Pleuratus was an Illyrian dynastic name borne by a number of Illyrians of the royal house of the Ardiaei, among others. Pleuratus may derive from PIE *pel-, 'to fill', cognate to Latin plus ( *pleu *pel-), Latin plere (<<EM>*ple- *pel-), Greek pleion (<*ple-ion *pel-). Historical personages of the name include:

• Pleuratus I - Illyrian king, testified in 344 BC. After Philip's reduction of the Grabaei, Pleuratus, in a losing effort, tried to thwart Philip's advances in Illyria almost succeeding in killing Philip in 337 BC if not for a bodyguard receiving Pleuratus' sword. Father of the Illyrian king Agron, and probably of Scerdilaidas.

• Pleuratus II - Illyrian king, son of Skerdilaidas. During the reign of his father he already ruled a number of the Illyrian tribes separately. He participated along with Skerdilaidus in the alliance of Rome and the Aetolian League against Philip V of Macedon. Soon after the peace he had become sole ruler of the Illyrians, reigning from 205 BC to 180 BC. He remained an ally of Rome on the renewal of war with Macedonia, and his loyalty was rewarded with the territories of Lychnidus and the Parthini, Illyrian territories formerly held by Philip. He again aided Rome with a fleet of sixty ships in the subsequent conflict between Rome and Aetolia. He was succeeded by his son Gentius.

• Pleuratus - a prince of Illyria, brother of Gentius, who was put to death by the latter because of his betrothal to a daughter of Monunius who was also desired by the king. Also called Plator.

• Pleuratus - a prince of Illyria, son of Gentius, who was taken captive to Rome with his father.

• Pleuratus - an exiled Illyrian who aided the Macedonian king Perseus diplomacy with Gentius in 169 BC, who later led a force of Illyrian auxiliaries in Perseus's service.

Another Pleuratus, perhaps to be identified with Pleuratus II, above, was said to be a Thracian king. He destroyed the Celtic kingdom based at Tylis which had been established by the Celts on invading and overthrowing the previous native Thracian kingdom in 273 BC. In 214 BC, the Thracians under Pleuratus defeated the Celts; Pleuratus then ruled between 213 BC - 208 BC. Philip V of Macedon afterwards conquered Thrace in 202 BC.

References

1. The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes,1996,ISBN 978-0631198079,page 156,Agron son of Pleuratus belonged to the ruling house of the Ardiaei
2. The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes,1996,ISBN 978-0631198079,page 167,Scerdilaidas and his son Pleuratus
3. The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes,1996,ISBN 978-0631198079,page 172,Gentius had his brother Plator killed because of his plan to marry Etuta
4. The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes,1996,ISBN 978-0631198079,page 174,his sons Scerdilaidas and Pleuratus
5. The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes,1996,ISBN 978-0631198079,page 172,Illyrian exile Pleuratus
6. The History Of Rome by Livy,2004,page 27:,Pleuratus, king of the Thracians;

See also

• Illyrian warfare
• List of rulers of Illyria