Iapyges

The Iapyges were an ancient people who, along with the closely related Messapii, likely migrated to southeastern Italy from across the Adriatic Sea around 1000 BCE. They inhabited the region known as Iapygia, which encompassed areas like Apulia.12

The Iapygian language, also referred to as Messapic, is an Indo-European language distinct from Latin and Umbro-Sabellian dialects, showing similarities to languages from the Balkans and central Europe. This linguistic evidence supports the theory of their trans-Adriatic origin.2

The civilization of the Iapyges, influenced by Greek colonies, developed from the 9th to the 3rd centuries BCE. They established confederated cities and maintained their independence until the Roman conquest in 266 BCE.12