Samo's Empire
Samo's Empire | |||||||||||||||||||
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631–658 | |||||||||||||||||||
Proto-Slavic | |||||||||||||||||||
Religion |
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Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||||||
Historical era | Early Middle Ages | ||||||||||||||||||
• Victory against Dagobert I | 631 | ||||||||||||||||||
• Death of King Samo | 658 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Samo's Empire (also known as Samo's Kingdom or Samo's State) is the
The centre of the union was most likely in Moravia and Nitravia (Nitra); additionally, the union included Czech tribes, Sorbian tribes (under Dervan), and other West Slavic tribes along the river Danube (present Lower Austria and Hungary). The polity has been called the first Slavic state.[4][5]
Territory
It is generally believed that the tribal union included the regions of Moravia, Nitravia (Nitra), Silesia, Bohemia and Lusatia. According to Julius Bartl, the centre of the polity lay "somewhere in the area of southern Moravia, Lower Austria, and western Slovakia (Nitravia)".[6]
According to
Archaeological findings indicate that the empire was situated in present-day
According to the findings of some German archaeologists, the core of Samo's state was located north of the Danube, and in the upper Main region.[9] In some historical sources of the early 9th century, this region is described as "regio Sclavorum" or "terra Slavorum". Large amounts of early medieval Slavic ceramics are also found here. Many Slavic toponyms have also been found in this area, such as Winideheim ("The Hill of the Wends"),[10] and Knetzburg (“Prince's Castle”).[11][12]
Prelude
According to Fredegar, Samo, a Frankish merchant, went to the Slavs in c. 623–624.
In 630–631,
History
The most famous event of Samo's career was his victory over the Frankish royal army under Dagobert I in 631 or 632. Provoked to action by a "violent quarrel in the Pannonian kingdom of the Avars or Huns", Dagobert led three armies against the Wends, the largest being his own Austrasian army.[13] The Franks were routed near Wogastisburg; the majority of the besieging armies were slaughtered, while the rest of the troops fled, leaving weapons and other equipment lying on the ground. In the aftermath of the Wendish victory, Samo invaded Frankish Thuringia several times and undertook looting raids there.[17] Dervan, the "duke of the Sorbs" (dux gente Surbiorum que ex genere Sclavinorum), initially subordinate to the Franks, joined the Slavic tribal union after Samo defeated Dagobert I.[18] The Sorbs lived to the east of the Saxon Saale. Dervan participated in the subsequent wars against the Franks, successfully fighting against Frankish Thuringia (631–634), until he was finally defeated by Radulf of Thuringia in 636.
In 641, the rebellious Radulf sought an alliance with Samo against his sovereign, Sigebert III.[13] Samo also maintained long-distance trade relationships.[15] On his death, however, his title was not inherited by his sons.[15] Ultimately, Samo can be credited with forging a Wendish identity by speaking on behalf of the community which recognised his authority.[19]
Aftermath
The history of the tribal union after Samo's death in 658 or 659 is largely unclear, though it is generally assumed that it ended. Archaeological findings show that the Avars returned to their previous territories (at least to southernmost modern Slovakia) and entered into a symbiosis with the Slavs, whereas territories to the north of the
Great Moravia is viewed as a continuation or successor state to Samo's Empire.[20] The polity has been called the first Slavic state.[4][5]
See also
Notes
- ^ The Chronicle of Fredegar calls the polity "Kingdom of Samo" or "Samo's Kingdom" (regnum Samonem);[21] in 17th-century Latin works the polity was called "Samo's Slavic Kingdom" or "Samo's Kingdom of the Slavs" (Samonem Sclauorum Regem[22]).
References
- ISBN 9789004422421.
- ISBN 9789004527799.
- ISBN 978-1-5017-2940-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-26008-5.
- ^ ISBN 9780814317488.
- ISBN 978-0-86516-444-4.
- ^ J.B. Bury. The Cambridge Medieval History Series volumes 1-5. Plantagenet Publishing. pp. 712–. GGKEY:G636GD76LW7.
- ^ Marsina 1997, p. 18
- ^ Kunstmann H. Wo lag das Zentrum von Samos Reich? // Die Welt des Slawen. Halbjahresschrift fűr Slavistik. Bd. XXVI. H. 1 (N. F. V, 1). Műnchen, 1981. S. 67–101; Jakob H. Frűhslavische Keramikfunde in Ostfranken // Ibid. S. 154–169
- ^ (German) Geschichte Frankenwinheims frankenwinheim.de
- ^ (Russian) Валентин Васильевич Седов, СЛАВЯНЕ: Историко-археологическое исследование. М. 2002 // V.V. Sedov, The Slavs, Moscow, 2002
- ^ Wolf-Armin Freiherr von Reitzenstein, Lexikon fränkischer Ortsnamen, C.H.Beck, 2013; Knetzgau (altsorbisch) p.122
- ^ a b c d e Curta 2001, p. 109.
- ^ Curta 2001, p. 330.
- ^ a b c Curta 2001, p. 331.
- ^ Radovi. Vol. 8–9. Institut. 1976.
Ta sve što znamo o Samu i Slavenima u Samovu regnumu znamo jedino po Fredegaru kao primarnom povijesnom vrelu. Iznoseći neke detalje koji se datiraju sa 631. god. Fredegar spominje »marca Vinedorum«, Wallucus-dux Winedorum, ...
- ^ Kronika tzv. Fredegara scholastika
- ^ Curta 2001, pp. 109, 331.
- ^ Curta 2001, p. 343.
- ISBN 978-83-85463-56-6.
- ^ Fredegar, IV, 68
Etiam et Dervanus dux gente Surbiorum, que exgenere Sclavinorum erant et ad regnum Francorum iam olem aspecserant, se ad regnum Samonem cum suis tradedit
- ^ Aimonus Floriacensis (1602). Libri quinque de gestis Francorum. A. & H. Drovart. p. 17.
Sources
Primary sources
- Chronicle of Fredegar (7th century)
Secondary sources
- ISBN 9781139428880.
- S2CID 148273682. Retrieved 2013-08-31.