Historijski zbornik, Vol. 37 , 1984.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT CROATIAN HISTORY OF EARLY MIDDLE AGES
Vladimir Košćak
Sažetak
The author deals with the L. Margetić’s critique of his former essay in 12 points, which could be reduced to three main questions: I The arrival of the Croats on the Eastern Shore of Adriatic (1—4), II The ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the Dalmatian towns (5—6), and III The authority of Byzantium on this shore during the 9th and 10th centuries (7—12).
I) Against the Margetić’s standpoint that the Croats have arrived in Dalmatia at the end of 8th century, the author tries to prove the traditional thought that it happened in the first half of the 7th century according to the analysis and the mutual comparisons of three key-sources of the oldest Croatian history: De Administrando Imperio of Constantinus Porphirogenitus, Historia Salonitana of Thomas Archidiaconus and Annals of the Dioclean Priest.
Constantinus Porphirogenitus and Thomas Archidiaconus agree that in the first half of 7th century, after Salona was destroyed, from the parts of Po1 and and Bohemia have come in Dalmatia seven-eight noble tribes (Thoma), respectively seven brothers (30 c. DAI), who can be in both the reports only the Croats.
The Annals of the Dioclean Priest are talking about the Red Croatia (Croatia Rúbea) in 7th and 8th centuries in the coastal plains of to-day Albania. This state extended until the town ApoIonia, respectively neighbouring Valona. With this account is in perfect conformity the statement of the 30th chapter of the DAI saying that a part of the Croats after their arrival in Dalmatia went to north in Pannonia, respectively to south in Illyricum, which was the name of the region of the later thema Dyrrachium, founded at the beginning of the 9th century. But at this time the Croats were not more in the region, becouse they have withdrawn to north in Dioclea, most probably during the war between the Franks and the Byzantines (787—812), Therefore the sources, which started to be more frequent only from this time, do not mention the Red Croatia, except the Annals of the Dioclean Priest. On the other hand there is no source, which could testify anything about the late arrival of the Croats in Dalmatia.
The Croatian state in Carinthia around the upper Drava and Mura in the 7th and 8th centuries is also a proof that the Croats have come as a folk of horsemen and warriors after the invitation of the Emperor Heraclius (610—641) in order to hinder the antibyzantine alliance between the Avars and the Longobards in Italy. According to the task of the frontiersmen of the Empire they possessed with garrizons the old Roman provinces Noricum, Pannonia Savia, Dalmatia, Praevalis, and Epirus
II) The bishoprics of Dalmatian towns were always under the jurisdiction of Rome. There was a period (863—925) of less or more alienation from the Holy See, but nevertheless the Dalmatian church was never in the framework of the Con- stantinopolis Patriarchy. In conformity with this opinion of ours Margetić proves that neither he participation of some Dalmatian bishops on the Second Concil of Nycea 787 does not mean that they were then inside the Eastern Church.
III) With Margetić we share also the thought that the authorities of the Byzantine Empire during the 7th and 8th centuries were absent from the Eastern Coast of Adriatic. However we confute the Posedel-Margetić’s arguments that the Dalmatian thema was founded already 843, defending the opinion of Ferluga and Ostrogorski that the archonty of Dalmatia became thema only after 870.
Even less convincing is the Margetić’s assertion that Croatia became a Byzantine vassal 871 (in this year Margetić puts also the transfer of payment from the Dalmatian Strategos to the Croatian Duke), becouse at that time in Croatia was ruling the Duke Domagoy, a steadfast adversary of the Byzantine policy in Adriatic. Croatia came in a relation of vassalage toward the Empire only under the Duke Zdeslav (878—879), but he was eliminated by the Duke Branimir (879—892) already after few months. The Emperor Bazilius I transfered the Strategos’ payment, except a symbolic amount, to the Duke Branimir 880, and with these fact the Byzantine power in Dalmatian thema became also a symbolic one. The Emperor Leon VI
acknowleged the sovereignty over the southern Dalmatian regions Neretva, Zachlumia, Travunia and Dioclea to the Duke Branimir in order that the Croatian ruler could maintain order and peace in the Adriatic Sea, what Byzantium and Venice were not able to do, as the death of Venetian Doge Pietro Candiano in a clash with the Neretvians near Makarska in September 18, 887 has shown it.
The Croatian king Tomislav (914—928) has achieved the sovereignty over the Dalmatian towns, too, after 920 as the Acts of the Synods in Split 925—928 prove it. Unifying the Dalmatian thema with the other countries of Eastern Adriatic shore and the hinterland Tomislav has put the Empire before a fait-accompli, what Byzantium — deadly jeopardized by the Bulgarian Emperor Simeon — has acknowledged. The Synods in Split 925—928 have stretched the jurisdiction of the Split Metropoly over the whole new Kingdome of Croatia and Dalmatia.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
324364
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.5.1985.
Posjeta: 1.205 *