[[Fil:PAEONIAN_ARDIAEAN_(ILLYRIAN)_DARDANIAN_KINGDOMS_EXTENT_DURING_230_BC.png|thumb|220px|left|[[Illyrien|Kongeriget Illyrien]] og [[Dardanien]] i det 3. århundrede f.Kr.]]
I Antikken blev det territorium, der i dag er Albanien, hovedsageligt beboet af en række [[Illyrere|illyriske]] stammer. Territoriet var kendt som [[Illyrien]], og strakte sig omtrent fra området øst for Adriaterhavet til mundingen af [[Vjosë]]-floden i syd.<ref>The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes, 1996, {{ISBN|978-0-631-19807-9}}, page 92, "Appian's description of the Illyrian territories records a southern boundary with Chaonia and Thesprotia, where ancient Epirus began south of river Aoous (Vjose)" [https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C&lpg=PP1&dq=illyrians%20wilkes&pg=PR20 og kort] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531001130/https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C&lpg=PP1&dq=illyrians%20wilkes&pg=PR20|date=31. maj 2016}}</ref><ref>Cambridge University Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=0qAoqP4g1fEC&pg=PA266&dq=campridge+ancient+history+epirus&hl=el#v=onepage&q=epirus&f=false ''The Cambridge ancient history'']. 2000. {{ISBN|0-521-23447-6}}, page 261,"...&nbsp;down to the mouth of Aous"</ref> Den første beskrivelse af de illyriske grupperinger stammer fra ''[[Periplus Ponti Euxini]]'', en gammel græsk tekst skrevet i midten af det 4. århundrede f.Kr. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910203808/https://books.google.com/books?id=0qAoqP4g1fEC&pg=PA266&dq=campridge+ancient+history+epirus&hl=el#v=onepage&q=epirus&f=false |date=10. september 2016 }}<ref>The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes, 1996, page&nbsp;94</ref>
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