Serbia in the Roman era
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Much of the territory of the modern state of
The
The location has been invaded by many peoples over the centuries. The northern Serbian city of Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica) was among the top 4 cities of the late Roman Empire, serving as its capital during the Tetrarchy.[1] Contemporary Serbia comprises the classical regions of Moesia, Pannonia, parts of Dalmatia, Dacia and Macedonia.
History
Roman conquest
The
The later province of Illyricum was to the west of what is now Serbia.
The Romans conquered parts of Serbia in 167 BC and established the province of Illyricum. What is now central Serbia was conquered in 75 BC when the province of Moesia was established. Srem is conquered by 9 BC and Backa and Banat in 106 AD after the Dacian wars.
The city of Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica) was among the top four cities of the late Roman Empire, serving as its capital during the Tetrarchy.[1] Contemporary Serbia comprises the classical regions of Moesia, Pannonia, parts of Dalmatia, Dacia and Macedonia.
The chief towns of
Many Roman noblemen and statesmen were born in present-day Serbia, including 17 or 18
Emperor | Ancient Roman birthplace |
Present-day settlement in Serbia |
ruled | died |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. Trajan Decius | c.201, Budalia Pannonia Inferior |
Martinci | September 249-June 251 | June 251, Abrittus (Razgrad, Bulgaria) |
2. Herennius Etruscus | c.227, near Sirmium Pannonia |
Sremska Mitrovica | May-June 251 | June 251, Abrittus (Razgrad, Bulgaria) |
3. Hostilian | c.235, Sirmium Illyricum |
Sremska Mitrovica | July-November 251 | November 251, Rome (Italy) |
4. Claudius II Gothicus |
10 May 210, Sirmium Panonia Inferior |
Sremska Mitrovica | September 268-January 270 | January 270, Sirmium |
5. Aurelian | 9 September 214, Sirmium Dacia Ripensis |
Sremska Mitrovica | September 270-October 275 | October 275, Caenophrurium (Çorlu, Turkey) |
6. Marcus Aurelius Probus |
19 August 232, Sirmium Pannonia Inferior |
Sremska Mitrovica | 276-October 282 | October 282, Sirmium |
7. Maximian | c.250, Sirmium Pannonia Inferior |
Sremska Mitrovica | 2 April 286-1 May 305; 306-11 November 308; 310 | July 310, Massilia ( Marseilles, France )
|
8. Constantius I Chlorus |
31 March 250, Moesia Superior |
Niš | 305-25 July 306 | 25 July 306, Eboracum (York, Great Britain) |
9. Galerius | c.250, Felix Romuliana Dacia Ripensis |
Gamzigrad[4] | 1 May 305-May 311 | May 311, Felix Romuliana |
10. Valerius Severus |
Naissus Moesia Superior |
Niš | 306-April 307 | 16 September 307, Tres Tabernae (Cisterna di Latina, Italy) |
11. Licinius I |
c.263, Felix Romuliana Moesia Superior |
Gamzigrad | 11 November 308-18 September 324 | 325, Thessalonica )
(Greece |
12. Constantine I the Great |
27 February 272, Naissus Moesia Superior |
Niš | 309-22 May 337 | 22 May 337, Nicomedia (İzmit, Turkey) |
13. Maximinus II |
20 November 270, Felix Romuliana Dacia Ripensis |
Gamzigrad | 310-May 313 | August 313, Tarsos (Tarsus, Turkey) |
14. Constantius II | 7 August 317, Sirmium Pannonia Inferior |
Sremska Mitrovica | 337-3 November 361 | 3 November 361, Mopsuestia, Cilicia (Turkey) |
15. Vetranio | Moesia | Central Serbia ? | 1 March-25 December 350 | c356, Prusa ad Olympum (Bursa, Turkey) |
16. Jovian | 331, Singidunum Moesia |
Belgrade | 27 June 363-17 February 364 | 17 February 364, Dadastana, near Nicaea (İznik, Turkey) |
17. Gratian | 18 April 359, Sirmium Pannonia Inferior |
Sremska Mitrovica | 24 August 367-25 August 383 | 25 August 383, Lugdunum (Lyon, France) |
18. Constantius III | Naissus Moesia Superior |
Niš | 8 February-2 September 421 | 2 September 421, Ravenna (Italy) |
Byzantine period
The Byzantine era in the history Serbia refers to three distinctive periods. The territory of later Serbia was under control of the
Arrival of the Slavs
The Byzantines broadly grouped the numerous Slav tribes into two groups: the
The Slavs invaded Balkans during
The Sklavenoi plundered Thrace in 545.[7] In 551, the Slavs crossed Niš initially headed for Thessalonica, but ended up in Dalmatia. During the 6th and 7th century, Slavic tribes made eight attempts to take Niš and in the final attack in 615 the Slavs took the city.[8]
Menander Protector mentions a King of the Sklavenoi, Daurentius (577-579) that slayed an Avar envoy of Khagan Bayan I. The Avars asked the Slavs to accept the suzerainty of the Avars, he however declined and is reported as saying: "Others do not conquer our land, we conquer theirs [...] so it shall always be for us".[9]
In 577 some 100,000 Slavs poured into Thrace and Illyricum, pillaging cities and settling down.[10]
By the 580s, as the Slav communities on the Danube became larger and more organised, and as the Avars exerted their influence, raids became larger and resulted in permanent settlement. In 586 AD, as many as 100,000 Slav warriors raided Thessaloniki. By 581, many Slavic tribes had settled the land around Thessaloniki, though never taking the city itself, creating a Macedonian Sclavinia.
Archaeological evidence in Serbia and Macedonia conclude that the White Serbs may have reached the Balkans earlier than thought, between 550 and 600, as much findings; fibulae and pottery found at Roman forts point at Serb characteristics and thus could have been either part of the Byzantine foedorati or a fraction of the early invading Slavs who upon organizing in their refuge of the
Administrative units
Moesia
History of Serbia | |
---|---|
1071–1217 | |
Kingdom of Serbia | 1217–1346 |
King Dragutin's realm | 1282–1325 |
1346–1371 | |
Lordship of Prilep | 1371–1395 |
Prince Lazar's Serbia | 1371–1402 |
Vuk's Land | 1371–1412 |
Despotate of Serbia | 1402–1537 |