What is "grabus"

Grabus (ruled c. 437 – 423 BC) was an Illyrian king of the Taulantii State. Grabus played an important part in the battle for Durrës between Corinth and Corcyra, which each claiming to be the "mother city" (metropolis), in 437 BC which sparked off the Pelopponesian War. Grabus became an ally of Athens at the time against Corinth.

The Taulantii State under Grabus was centred in the Myzeqe plain in what is now central Albania which bordered the Greek colony of Durrës. At that time, Durrës was governed by a tight oligarchy that appointed a ruling magistrate. Tradesmen and craftsmen were excluded from power until internal strife produced a more democratic government. In 437 BC, the aristocrats were banished by the democrats and gained protection and looked for assistance from Grabus. Because of its fear of the power of the Taulantii State, Durrës firstly appealed to Corcyra which refused to help its citizens and then was able to enlist the help of Corinth. The banished aristocrats and Grabus found support in democratic Corcyra and Grabus became an ally of Athens.

In 435 BC, the Corinthian fleet set out for Corcyra and Durrës, but in 433 BC it was destroyed by the Corcyrian fleet at Actium of Anactorium in the Battle of Sybota. Meanwhile, another Corcyrian fleet broke the siege of Durrës, which Grabus had attacked. The surrender of the democrats in Durrës enabled Grabus to gain economic control of the city.

The alliance that Grabus made with Corcyra strengthened the position of the Taulantii State and hence it began to get actively involved in the affairs of the Greek colonies in Illyria and of its neighbours, especially that of Macedonia.

Grabos was the son of Grabus who would later clash with the Macedonian king Philip II in 356 BC.