Pleuratus III

Pleuratus III
King Pleuratus
Reign	c.205 BC - c.181 BC
Predecessor	Scerdilaidas
Successor	Gentius
Died	181 BC
Spouse	Eurydice
Ancient Greek	Πλευράτος
Father	Scerdilaidas

Pleuratus III (Ancient Greek Πλευράτος; ruled c. 205 – 181 BC) was an Illyrian king of the Ardiaean Kingdom. Pleuratus was the son of Scerdilaidas and nephew of the powerful Agron of Illyria. He bore the same name as his grandfather, Pleuratus II, and his son Gentius was the last king of the Ardiaean State. Pleuratus continued his father's pro-Roman policy even more decidedly, so much that his loyalty to Rome was well known, even to other dynasts. He managed to extend the boundaries of the Ardiaean State in the south when he was rewarded land annexed by Philip V. For doing nothing at all, he became the greatest of the Illyrian kings of the time all because of his loyalty to the Romans.

Pleuratus is listed among the parties to the Treaty of Phoenice in 205 BC. There is evidence that Pleuratus may have reigned with his father as co-regents prior to 205 BC. He may have been preparing for his future as sole king of the Ardiaean State. By 200 BC Pleuratus was ruling alone when he appeared at the Roman headquarters in Dassaretia offering to assist the expedition against Macedonia. The Roman consul P. Sulpicius Galba declined the offer but promised to seek Pleuratus' help when his army was in Macedonia. Pleuratus was allied with Bato of Dardania, and they both invaded Macedonia in 199 BC. Although Pleuratus invaded the territories of Philip V at least once, his contribution to Roman victory in 197 BC would appear to be minimal. It was mostly Bato who caused the Macedonians damage and became a greater threat to its northern borders.

Nonetheless in 196 BC Pleuratus was rewarded with possession of the strategic region of Lyncestia, which had been in Macedonian hands for nearly two centuries after the defeat of Bardyllis in 358 BC. The Ardiaean State was also given control over the Illyrian Parthini, former Roman allies in the Shkumbin valley and cities in Illyria which had been subdued by Philip. Earlier he had perhaps received some regions formerly controlled by the Ardiaean State and annexed by Philip, although this is not certain. This placed under the control of Pleuratus, the route to attack Macedonia from the west, but the Roman intention was rather to deny control to Macedonia than to signal their regard for Pleuratus. Bato on the other hand was given no territorial gains, such as Paeonia which the Dardanians had long longed for.

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