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THE ARRIVAL OF THE CROATIANS

Vladimir Košćak

Sažetak

Examining the last ten years literature on the topic the author has divided his essay in three chapters.
1. According to the Byzantine writers (Procopius, Menander, Theophilactus Simocatta, the Cronicle of Monemvasia, Miracula S. Demetrii, Constantinus Por-phirogenitus), the letters of the pope Gregorius I and the archeological finds he displays how the Slavs and the Avars have occupayed the hinterland of the Adriatic east shore during a long period which lasted from 548 AD to 638, when they have destroyed Salona and other coastal towns, but not the islands.
2. The author tries to prove the Croatians have come from the regions around Beskid, the most western parts of the Carpathian mountains, becouse they have been invited from the Emperor Heraclius (610—641) in order to hinder the antibyzantine alliance between the Avars and the Longobards in Italy soon after the coastal towns were destroyed. It means that the first troops of the Croatians might arrive in Dalmatia already 639 midst the battles with the Avars, which lasted several years as w’e are told in the chapter 30th of Porphirogenitus’ De Administrando Imperio.
3. The Croatians as a ruling military class of horsmen and wariors (sklabarhontes of Const. Porph.) have possessed with garrizons not only Dalmatia but also the neighbouring old Roman provinces: Noricum, Pannonia Savia and Epirus Nova. Thus they have formed a kind of tetrarchia or coalition of four rudimentary states. In the long and heavy wars of Charlemagne against Byzantine Empire and Avar Caganate (787—812) the Croatian limitrophe regions, Carinthia (Noricum) and Red Croatia (Epirus), have disappeared, but the central ones, Dalmatia and Pannonia, did fully emerge to the historical stage.
The author stresses that no one historical document nor source proves the recent opinion (L. Margetić, N. Klaić and Ž. Rapanić) the Croatians have come at the end of 8th century. On the contrary he gives the arguments that it happened at the time of Emperor Heraclius:
1. There is conformity of two main sources for the oldest Croatian history, De Administrando Imperio of Constantinus Porphirogenitus and Historia Salonitana of Thomas Archidiaconus, about the old homeland of the Croatians and their arrival after the fall of Salona. This period is confirmed also by Annals of Dioclean Priest.
2. It is generally acknowledge the principal part of the Croatians have been christianised at the beginning of 9th century, which would be impossible, if they would come at the same time, becouse the christianisation was a longlasting and painful process among all peoples in Middle and Eastern Europe.
3. V. Jagić, confuting the Porphirogenitus’ report about the separate arrival of the Croatians after the Slavic settlement, argues that such an event would break up the lingual unity of the Southern Slavs. This Jagić’s argument, which related to 7th century when the Slavic languages were much similar than later, was not accepted, but it would be valid if the Croatians would come about 800.
4. Only the presence of the Croatians in Dalmatia at the second half of 7th and through 8th centuries can explain the fact there was no authority either of the Empire or of the Caganate at this time in the region between Byzantine Istria, Adriatic Sea and the Avars in Pannonia.

Ključne riječi

Hrčak ID:

326961

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/326961

Datum izdavanja:

1.4.1988.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

Posjeta: 889 *