. ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁the ▁sample d ▁It ali ans ▁shared ▁nearly ▁as ▁much ▁IB D ▁with ▁Alban ian ▁speak ers ▁as ▁with ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁Ob sole te ▁theories ▁ ▁Italian ▁theory ▁La on ik os ▁Ch alk ok ond yles ▁( c . ▁ 1 4 2 3 – 1 4 9 0 ), ▁the ▁By z antine ▁historian , ▁considered ▁the ▁Alban ians ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁It ali ans . ▁The ▁theory ▁has ▁its ▁origin ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁mention ▁of ▁the ▁Alban ians , ▁disput ed ▁whether ▁it ▁refers ▁to ▁Alban ians ▁in ▁an ▁eth nic ▁sense , ▁made ▁by ▁Att ali ates ▁( 1 1 th ▁century ): ▁"... For ▁when ▁subsequent ▁command ers ▁made ▁base ▁and ▁shame ful ▁plans ▁and ▁dec isions , ▁not ▁only ▁was ▁the ▁island ▁lost ▁to ▁By z ant ium , ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁greater ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁army . ▁Unfortunately , ▁the ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁once ▁been ▁our ▁al lies ▁and ▁who ▁possessed ▁the ▁same ▁rights ▁as ▁citizens ▁and ▁the ▁same ▁religion , ▁i . e . ▁the ▁Alban ians ▁and ▁the ▁Lat ins , ▁who ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁Italian ▁regions ▁of ▁our ▁Empire ▁beyond ▁Western ▁Rome , ▁quite ▁suddenly ▁became ▁enemies ▁when ▁Michael ▁Do ke ian os ▁ins an ely ▁directed ▁his ▁command ▁against ▁their ▁leaders ..." ▁ ▁C au cas ian ▁theory ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁theories ▁on ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁Alban ians , ▁now ▁considered ▁ob sole te , ▁incorrectly ▁identified ▁the ▁proto