Illyrians & Romans (until the 7th century)

The oldest traces of human settlement in the area of present-day Croatia date back over 100,000 years — the famous Neanderthal of Krapina (discovered in 1899) is one of Europe's most important paleontological finds.

In antiquity, Illyrian tribes inhabited the eastern Adriatic coast. The Greeks founded colonies on the islands from the 4th century BC — Pharos (today Stari Grad on Hvar) and Issa (today Vis) were the most significant. The Stari Grad Plain on Hvar, the oldest preserved Greek land surveying system in the Mediterranean, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Romans conquered the region from 229 BC in several Illyrian wars. Under Augustus, the province of Dalmatia was established (named after the Illyrian tribe of the Delmatae). The Romans left behind spectacular structures: the Amphitheater in Pula (one of the six largest in the world), the Diocletian's Palace in Split (built 295-305 AD as the retirement residence of Emperor Diocletian, who was born in Salona near Split), the Temple of Augustus in Pula, and countless villas, roads, and aqueducts.

Diocletian (244-311) is the most important historical figure: born as the son of a slave in nearby Salona, he rose to become a Roman emperor, reformed the entire empire (Tetrarchy), and had the largest palace of the Roman world built for himself — today the heart of Split, where 3,000 people still live.