SLAVS - 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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Slavs In Anatolia: Historical Migrations And Byzantine Wars

MEDIEVAL

The reign of Constans II (641-668) faced early obstacles, with the most significant pressure coming from Arabs in the east. Things changed when chaos took over the Arab world, and the civil war between Mu’awiya I and Ali broke out. Mu’awiya became caliph in Syria, while Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, held power in

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WITCHES IN BALKAN FOLK BELIEF

MEDIEVAL

Witch is an ordinary woman, like all the others, but a woman who is credited with supernatural powers. Only married women or those who have been married can be witches. It was believed that the witch sucks people’s blood and eats their hearts and livers, especially small children. She is extremely cruel to her family,

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SLAVIC-AVAR SIEGE OF CONSTANTINOPOLE

MEDIEVAL

The first half of the 7th century was a very difficult period for Byzantine Empire. Many Germanic tribes threatened the Byzantine possessions in the West, and the Persians did the same in the East, while the Avars in the Balkans subjugated a good part of the Slavic tribes and attacked together. Byzantines tried to buy

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OLD SLAVIC CUSTOMS IN BYZANTINE SOURCES

MEDIEVAL

The Slavs, like many other barbarian peoples, left their striking mark in Roman sources. The opinion about the Slavs and their customs and religion was not significantly different from the Byzantine opinion about all other migrating peoples. Thus, Byzantine writers viewed the Slavs as mere barbarians whose beliefs and practices of their paganism were inhumane

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SLAVIC SIEGES OF THESSALONIKI (SECOND PART)

MEDIEVAL

The miracles of Saint Demetrius bring us additional information about the critical position of the city of Thessaloniki, which was surrounded by Slavic tribes. This time we bring an episode about the Slavic siege of Thessaloniki under the leadership of Hacon/Haton in 614-616. It is said that during the time of Bishop John, the Slavs

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