Livy (1st century BC), after the 167 victory of the Romans in the Third Illyrian War, the Roman Senate decided to give freedom to "Issenses et Taulantios, Dassaretiorum Pirustas, Rhizonitas, Olciniatas". Those tribes were rewarded by Rome because they abandoned the Illyrian (Lebeatan) king Gentius a little before his defeat, and thereafter remained independent polities. For a similar reason Daorsi too gained immunitas, while the inhabitants of Scodra, Dassarenses and Seleptani, as well as other Illyrians, had to pay half of the tax. The Taulantii appear as one of the Illyrian peoples defeated by Octavian during the course of the Illyrian war he undertook in 35–33 BC. They are mentioned along with other Illyrian tribes: Oxyaei, Pertheenatae, Bathiatae, Cambaei, Cinambri, Merromeni, and Pyrissaei. Octavian defeated them in a single military expedition, probably departing partly from Brundisium, and partly from the military bases in Roman Illyria. Since the Taulantii were located in the hinterland of Dyrrhachium and Apollonia, Octavian's army was involved in the regional dominions that belonged to Mark Antony. One of Octavian's aims in the Illyrian war was most likely to take control of the southeastern Adriatic harbours of Lissus, Dyrrhachium and Apollonia. Octavian was particularly interested in Dyrrhachium, as it was the most important harbour, and later it must have become a key naval base of Octavian's fleet. Culture Language The idiom spoken by the Taulanti is included in the southern Illyrian onomastic province in modern linguistics. The territory they inhabited belongs to the area that is considered in current scholarship as the linguistic core of Illyrian. Cuisine The Abri, a northern subgroup of the Taulantii, were known to the ancient Greek writers for their technique of preparing mead from honey. Taulantian dynasty The following names are recorded in ancient sources as Taulantian chieftains and/or Illyrian kings: Galaurus or Galabrus (latter part of the 7th century BC), the oldest known Illyrian king, recorded by Polyaenus ( 2nd-century AD); the authenticity of Polyaenus' passage is disputed; Pleuratus I ( 345344 BC); Glaucias ( 335295 BC), who fought against Alexander the Great and raised Pyrrhus of Epirus, briefly installing him on the throne. The Illyrian king Monounios, who minted his own silver staters bearing the king's name and the symbol of Dyrrhachion from about 290 BC, is considered the successor of Glaucias, and probably his son. Their realm also included the southern part of the kingdom of Agron and Teuta.