Shkoder, also called SHKODRA, Latin SCODRA, Italian SCUTARI, town, northwestern Albania. It lies at the southeast end of Lake Scutari, at a point where the Buen� (Serbo-Croatian: Bojana) River, one of Albania's two navigable streams, flows out of the lake toward the Adriatic Sea. Situated at the edge of a wide plain surrounded by high mountains, the city is overlooked on the west by the peak of Tarabosh. Shkoder is dominated on the south by the now-isolated citadel of Rozafat, past which the Kiri River flows into the Buen�. Since 1900 the town has spread northeastward, away from its bazaar, which was once important because of its location at the convergence of trade routes from the Danube River and the Aegean Sea.

Is it the same Skudra in the ancient Persian inscriptions?

Isn't it an Illyrian helmet:

I don't think also that they were an Iranian people but there is almost no doubt that they live somwhere near Greece, of course it is said to be Thrace and Macedonia, as it is mentioned here:

http://www.iranica.com/articles/v7f1/v7f136a.html - http://www.iranica.com/articles/v7f1/v7f136a.html

[According to the ancient Persian inscriptions] Four new "satrapies" were added to Darius' empire: Saka tyaiy paradraya "Overseas Scythians," Skudra (Thrace and Macedonia), Yauna takabara or Yauna tyaiy paradraya (Thessalians and Greek islanders), and Putaya (Libya).

I searched for http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=albania+costume - Albania Costume in google and found this pic:

It is interesting that Albanian men wore also skirt-like garments!

The Pteruges?  They wouldn't be attached to the klibanion (or whatever the corselet is).  Instead they would be attached to something worn underneath the corselet (sometimes just called an arming jerkin).

Of course we all know that the existance of Albania came into effect after the 1st world war, created from parts of Greece and the kingdom of Serbs. Albania being relativley new as a country is rather historicaly better known as Epi-ras or in later times through the Siva charta marina- 16th centuery or so as "SERVIA  or Serbia where i might add that there was no mention of Albanians upon Servia. This goes to explain were the name Skhoder derives from, the Slav word Skadar. If we take into account that the language of what we today understand to be Albanians  *(Shiqitars) is declared by linguistitions to be largely undeveloped, that it is basicaly made up of localised languages such as Greek, Latin and Serbian we can the take a number of borrowed slav words as evidence.

eg. Serbs will say Kosovo from the word Kos - blackbird while the albanians will re-adapt this word to Kosova from the original Slav name hence the name Skhoder was re-adapted from the Slav Skadar. Just as there cannot be Kosovans meaning that there are only Albanians and Serbs two distinct races and cultures who can not agree on anything how could there be a nation Kosovans that  both belong to as one?

Albania to this day has over 3500 Serbian/Slav regional and geographic names.

The Byzantine troops?  They were known as 'skutatos', and indeed their name was due to their usage of the skuta shield.  Though most actually came to use the kite-shield.

Hmm, I've never noticed Polybius use the term (or any other Roman Historian)...

There was an Iberian troop called 'Scutarii' by the Romans (only seen the term in modern texts, but if I had to guess, I'd say the modern scholars got it from Polybius).  Sure that's not what you mean?

The first is describing Byzantine Tactics, and I suspect the last one is as well  (I'm not sure how to access that, so I can only speculate for now).  The second link appears to just be a list of Latin terms (in other words, not necessarily terms the Romans used), and I can't find the quote you cited from Thayer's site, maybe you could copy-and-paste the text around the quote (to give me a better idea of what he's saying)?

22 The youngest soldiers or velites are ordered to carry a sword, javelins, and a target ( http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Parma.html" onmouseover="return Ebox(INARRAY,1,WIDTH,175)" onmouseout="nd();" target="princeps - parma ). The target is strongly made and sufficiently large to afford protection, being circular and measuring javascript%20void%280%29" onmouseover="return Ebox('90 centimeters',WIDTH,100)" onmouseout="nd();"> three feet in diameter. They also wear a plain helmet, and sometimes cover it with a wolf's skin or something similar both to protect and to act as a distinguishing mark by which their officers can recognize them and judge if they fight pluckily or not. The wooden shaft of the javelin measures about two cubits in length and is about a finger's breadth in thickness; its head is a span long hammered out to such a fine edge that it is necessarily bent by the first impact, and the enemy is unable to return it. If this were not so, the missile would be available for both sides.

23 The next in seniority called hastati are ordered to wear a complete panoply. The Roman panoply consists firstly of a shield (scutum), the convex surface of which measures javascript%20void%280%29" onmouseover="return Ebox('75 cm in width and 1.20 meters in length')" onmouseout="nd();"> two and a half feet in width and four feet in length, the thickness at the rim being javascript%20void%280%29" onmouseover="return Ebox('10 centimeters',WIDTH,100)" onmouseout="nd();"> a palm's breadth. It is made of two planks glued together, the outer surface being then covered first with canvas and then with calf-skin. Its upper and lower rims are strengthened by an iron edging which protects it from descending blows and from injury when rested on the ground. It also has an iron boss (umbo) fixed to it which turns aside the most formidable blows of stones, pikes, and heavy missiles in general. Besides the shield they also carry a sword, hanging on the right thigh and called a Spanish sword. This is excellent for thrusting, and both of its edges cut effectually, as the blade is very strong and firm. In addition they have two pila, a brass helmet, and greaves. The pila are of two sorts � stout and fine. Of the stout ones some are round and javascript%20void%280%29" onmouseover="return Ebox('1 palm = 10 cm',WIDTH,100)" onmouseout="nd();"> a palm's length in diameter and others are a palm square. Fine pila, which they carry in addition to the stout ones, are like moderate-sized hunting-spears, the length of the haft in all cases being about three cubits. Each is fitted with a barbed iron head of the same length as the haft. This they attach so securely to the haft, carrying the attachment halfway up the latter and fixing it with numerous rivets, that in action the iron will break sooner than become detached, although its thickness at the bottom where it comes in contact with the wood is a finger's breadth and a half; such great care do they take about attaching it firmly. Finally they wear as an ornament a circle of feathers with three upright purple or black feathers javascript%20void%280%29" onmouseover="return Ebox('about 45cm in height',WIDTH,100)" onmouseout="nd();"> about a cubit in height, the addition of which on the head surmounting their other arms is to make every man look twice his real height, and to give him a fine appearance, such as will strike terror into the enemy. The common soldiers wear in addition a breastplate of brass a span square, which they place in front of the heart and call the heart-protector (pectorale), this completing their accoutrements; but those who are rated above ten thousand drachmas wear instead of this a coat of chain-mail ( http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Lorica.html" onmouseover="return Ebox(INARRAY,1,WIDTH,175)" onmouseout="nd();" target="princeps - lorica ). The principes and triarii are armed in the same manner except that instead of the pila the triarii carry long spears (hastae).

B. = scutarius, II. 2.; http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/vor?type=phrase&alts=0&group=typecat&lookup=Inscr&collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman" style=" - Inscr . Orell. 3448 (belonging to A. D. 256).

The problem is that I just can't remember where I saw it.


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To the gods we mortals are all ignorant.Those old traditions from our ancestors, the ones we've had as long as time itself, no argument will ever overthrow, in spite of subtleties sharp minds invent.

In fact Scodrinon = Scodra has nothing to do with Scudra!  Kod�r/Kodrin� in albanian means hill! The castle of Rozafa is builted in hill! That's why the city took that name! There have been other places in Illyria with this name!

And this is another proof of Illyrian - Albanian continuity!

This is an ancient coin that shows a Liburnian ship (the one that was later adopted by the Romans)