BRYANIUM

Our written sources about the existence of Bryanium at the village of Drenovo are quite obscure. Strabo (64 BC – 24 AD) in his work Geography tells us that Bryanium, Alcomenae and Styberra were among the most populous cities on the Erigon River in Deuriopus district. Obviously, Deuriopus must have covered the whole region alongside the Erigon River as almost does Rajec today that during the Turkish reign of Macedonia was treated as a separate administrative unit called River Parish. Our assumption that Bryanium existed as a city in the past on the site of Gradište near by the hill of Devol is mainly based on the extensive occurrence of the archaeological finds and its strategic location at the gorge of Drenovo on the important road from Stobi to the interior of the Macedonian Kingdom.

Drenovska Klisura - Fauces Pelagonia, The entrance to the gorge at Rajec River

Livy (59 BC – 17 AD), in his description of the Macedonian war with Rome, tells us that the young prince Perseus was ordered by his father, Philip V to guard the passes to Pelagonia against the expected attack by Dardani. After the battle with the Roman army at Ottolobum in 200 BC, Philip V was forced to take the road to Bryanium over the mountains, which he knew that the Roman general would not attempt with his heavy column. When Philip V had established a base near Bryanium, marching from there across country he inspired sudden terror in the enemy.

© Kiril Arsov, 2011