Map of the Adriatic Sea

    (Enlarge) (PDF for Print) (Freely Distributed)

The Adriatic Sea or known as the Sea of Adrias in New Testament times was located between Italy on the West and Dalmatia, Macedonia and Achaia on the East, and on the South it extended into the central part of the Mediterranean Sea between the islands of Crete and Malta.

Ptolemy described the Adria in his writings and Josephus mentioned that it was in this sea that he was rescued by a ship of Cyrene.    

Acts 27:27 - But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

Adriatic Sea in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Adria
More properly A'drias the Adriatic Sea. Ac 27:27 The word seems to have been derived from the town of Adria, near the Po. In Paul's time it included the whole sea between Greece and Italy, reaching south from Crete to Sicily. [MELITA]  Full Article

Adriatic Sea in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

ADRIA
a'-dri-a (Westcott-Hort: ho Hadrias or ho Adrias): In Greek Adrias (Polybios i.2.4), Adriatike Thalassa (Strabo iv.204), and Adriatikon Pelagos (Ptolemy iii.15.2), and in Latin Adriaticum mare (Livy xl.57.7), Adrianum mare (Cicero in Pisonem 38), Adriaticus sinus (Livy x.2.4), and Mare superurn (Cicero ad Att. 9.5.1). The Adriatic Sea is a name derived from the old Etruscan city Atria, situated near the mouth of the Po (Livy v.33.7; Strabo v.214). At first the name Adria was only applied to the most northern part of the sea. But after the development of the Syracusan colonies on the Italian and Illyrian coasts the application of the term was gradually extended southward, so as to reach Mons Garganus (the Abruzzi), and later the Strait of Hydruntum (Ptolemy iii.1.1; Polybios vii.19.2). But finally the name embraced the Ionian Sea as well, and we find it employed to denote the Gulf of Tarentum (Servius Aen xi.540), the Sicilian Sea (Pausanias v. 25), and even the waters between Crete and Malta (Orosius i.2.90). Procopius considers Malta as lying at the western extremity of the Adriatic Sea (i.14). After leaving Crete the vessel in which the apostle Paul was sailing under military escort was "driven to and fro in the sea of Adria" fourteen days (Acts 27:27) before it approached the shore of Malta. We may compare this with the shipwreck of Josephus in "the middle of the Adria" where he was picked up by a ship sailing from Cyrene to Puteoli (Josephus, Vita, 3).   Full Article

Illyricum in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Illyricum
An extensive district lying along the eastern coast of the Adriatic, from the boundary of Italy on the north of Epirus on the south, and contiguous to Moessia and Macedonia on the east. Ro 6:19  Full Article

Dalmatia in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Dalmatia
A mountainous district on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. St. Paul sent Titus there. 2Ti 4:10   Full Article

Acts 27:27 - But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

Romans 15:19 - Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

2 Timothy 4:10 - For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.