BALKAN - Helm History

Constantine Porphyrogenitus and the early Serbian presence in the Balkans

In his work De administrando imperio, Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus describes the Serbs. According to his statements, Serbs are descended from the so-called White Serbs, settled on the other side of Turkey (Hungary). Serbs call that country Bojki/Boiki. According to some historians, it is Bohemia, the Czech Republic, but these claims are not reliable. But how […]

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EMPEROR CONSTANTINE AND THE CROATS: A BYZANTINE PERSPECTIVE

MEDIEVAL

Constantine Porphyrogenitus (913-959) , the Byzantine emperor, in his work De Administrando Imperio gives instructions to his successors about how and in what way they should deal with their subjects and the peoples that surround them. Among other things, the emperor gives a description of the province of Dalmatia and its inhabitants. The most numerous

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Liutprand of Cremona’s Byzantine Diplomacy

MEDIEVAL

Liutprand of Cremona was a Lombard diplomat born in the early 10th century into a noble Lombard family. As a young man, he distinguished himself at the court of the ruler Hugo of Arles (926-945) with his knowledge and diction. He received his education at the court in Pavia, and later became a deacon of

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Byzantium to the world: The Influence of Byzantine Education

MEDIEVAL

Byzantium, also known as The Byzantine Empire was the heir of ancient Greece in terms of education and culture. The only significant difference was religion, which partially changed and influenced education. The first level of education started at the age of 6-7. Children learned to write and read, to count and to sing. The basic

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Celts in The Heart of Balkan: Exploring the Gallic Invasion

ANTIQUITY

The Celts were part of the Indo-European group of people. Their tribes and groups ranged from the British Isles and northern Spain to as far east as Transylvania, the Black Sea coasts, Anatolia and were partly absorbed into the Roman Empire as Britons, Gauls, Boii, Galatians, and Celtiberians. Linguistically they survive in the modern day Ireland, Highland Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales, and Brittany. FIRST CELTS IN THE BALKANS In

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The Goths: Exploring The Gothic Footprints in The Balkans

MEDIEVAL

The Goths, a Germanic people known for their major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire, played a significant role in the history of the Balkans. When talking about their early history we use Roman sources such as Jordanes. Jordanes work called Getica ( De origine actibusque Getarum) is a crucial source that

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Constantinople: Building the New Rome On The Bosphorus

MEDIEVAL

At the beginning of the 4th century, Roman Empire found itself in a very critical situation. The empire had four emperors in the year 311. This system showed its weakness very quickly and the empire was suddenly in the middle of the civil war. Constantine, who would later be known as Constantine the Great, emerged

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Domavia: Brief History of a Forgotten Roman Colony

ANTIQUITY

Roman expansion into the Balkans commenced in the third century BC through conflicts with the Illyrians. Following the conquest of the western Balkan Peninsula, the Romans exploited mines and the local population. The Drina River housed the largest silver and lead deposits, establishing Domavia as a prominent mining center. Domavia’s Prosperity Situated near present-day Srebrenica

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Blood Revenge in the Balkans: A Historical and Cultural Perspective

MEDIEVAL

The custom of blood revenge was popular in many cultures, but the Balkan cult of revenge stands out. Even during the Middle Ages, in the Balkans, people knew this custom as “vražda”. King Milutin settled these feuds with monetary payment. In King Tvrtko I’s documents, the expression ‘to draw blood’ appears as compensation for murder.

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The Influence of Hellenism on the Romans

ANTIQUITY

As Rome expanded, encountering diverse customs and cultures became inevitable. During the state’s expansion, a significant encounter was with Hellenistic culture, which held dominance in the Mediterranean. The influence of Hellenism on the Romans initiated when Roman forces occupied Greek cities. Greek-educated individuals, taken as slaves and brought into Roman households as teachers for Roman

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