Kasnoantička Dalmacija i Panonija u Kasiodorovim Variae (Dodatak)

Since the publication of my article in the December 2015 issue of the Povijesni prilozi (vol. 49) I have noticed ommissions that I am obliged to correct. I am grateful to the editors for allowing me to do so. The additions are concerned with one letter that I have misfortunately overlooked previously (the letter 3.7 addressed to Bishop Ianuarius of Salona). It has to be stressed that these ommissions in no way change the overall historical picture presented and conclusions drawn in the article. The numbers in the underlined brackets indicate the pages in the article, where the additions should be inserted.Otkako mi je članak pod ovim naslovom objavljen u 49. svesku Povijesnih priloga iz prosinca 2015., primijetio sam propuste koje sam dužan ispraviti. Zahvalan sam urednicima što su mi to omogućili. Ti dodaci tiču se ponajprije jednog pisma koje sam na nesreću prije previdio (pismo 3.7 upućeno salonitanskom biskupu Januariju). Treba naglasiti da ovi propusti ni u kojem slučaju ne mijenjaju ni opću povijesnu sliku predočenu u članku niti donesene zaključke. Brojke u podcrtanim zagradama naznačavaju stranicu u članku, gdje se dodaci imaju ubaciti

The Battle at Mursa in 351 and its consequences

Autor analizira izvorne podatke kasnoantičkih i bizantskih pisaca o okolnostima i tijeku bitke kod Murse 351. godine između Konstancija II. i Magnencija. Također, razmatra se značaj bitke u općoj vojno-političkoj situaciji u kasnome Rimskom Carstvu i odjek koji je imala kod suvremenika i u tradiciji, jer je ostala zapamćena kao jedan od najkrvavijih bojeva carskoga razdoblja.The author analyzes original sources of the Late Antiquity and Byzantine writers about circumstances surrounding the Battle at Mursa in 351 between Constantius II and Magnentius and its course. Since this was one of the bloodiest battles from the period of the Roman Empire, the author also discusses its importance in an overall military and political situation of the late Roman Empire and the effects it had on its contemporaries as well as the tradition. Although the contemporaries gave the Battle at Mursa cardinal importance and named it a certain historical turning point for the Roman Empire which started to decline soon afterwards, in reality its role was not such. Its immediate effects with regard to a huge number of victims definitely cannot be disregarded. It is best shown by the Constantius’s prudence with which he continued to offer resistance to Magnentius, who was ultimately defeated two years later. Namely, he did not want to increase the number of victims unnecessarily in forcing the decision. The population residing between the rivers of Sava and Drava undoubtedly suffered considerable damage during the war, because this part of Pannonian region was the scene of the fiercest battles. The renovation activities started even before the military actions had ceased completely, which is supported by the renovation of the traffic infrastructure in the area. Strategic and political importance of the Battle at Mursa had been clearly emphasised in the Emperor’s propaganda, which praised Constantius’s victory and regarded it as a turning point in his battle with Magnentius because it finally placed the authority in the hands of the legitimate emperor. Later attempts to give this battle a global political significance, which allegedly had a crucial influence on the future of the Empire, arose from the senate circles. An extremely lamenting and pessimistic notion of the consequences of this battle reflects a typically classcoloured standpoint, according to which the civil war was equally detrimental to all sides and it was the senators who were expected to take sides in a conflict in times of political turmoil, and if they had done so in that battle they would have faced negative consequences

Roman roads and communications in Late Antique South Pannonia.

U radu se na temelju izvorne građe, arheoloških spoznaja i relevantne historiografske literature raspravlja o prometnim komunikacijama u kasnoantičkoj južnoj Panoniji s poglavitim obzirom na tri rimske cestovne osi na spomenutom prostoru: podravsku, posavsku i podunavsku (limesku). Pozornost se posvećuje i mjesnim putovima, napose tzv. unutarnjoj cesti koja je presijecala unutrašnjost savsko-dravsko-dunavskog međuriječja te, pružajući se poprečno i uzdužno, spajala središnje područje s glavnim prometnicama. Najveća je pažnja usmjerena na topografsku problematiku odnosno identifikaciju slijeda rimskih putnih postaja.Based on written sources and archeological evidence, as well as relevant historiographic literature, the paper discusses the traffic communications in late antique South Pannonia with special regard to three Roman road axes that existed in that area: the Podravian, the Posavian, and the Danubian (the limes) roads. The vicinal roads are also given the attention, especially the so-called inner road that intersected transversely and longitudinally the interior of the Sava-Drava-Danube interamnium, and connected the central area with main traffic routes. The main focus is on the topographic issues and identification of the network of Roman road stations. Even a glance at the Roman traffic routes recorded in literary sources and established on the ground clearly shows the development of the Roman traffic system in South Pannonia and its functionality in the late antique period. Along with three road axes, the Podravian, the Posavian and the Danubian (the limes) roads, the regional, inner road (via mediterranea) was of paramount importance. No less important were the vicinal roads that connected larger settlements, such as the routes from Marsonia to Certisa or from Aquae Iasae to Iovia Botivum, cut short the lenght of some routes, such as the Posavian road that had an alternative, more straight link to Siscia through modern Turopolje, or directly connected major road links, for example the Aqua Viva-Pir-Andautonia-Siscia and the Bononia-irmium roads. These main and principal routes were complemented by a series of minor and secondary roads, which made practically the entire Sava-Drava-Danube interamnium interwoven with road network. Further on-the-ground research should additionally elucidate the courses of already established routes and certainly bring new traffic links to light, especially when it comes to junction towns such as Aquae Iasae, Aquae Balissae and Certisa. Finally, the proposed identification of road stations does not exhaust in any way the possibility of varying hypotheses, particularly with regard to data scarcity and uncertainty of itinerary and other sources, and the fact that the creation of a thorough archaeological picture is still in many ways ahead

Slavs in the early medieval South Pannonia

U radu se na temelju pisane i arheološke građe te relevantne historiografske literature pruža sustavna analiza svjedočanstava o ranoj nazočnosti slavenskog etnija u južnoj Panoniji u ranom srednjem vijeku, od prvih mogućih naznaka slavenske prisutnosti u srednjem Podunavlju u 5. stoljeću do vremena karolinškog prodora i sloma Avarskog Kaganata potkraj 8. i početkom 9. stoljeća. Obrađuje se i pitanje slavenske etnogeneze i avarske uloge u širenju Slavena u južnoj Panoniji.Based on written and archaeological materials, as well as relevant historiographic literature, the paper provides a systematic analysis of testimonies about the early presence of the Slavic ethnicity in South Pannonia in the early medieval period, from the first indications of Slavic presence in the Slavonian Danube Valley until the times of Carolingian incursion and the fall of the Avar Khaganate. It also addresses the issue of Slavic ethnogenesis and the role of the Avars in Slavic expansion in South Pannonia