Teuta: Did you mean...?

In this article, we look at the lives and deeds of seven notorious women pirates. There is Teuta, the Balkan enemy of ancient Rome; Alwilda, the Scandinavian princess who chose a life of crime on the High Seas; Maria Lindsey, who terrorized...

Artist's impression of Teuta, Queen of the Illyrian Ardiaei tribe, leads a pirate expedition against rome. According to Illyrian laws, piracy was a legitimate trade, which led to war against the Roman Republic, who did not approve. This...

A modern bust of Teuta, the 3rd-century BCE queen of the Ardiaei, an Illyrian tribe. Teuta commanded fleets that were accused of piracy by the Romans, who sent a force to defeat her in 229/228 BCE. Krujë, Albania.

Statue of the Illyrian Queen Teuta (r. 231-227 BCE) and Pinnes in Tirana, Albania

The pirates of the ancient Mediterranean were not, for the most part, the outsiders who knew no country's allegiance and were the enemies of civilization as they are frequently depicted in novels and other media. They were often employed...

Piracy, defined as the act of attacking and robbing a ship or port by sea, had a long history in the ancient Mediterranean stretching from the time of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (r. 1353-1336 BCE) and throughout the Middle Ages (c. 476-1500...

The ruins of Daorson, ancient Illyria (modern Bosnia). The region was inhabited by the Daorsi tribe who flourished in the region c. 300-50 BCE. They fell under the control of Queen Teuta (r. 231-227 BCE) and were most likely involved in Illyrian...