Penestae (tribe)
The Penestae were an Illyrian [List of ancient Illyrians|Illyrian peoples and tribes|tribe] dwelling in southeastern Illyria, in an inland region that was called Penestia, which was located around the Black Drin valley north of Lake Ohrid, between present-day eastern Albania and western North Macedonia. They are firstly mentioned by ancient Roman historian Livy. They appear several times in Livy's accounts of the events concerning the Macedonian War, which was fought between the Roman Republic and the Kingdom of Macedonia under Perseus. Their chief city was Uscana, most likely located in the valley of the Black Drin in the region of Dibra.
Name
The tribe is mentioned only by Livy as Penestae. They appear several times in Livy's accounts of the Third Roman-Macedonian War, which occurred in the early 2nd century BC.Based on the presence of the typical Illyrian suffix -st-, the name is considered to be Illyrian, such as Pirustae, for example. The name may also be connected to the Πενέσται, a Thessalian social class, which can alternatively be considered a simple linguistic change of the Ancient Greek term Μενέσται, as already pointed out by Archemachus of Euboea, or related to the Ancient Greek πένης.
Geography
The tribe inhabited Penestia, an inland region in southeastern Illyria, located around the Black Drin valley north of Lake Ohrid. The Penestae were bordered by the Dassaretii and Parthini to the south, the Dardani to the north. In the east, the Penestae were neighboured by Ancient Macedonia. The nearby Stuberra was used by Perseus of Macedon to access Uscana in Penestia from the south-east. The westernmost territory of the Penestae extended to the domains of the Labeatae.Settlements
The chief settlement of the Penestae was Uscana, most likely located in the valley of the Black Drin in the region of Dibra. The territory of the Penestae appears to have been densely populated, because Livy mentions the existence of eleven fortified settlements, in addition to Uscana, Draudacum and Oaeneum, the latter being a strategically important settlement on the route to the tribal region of the Labeatae, over which Gentius ruled. Draudacum and Oaeneum lied within the Pollog Valley region, which was inhabited and ruled by both the Penestae and the Dardanians.History
In Livy's accounts of the Third Macedonian War, which was fought between the Roman Republic and the Kingdom of Macedon in the years 171–168 BC, the Penestae are not considered part of the realm of the Illyrian king Gentius. During the that war the Penestae, alongside the Parthini, remained loyal to Rome.Perseus of Macedon, after his successful diplomatic actions in Epirus and military campaigns against the Dardani, also undertook several campaigns in Penestia. Firstly, he stopped at Stuberra for supplies and equipment, and then he proceeded to Uscana in Penestian territory.