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ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION IN SOUTH PANNONIA IN THE LATE ANTIQUITY
Hrvoje GRAČANIN
Sažetak
Author analyzes development of the ecclesiastical organizations in two provinces of south Pannonia – Pannonia Savia and Pannonia Seconda – in the period between the end of the fourth and the end of the sixth century. Special attention is driven to the question of the bishopric of Iovia in Pannonia Savia and the bishopric of Bassianae in the Pannonia Seconda. Author describes untoward circumstances after collapse of the Roman system, which influenced life of Christians in the south Pannonia. Moreover, author investigates the question of expansion of jurisdiction of the archbishop of Salona on the provinces in south Pannonia, which happened on the expense of the metropolite of Syrmium. Regarding the ecclesiastical organization in the south Pannonia in the sixth century it is important to note that bishops of Sisciae are mentioned on two councils in Salona, which proves that at this time Church in the Western Illyiric was still quite vital. Furthermore, since the rulers of Pannonia (Ostrogoths and Gepids) were worshipers of the Arianism, activities of the Arian Church certainly were revitalized in this period. The most evident proof of disappearance of an ecclesiastical organization is bishops’ vacancies, since according to the canon law they could not freely abandon their dioceses and worshipers’ communities. Therefore, escape of Sebastian the bishop of Syrmium in 582 was just a symbolic act of the ecclesiastical organization breakdown on the territory that was bordered with rivers Sava, Drava and Danube.
Ecclesiastical organization in the south Pannonia from the end of the fourth century started to endure pressure from which at the end it was not able to recover. Up to the mid fifth century decay of the ecclesiastical organization became more and more obvious, and its
first culmination was marked with the flight of the bishop of Syrmium before Attila’s Huns in 441. At this time many other bishoprics in the south Pannonia were already vacant; namely sees in Cibaliae, Mursia, Sisciae, and probably in Iovia, if the suppositions that it ever existed is correct, were abandoned since there is no mention of their bishops in the period. All this was partly caused by decomposition of urban structures and massive depopulation because of the unstable political circumstances and nor emperor nor provincial authorities could not provide necessary level of security. Still, this did not mean that the local Christian communities had disappeared, but only that there was no condition for preserving a stable ecclesiastical administrative organization. Because of such situation these regions were administratively incorporated into dioceses which were not so endangered, and this was the reason why the metropolite of Salona extended his jurisdiction to the region between rivers Sava, Drava and Danube. For the western parts of this region such bonding continued even during the Ostrogoth and Byzantine rule in the first half of the sixth century. One can maintain such supposition because we have proof that bishops of Sisciae participated in the work of the councils in Salona. Still, one has to admit that emperor Justinian in 545 subjected entire Pannonia to the archbishop of Justiniana Prima,
but in reality this did not have any practical consequences. However, all these facts suggest that ecclesiastical organization was positively affected by the stabilization of political circumstances and improved the central authorities control over the region. Namely, after
the Empire managed to re-conquer Syrmium and its surroundings local ecclesiastical organization was »reinforced« by the organization of a new bishopric in Bassianae, which unfortunately did not last for long. It seems that renovation of Syrmium diocese was not
completed since in 536 the city was captured by Gepids. The Empire finally managed to re-capture Syrmium in 567 and in this year the head of the renovated diocese became Sebastian. In the meantime diocesan see in Sisciae was vacant from the time of death of
bishop Constantine. At this time it seems that the Empire did not have enough strength to maintain and support ecclesiastical organization in Pannonia Savia, especially if one bears in mind that the imperial policy of suppressing Gepids was letting Langobards to
settle in Pannonia. The final strike to the ecclesiastical organization in Pannonia was invasion of Slavs and Avars during 70s and 80s of the sixth century. Therefore, when Syrimium was captured by Avars, flight of the local bishop just marked the final collapse of the ecclesiastical organization in the south Pannonia. Although Christianity did not disappear in the region, it was limited to the small and isolated communities that started to develop their own cults, embracing only elementary forms of ecclesiastical organization.
Ključne riječi
Late antiquity; south Pannonia; Christianity; Church
Hrčak ID:
126287
URI
Datum izdavanja:
18.6.2014.
Posjeta: 2.650 *