1
Issa
BRANKO KIRIGIN
Issa is the ancient name of both the Adriatic
island of Vis (ca. 90 km2) and the Greek polis
(Ps.-Skylax 29; Ps.-Skymnos 413–14) located
near the modern town of Vis. The island was
not densely populated in the Bronze and Iron
Ages. A few Archaic Greek artifacts have been
found at the ancient site, but out of context;
they may come from graves. The apoikia
(see APOIKIA (OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT)) occupies a
fortified area of some 10 ha. Excavations have
been conducted mainly at the two Issaean cem-
eteries of Martvilo and Vlaška njiva, where
some 300 graves dating from the late fourth
century BCE to the mid-fourth century CE have
been discovered. Hellenistic graves and tomb-
stones show a distinctive burial practice: family
chamber tombs and offerings connected with
wine (Kirigin 1990: 305–10).
Whether DIONYSIOS I of SYRACUSE founded
Lissos (in Albania) or Issa prior to the founda-
tion of Pharos in 385/4 BCE is the subject of
an ongoing debate that is not supported
by archaeology. Numismatic evidence suggests
that the city of Issa may have been founded
by Syracusans from Pharos after 344. The
bulk of Issa’s coinage can be dated between
320 and 200 (Visonà 1996). At this time the
island’s fertile areas (ca. 1,000 ha) were dotted
with farmhouses that continued to function in
the Roman period (Kirigin et al. 2006). It has
been estimated that Issa, which was famed for
its wine (Ath. 1.28d), could have produced
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,
and Sabine R. Huebner, print page 3527.
© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah04153
some 2 million liters of wine per annum
and have it exported (Kirigin, Katunarić, and
Šešelj 2006). During its independence Issa
founded settlements at KORKYRA MELAINA,
Tragurion, and Epetion (Polyb. 32.9.1–3).
Since the First Illyrian War Issa was an ally of
the Roman Republic (Livy 31.45.10; 43.9.4–6;
Polyb. 32.9.1–3) and played an important role
in the Romanization of DALMATIA. Issa was
nobilissimum regionum earum oppidum (Caes.
B Alex. 47.3.3). Pliny (HN 3.152) calls Issa a
settlement civium Romanorum. By the Late
Roman period Issa was much less populated.
SEE ALSO: Illyrian wars; Pharos, Adriatic island.
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
Kirigin, B. (1990) “The Greeks in central
Dalmatia: some new evidence.” In J.-P.
Descoeudres, ed., Greek colonists and native
populations: 291–321. Oxford.
Kirigin, B., Katunarić, T., and Šešelj, L. (2006)
“Preliminary notes on some economic and social
aspects of amphorae and fine-ware pottery from
central Dalmatia.” In F. Lenzi, ed., Rimini e
l’Adriatico nell’età delle guerre puniche: 191–225.
Bologna.
Kirigin, B., Vujnović, N., Čače, S., Gaffney, V.,
Podobnikar, T., Stančič, Z., and Burmaz, J. (2006)
The archaeological heritage of Vis, Biševo, Svetac,
Palagruža and Šolta. Oxford.
Visonà, P. (1996) “The chronology of Issa’s
Hellenistic coinage.” In Proceedings of the First
International Numismatical Congress in Croatia:
149–60. Opatija.