Migrations_and_postulated_homeland South_Slavs

scholars have traditionally placed slavic urheimat in pripet marshes of ukraine, or alternatively between bug , dniepr. in 5th century slavs mentioned living north of danube in written sources era. 5th century, supposedly spread outward in directions. balkans 1 of regions lay in path of expanding slavs.

regarding slavs mentioned 6th-century byzantine chroniclers, florin curta states homeland north of danube , not in belorussian-ukrainian borderlands. clarifies itinerant form of agriculture (they lacked knowledge of crop rotation) may have encouraged mobility on micro regional scale . material culture danube suggests there evolution of slavic society between 7th century , 8th century. byzantines re-asserted danubian defences in mid 6th century, slavs yield of pillaged goods dropped. reaction economic isolation, , external threats (e.g. avars , byzantines), political , military mobilisation occurred. archeological sites late 7th century show earlier settlements merely non-specific collection of hamlets began evolve larger communities differentiated areas (e.g. designated areas public feasts industrial area craftsmanship). community elites rose prominence, came embody collective interest , responsibility group. if group identity can called ethnicity, , if ethnicity can called slavic, formed in shadow of justinian s forts, not in pripet marshes.

the byzantines broadly grouped numerous slav tribes 2 groups: sclaveni , antes. both first encountered in lower danube region. some, such bulgarian scholar vasil zlatarski, suggest first group settled western balkans, becoming 1 of forerunners of linguistic group became bosnians, serbs , croats, whilst offshoots of antes settled eastern regions (roughly speaking), becoming 1 of ancestors of bulgarians. danube, commenced raiding byzantine empire 520s, on annual basis. spread destruction, taking loot , herds of cattle, seizing prisoners , taking fortresses. often, byzantine empire stretched defending rich asian provinces arabs, persians , turks. meant numerically small, disorganised slavic raids capable of causing disruption, not capture larger, fortified cities.

large scale slavic settlement in balkans begins in late 570s , 580s. menander, late 6th-century historian, speaks of 100,000 slavs pouring thrace (though exaggeration) , illyricum, taking cities , settling down. these large scale population movements associated arrival area of avars, nomadic turkic group had lost war against other nomads further east, , settled in carpathian basin, subjugating many small slavic tribes. facilitated fact byzantine empire embroiled in series of wars sassanid persia @ time , unable send troops balkans.

by 580s, slav communities on danube became larger , more organized, , avars exerted influence, raids became larger , resulted in permanent settlement. scholars consider period of 581-584 beginning of large scale slavic settlement in balkans. around time, chronicle known miracles of saint demetrius speaks of large-scale slavic settlement in area around thessaloniki, although slavs never managed take city itself. in 591, byzantines ended war persians , serious attempt restore northern border made emperor maurice, skilled strategist. although largely successful, maurice did not manage eliminate avars, , deposed , murdered in 602 (in part due refusal ransom large number of captives slaughtered avars). war persians broke out again, , northern border collapsed once more.

the iron gate on serbo-romanian border

the avars arrived in europe in late 550s. although identity not last, avars impacted events of balkans. settled carpathian plain, west of main slavic settlements. crushed gepid kingdom (a germanic tribe) , pushed lombards italy, opening western balkans. asserted authority on many slavs, divided numerous petty tribes. many slavs relocated avar base in carpathian basin , galvanized effective infantry force. other slavic tribes continued raid independently, sometime coordinating attacks allies of avars. others still spilled imperial lands fled avars. avars , slavic allies tended focus on western balkans, whilst independent slavic tribes predominated in east. following unsuccessful siege of constantinople in 626, avars reputation diminished, , confederacy troubled civil wars between avars , bulgar , slav clients. rule contracted region of carpathian basin. archaeological evidence show there intermixing of slavic, avar , gepid cultures, suggesting later avars amalgamation of different peoples. avar khanate collapsed after ongoing defeats @ hands of franks, bulgars , slavs (c. 810), , avars ceased exist. remained of avars absorbed slavs , bulgars.

in de administrando imperio , byzantine emperor constantine porphyrogenitus mentions white croatia (originally Βελοχρωβάτοι Χρωβάτοι) place which, in 7th century, part of croatian tribes started journey balkans (more specific, today s dalmatia , bosnia-herzegovina) after invited there byzantine empire (emperor flavius heraclius augustus) protect borders.the earliest croatian state principality of dalmatia. prince trpimir of dalmatia called duke of croats in 852. in 925 croatian duke of dalmatia tomislav of trpimir united croats , elevated croatia kingdom. organized state annexing principality of pannonia maintaining close ties pagania , zahumlje.

by 700 ad, slavs had settled in of central , southeast europe, austria down peloponnese of greece, , adriatic black seas, exception of coastal areas , mountainous regions of greek peninsula. settlement pattern far uniform however, major routes (such morava valley) experiencing greater settlement. far fewer numbers of slavs appear have settled in parts of greece slavs did settle, , in remote mountainous regions such bosnia, herzegovina , montenegro. however, archaeological traces of slavic penetration balkans scant, in period prior 8th century. has led scholars cast doubt on accuracy of historical sources, describing large scale settlements slavs throughout balkans, including southern greece.