the Illyrians and Istrians. These people, who were very expert and
undaunted seamen, enriched themselves and their country by seizing and
plundering the merchant vessels which frequented the Adriatic and adjacent
Mediterranean sea; and their piracies were encouraged, rather than
restrained by their sovereigns. At the period to which we allude, they were
governed by a queen, named Teuta, who was a woman of a bold and
enterprising spirit: the Roman merchants, who traded, in the Adriatic, had
frequently been plundered and cruelly treated by her subjects; upon this,
the Roman senate sent two ambassadors to her, to insist that she should put
a stop to these measures. The Romans had also other grounds of complaint
against her and her subjects; for the latter extended their piracies to the
allies of Rome, as well as to the Romans themselves, and the former was at
that time besieging the island of Issa, in the Adriatic, which was under
the protection of the republic. The inhabitants of this island seem to have
been rather extensively engaged in commerce, and were celebrated for
building a kind of light ships, thence called _Issaei lembi_.

Teuta received and treated the Roman ambassadors with great scorn and
haughtiness; she promised, indeed, that she would no longer authorise the
piracies of her subjects; but, with regard to restraining them, she would
not do it, as they enjoyed a perfect and full right to benefit themselves
as much as possible, and in every way they could, by their skill and
superiority in maritime affairs. On the ambassadors' replying in rather
threatening language, she ordered one of them to be put to death.

For a short time Teuta was alarmed at the probable consequences of her
conduct, and endeavoured to avert them by submission; but, the Romans being
otherwise engaged, and she having experienced some successes over the
Acheans, her haughtiness and confidence revived, and she sent a fleet to
assist in the reduction of Issa. Upon this, the Romans resolved to act with