PANNONIA, a country bounded north and east by the Dan ube, conterminous westwards with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Its original in habitants were probably of Illyrian race. From the 4th century B.C. it was invaded by various Celtic tribes, probably survivors of the hosts of Brennus. Little is heard of Pannonia until 35 B.C., when its inhabitants, having taken up arms in support of the Dal matians, were attacked by Augustus, who conquered and occupied Siscia (Sissek). The country was not, however, definitely sub dued until 9 B.C., when it was incorporated with Illyria, the frontier of which was thus extended as far as the Danube. In A.D. 7 the Pannonians, with the Dalmatians and other Illyrian tribes, revolted, and were overcome by Tiberius and Germanicus, after a hard-fought campaign which lasted for two years. In A.D. I0 Pannonia was organized as a separate province. The prox imity of dangerous barbarian tribes (Quadi, Marcomanni) neces sitated the presence of a large number of troops (seven legions in later times), and numerous fortresses were built on the bank of the Danube. Some time between the years 102 and 107, which marked the termination of the first and second Dacian wars, Trajan divided the province into Pannonia superior, the western, and inferior, the eastern portion.
Under Diocletian a fourfold division of the country was made.
In the middle of the 5th century Pannonia was ceded to the Huns by Theodosius II., and after the death of Attila passed into the hands of the Ostrogoths, Longobards (Lombards), and Avars.
The inhabitants of Pannonia are described as brave and war like, but cruel and treacherous. Except in the mountainous dis tricts, the country was fairly productive, especially after the great forests had been cleared by Probus and Galerius. Before that time timber had been one of its most important exports. Its chief agricultural products were oats and barley, from which the inhabitants brewed a kind of beer. Pannonia was famous for its breed of hunting-dogs.
The native settlements consisted of pagi (cantons) containing a number of vici (villages), the majority of the large towns being of Roman origin. In Upper Pannonia were Vindobona (Vienna), probably founded by Vespasian ; Arrabona (Raab) , a considerable military station; Savaria or Sabaria (Stein-am-Anger), founded by Claudius, a frequent residence of the later emperors, and capital of Pannonia prima. In Lower Pannonia were Sirmium (first mentioned in A.D. 6, also a frequent residence of the later emperors), and Sopianae (Fiinfkirchen), an important place at the meeting of five roads.