Grove of Bindus

Inscriptions relating to Bindus often see him joined to his Greek counterpart, Neptune. From this we can assume that they may have shared attributes, including Neptune’s mastery of the seas. This would have made him an important part of the lives of the seafaring Illyrians. The Illyrians were such skilled pirates that the Romans, unable to prevent their near-constant raiding, were forced to send ambassadors to Queen Teuta. She was quick to point out that, under Illyrian law, what the Romans considered piracy was lawful trade, and furthermore that she had no right to interfere with the private enterprises of her people. Naturally, the Roman ambassadors didn’t take kindly to this response, informing Teuta that Rome had “an excellent custom of punishing private wrongs by public revenge". Outraged by their disrespect, Teuta had one of the ambassadors killed on the spot and the other imprisoned.