Pleuratus III

Who is Pleuratus III?

Pleuratus III 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.