Monunius

Monounios or Monunius (; ; ruled 290 – 270 BC) was an Illyrian king who reigned in southern Illyria, in the territory of the Taulantii, around the hinterland of Dyrrhachion and Apollonia. He is the first known Illyrian king to have struck his own silver coins, which were minted in Dyrrhachion. The fact that Monounios' coins were struck in the city mint of Dyrrhachion stresses that he exercised to some extent his authority over the city, as did his successor and probably son Mytilos later.

Monounios is considered the successor of Glaucias of Taulantii, and probably his son. His realm also included the southern part of the later kingdom of Agron and Teuta. whose reign lasted until at least 295 BC. Between 284 and 282 BC southern Illyria was threatened by Pyrrhus of Epirus, who succeeded in seizing part of the country, including the city of Apollonia and the territory of certain tribes. It has been suggested that Pyrrhus' operations in Illyria ended in 282 BC. Already succeeding to face Epirote offensive in the previous years, Pyrrhus' departure to Italy in 280 BC enabled Monounios to strengthen his power politically and economically, consolidatating the structures of the Illyrian state.

Minting his own coinage reflected Monounios' financial power. The Illyrian king aligned with the most valuable currency in the region – the silver stater of Dyrrachion – and transformed it, in stages, into his own currency. The fact that Monounios' coins were struck in the city mint of Dyrrhachion stresses that he exercised to some extent his authority over the city, as did his successor and probably son Mytilos later.

Monounios was involved in the dynastic struggles in Macedon, waging war as an ally of Lysimachus' son, Ptolemy Epigonos, against Ptolemy Ceraunos, as reported by Pompeius Trogus (1st century BC). The war likely began in spring 280 BC, just a few months after the murder of Ptolemy Epigonos' brothers, and lasted at least until the Gallic invasion in early 279. The situation in 279 BC was seemingly a large-scale regional conflict, which besides the "Celts" and Macedonians, also involved ethnic Illyrians led by king Monounios and Ptolemy Epigonos, a pretender to the Macedonian throne.

A helmet with the inscribed name of the king (ΜΟΝΟΥΝΙΟΥ [ΒΑ]ΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ]) was found in the area of Lake Ohrid.