.

The Greeks brought money and letters to our land. They raised quality of living of the domestic population by trading with their luxurious manufacture products: ceramics, weapons and tools and giving them some elements of Hellenistic urbanism. The use of huge stone blocks to build fortifications and the layout of the city's contents are visible on Ošanići near Stolac, the advanced capital of Illyrian Daorsa, and Zvonigrad in Polog near Mostar who even made their own money.

Rome, as an ally of the Greeks and protector of their interests, at the end of III. st. before Cr. fell into conflict with the Illyrians, crossing for the first time on the eastern Adriatic coast.Illyrian kingdom collapsed 168 g. before Cr. and their place on the political scene was taken by the Delmati, who pressed by the Roman allies Daorse and Greek settlements Epetion (today Stobreč near Split) and Tragurion (Trogir). From the coastal towns of Narona (Vid near Metković), Salona (Solin) and Jadera (Zadar) where conventions were organized - communities of Roman citizens - legions marched on Illyrians. The conflicts began with the burning of the Delmis capital Delmini, and they ended after a century and a half, with the plundering of the great Pannonian-Illyrian uprising the 6 to 9.y.

This enormous war, "the hardest after the Puns", meant the complete pacification of the province of Dalmatia, which covered the area from the Raša River in Istria to the town of Lješ in Albania and from the Adriatic to bosnian Posavina. In order to prevent possible rebellion, delmat limes was builded - a series of forts with military units. The most important points were: Camp of XI. Burnum on the right bank of the river Krka; Tilurium in Gardun near Trilj above Cetina, headquarters of the seventh legion; Bigeste a fort of ancillary units of the Roman army.

The era of prosperity and progres and romanization began, which took place through the institutions of government, granting of civil rights to individuals and urban status to settlements, introducing Roman religion and funeral rituals.Cult inscriptions and architectural remains that testify about cult objects were discovered in Grac Posušje and Humac, where, as we read in the inscriptions, a great temple was builted, perhaps even in the foundations of this monastery. It is dedicated to a pair Liber and Libera, patrons of wine and viticulture. The Romans developed intensive agriculture in the valley of the Neretva River, and the fields along the Trebižat shore. Rural farms - villae rusticae, like the vast ones in Višić and in Mogorjel, are the centers of wine, oil and grain production. The farms in the Livno field and Duvno area, are oriented towards livestock breeding. The transport took place along the river Neretva (Naron flumen) through the port of Narona and further by the sea.


Important land communication is the main road that connects northern Italy with the province of Macedonia, passing through Nova (Runovići), Bigesta and Diluntuma (Stolac).From Salona, the provincial capital, the roads went radially from the shore to the interior. One of them led through Duvno, Kupres vrata, Travnik field and Kiseljak to the great silver mines on the Drina.

World of Late Antique gradually became christianised.Although initially there are two hierarchies, civil and ecclesiastical, by time the Church imposed as the full authority of the government. In addition to the metropolis of Salona, other dioceses are also founded. At the end of IV. and the beginning of the V. churches are increasingly being built in villages outside the main city centers. Construction activity led to standardization of their ground planes and forms, and the strongest influence came from Narona. Although the province was outside the main directions of barbaric burglaries in the Empire, general uncertainty led to the reconstruction of the fortification on the hills trouth the V. and VI. century, such as Blagaj near Mostar, Koštura and Stolac. After short Gothic and Byzantine rule, the unremitting end of ethnic civilization came. With the arrival of Croats in VII. century it was overlaid in the early medieval period.