ISSUS
ISSUS (
Λίσσος,
Strab. vii. p.316;
Ptol. 2.16.5;
Steph. B. sub voce Hierocles; Peut. Tab.), a town of Illyricum, at the mouth of the river Drilo. Dionysius the elder, in his schemes for establishing settlements among the Illyrian tribes, founded Lissus. (
Diod. 15.13.)
It was afterwards in the hands of the Illyrians, who, after they had been defeated by the Romans, retained this port, beyond which their vessels were not allowed to sail. (
Plb. 2.12.) B.C. 211, Philip of Macedon, having surprised the citadel Acrolissus, compelled the town to surrender. (
Plb. 8.15.) Gentius, the Illyrian king, collected his forces here for the war against Rome. (
Liv. 44.30.)
A body of Roman citizens was stationed there by Caesar (
B.C. 3.26--29) to defend the town; and Pliny (
3.26), who says that it was 100 M.P. from Epidaurus, describes it as “oppidum civium Romanorum.” Constantine Porphyrogeneta (
de Adm. Imp. 100.30) calls it
Ἑλισσός, and it now bears the name of
Lesch. (Leake,
Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 477; Schafarik,
Slav. Alt. vol. ii. p. 275.)
[
E.B.J]
