Difference between revisions of "Dalmatia"

<p> '''''dal''''' -'''''mā´shi''''' -'''''a''''' ( Δαλματία , <i> '''''Dalmatı́a''''' </i> , "deceitful"): A district of the [[Roman]] empire lying on the eastern shore of the Adriatic. Writing from Rome to Timothy during his second imprisonment (in 66 or 67 ad, according to Ramsay's chronology), Paul records the departure of Titus to [[Dalmatia]] ( 2 Timothy 4:10 ). No mention is made of his special mission, and we cannot tell whether his object was to traverse regions hitherto unevangelized or to visit churches already formed. Nor can we determine with certainty the meaning of the word Dalmatia as here used. Originally it denoted the land of the barbarous Dalmatae or Delmatae, a warlike Illyrian tribe subjugated by the Romans after a long and stubborn resistance; it was then applied to the southern portion of the Roman province of Illyricum, lying between the river Titius (modern <i> Kerka </i> ) and the [[Macedonian]] frontier; later the name was extended to the entire province. On the whole it seems most probable that the apostle uses it in this last sense. See further under the word [[Illyricum]] . </p>