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Scerdilaidas or Skerdilaid (; ruled 218–206 BC) was an Illyrian ruler of the Illyrian kingdom under the Labeates. Before taking the throne, Scerdilaidas was commander of the Illyrian armies and played a major role in the Illyrian Wars against the Romans.Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, , Page 129, "... because no coins are known to have been issued by Illyrian rulers of a later period such as Agron, Teuta, Scerdilaidas, etc. ..."
Scerdilaidas was one of the youngest brothers of Agron and father of Pleuratus III and grandfather of Gentius.Épire, Illyrie, Macédoine: mélanges offerts au professeur Pierre Cabanes by Danièle Berranger, Pierre Cabanes, Danièle Berranger-Auserve, page 133 Scerdilaidas took part in many expeditions in the Ionian and Aegean Sea with Demetrius and his brother-in-law Amynas of Athamania. During his early reign Scerdilaidas was an ally of Rome. In 217 BC Scerdilaidas later adopted Roman rule and became an enemy of Macedonia for parleying with Rome. With the Romans invested by Hannibal, Philip V of Macedon sought to take southern Illyria from Scerdilaidas and made several advancements into the Ardiaean State from 214 BC to 210 BC.
In reaction, the Aetolian League and the Dardanians under Longarus joined with Scerdilaidas to defeat the Macedonians in 208 BC. With no chance of victory, Philip V accepted peace in 205 BC. Unlike most other Illyrian kings of which there is only sparse data, Scerdilaidas is mentioned in the writings of the historian Appian, Livy and Polybius, and in their chronicles of the Roman and Greek wars.Scerdilaidas
Under the reign of Teuta, Scerdilaidas was the commander of a large land force of 5,000 during the Invasion of Epirus in 230 BC. Scerdilaidas marched south through the pass at Antigoneia to assist Teuta's forces at the Epirote capital of Phoenice. News that Scerdilaidas was on his way caused the Epirotes to send part of their forces north to secure the city. After the Illyrian victory at the Battle of Phoenice, Epirus begged for assistance from the Greek Leagues, while Teuta's army, having joined up with the forces led by Scerdilaidas, marched inland to Halicranum deep in the heart of Epirus, on the plain of modern Ioannina.
Scerdilaidas chose a good position and prepared the army for battle against the Leagues the next day which he believed he would win. Orders to withdraw arrived from Teuta because some of the revolting Illyrians within the Ardiaean State had joined the influential Dardanian State under Longarus who wanted to invade the northern regions of Teuta's state. Scerdilaidas was forced to return and secure the Ardiaean State's northern borders from Longarus. As Scerdilaidas marched north, Teuta secured a peace treaty in favour of the Ardiaean State.John Wilkes pg.158-159 While still in Epirus Scerdilaidas led a fleet of lembi on the Ionian Sea and swept through Corfu and Onchesmos and intercepted and plundered some merchant vessels of Rome.Wilkes 1995, p. 158.
After the defeat of Teuta during the First Illyrian War in 228 BC, young Pinnes, formally King of Illyria under Teuta's regency, was confirmed to remain king of a limited Ardiaean State by the victorious Romans. Soon the regency was taken over by Demetrius of Pharos, who married Pinnes' mother, Triteuta, the divorced wife of Scerdilaidas' brother Agron. This happened most probably without consent of Rome, even if Demetrius was their ally.
In 217 BC, Scerdilaidas ceased his support for Philip V, maintaining that a promised subsidy was unpaid and long overdue. He dispatched 15 ships, ostensibly to collect and escort the payment, but at the island of Lefkada south of Corcyra his forces killed two of Philip's allies and seized their four ships.Épire, Illyrie, Macédoine: mélanges offerts au professeur Pierre Cabanes by Danièle Berranger, Pierre Cabanes, Danièle Berranger-Auserve, page 130 Scerdilaidas' fleet then sailed south and began to plunder shipping around Cape Malea in the southern Peloponnese. In response, Philip prepared a strong naval force of twelve decked ships, eight open vessels and thirty hemioliae, which headed south at full speed to deal with Scerdilaidas. This counterattack by Philip was too slow and missed its targets. Scerdilaidas went on to march into Dassaretia, taking several cities and invading parts of western Macedonia. He looted Pissaeum in Pelagonia and overran some frontier districts of Macedon. Before the winter Philip had occupied the area of Lyncestis, cutting off the direct route from Illyria, and extended his power to Dassaretia. Philip was planning an invasion of Illyria. However, in doing so, he would face not only the lembi of Scerdilaidas, but also the heavier warships of the Roman navy.Hammond 1968
Scerdilaidas, with his son Pleuratus III, Longarus of the Dardanian State and Epirus, together with the Aetolian League allied with each other in prepratiuon for Rome's response.Polybius 8.14-14b During the conflict, Scerdilaidas fought to recover the lands lost during First Illyrian War but the Treaty of Phoenice in 205 BC formally acknowledged the favourable position of Macedonia, including the capture of the southern Illyrian communities. He died sometime before the treaty in 205 BC as only his son Pleuratus III is listed among those present at Phoenice.Épire, Illyrie, Macédoine: mélanges offerts au professeur Pierre Cabanes by Danièle Berranger, Pierre Cabanes, Danièle Berranger-Auserve, page 137
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