▁According ▁to ▁Alban ologist ▁Robert ▁Els ie ▁the ▁e agle ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁flag ▁der ives ▁from ▁the ▁By z antine ▁b anner . ▁ ▁Primary ▁sources ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁well - document ed ▁mention ▁of ▁Alban ians ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁eth nic ▁entity ▁is ▁encountered ▁in ▁the ▁Historia ▁by ▁By z antine ▁historian ▁Michael ▁Att ale i ates , ▁where ▁they ▁are ▁mentioned ▁as ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁D urr ë s ▁region ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 0 7 8 . ▁Ear lier ▁references ▁are ▁disput ed . ▁ ▁References ▁to ▁" Al ban ia " ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁century ▁BC , ▁the ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁written ▁by ▁Poly b ius , ▁mentions ▁a ▁location ▁named ▁Ar b ona ▁( ; ▁Latin ised ▁form : ▁Ar bo ) ▁in ▁which ▁some ▁Il ly rian ▁troops , ▁under ▁Queen ▁Te uta , ▁scattered ▁and ▁fled ▁to ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁Rom ans . ▁Ar b ona ▁was ▁perhaps ▁an ▁island ▁in ▁Lib urn ia ▁or ▁another ▁location ▁within ▁Il ly ria . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁century ▁AD , ▁P to le my , ▁the ▁ge ograph er ▁and ▁astronom er ▁from ▁Alexand ria , ▁draft ed ▁a ▁map ▁that ▁shows ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Alban opol is , ▁located ▁N ortheast ▁of ▁D urr ë s ) ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁province ▁of ▁Mac ed onia ▁and ▁the ▁tribe ▁of ▁Alb ano i , ▁which ▁were ▁viewed ▁as ▁Il ly ri ans ▁by ▁later ▁histor