The Settlement of Serbs on Balkans and the First State
The Roman Period
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The Roman penetration into the Balkan peninsula began at the close of the 3rd century B.C. Illyria and Macedonia were conquered in the Roman-Illyrian and Roman-Macedonian wars. The first Illyrian war (229-228 B.C.) was successfully waged against Queen Teuta and Illyrian pirates on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The Roman protectorate over several Illyrian vassals was not strong enough, thus Illyrians began pirating again, which triggered off another war in 219 B.C. The Romans failed to take advantage of this victorious war because they were busy warring against Hannibal. Only subsequently in the third warm in 168 B.C., against Illyrian King Gentije, did they triumph over the Illyrians and impose their rule and tribute.
The subjugation of Macedonia also took three wars (215-105 B.C., 200-197 B.C., and the third from 171-168 B.C.). Macedonia finally became a Roman province in 148 B.C.
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Further Roman penetration went towards the Danube and Pannonia. The Celtic Scordiscis and Dardanians posed an obstacle to the former destination. Having triumphed over the Dardanians after a victorious three-year war enabled Gaius Scribonius Curio to be the first Roman in 73 B.C. to see the Danube, arriving to its banks with his legion.
During the reign of Octavian (Augustus), tribes in Posavina and Bosnia were subjugated. But this was not easily accomplished; the so-called Pannonia war lasted from 13-9 B.C., and then a mass uprising of Pannonian-Dalmati tribes broke out from 6-9 A.D. The Breucis and Desidiatis of Srem, lead by two Batons, stepped up the insurgents from the upper course of the Bosnia river. Augustus' successor Tiberius crushed the uprising and imposed his rule over the tribes inhabiting spaces from the Danube to the Adriatic.
Romans began coming in touch with the Germans inhabiting the territory of the central Balkans (Domitian's war against the Marcomannis and Quadis), Sarmatians and Dacians. Emperor Trajan waged two successful campaigns against Dacia (101-102; 105-107 A.D.), making it a province. Considerable construction works preceded the campaigns. First a road was cut through Djerdap in the year 100, and the next year a channel at Sip was dug to open sail along the Danube. The famous Trajan Bridge near Kostol was built in 105. The Roman Empire was the largest during the reign of Emperor Trajan.
The Romans set up large provinces in the Balkan peninsula: Dalmatia (comprising the Adriatic coast and present-day Bosnia-Herzegovina), Pannonia, Upper Moesia (territory of present-day Serbia) and Macedonia. The mainstay of the Roman authorities was the army. In the above provinces two legions - IV of Flavius in Singidunum (Belgrade) and VII Claudius in Vuiminacium (Kostola), were permanently deployed.
Army camps at borders (limites) became points around which cities sprang. Mines, spas and particularly fertile land in the interior were also the nuclei of subsequent urban settlements. The cities had many urban elements in common: a forum, two main streets which joined at a right angle, public buildings (basilicas, shrines), residential and trade areas, baths (thermae), bulwarks around the city, and cemeteries. Cities were joined by roads for economic, but also military, reasons. Traffic was well organized throughout the Roman Empire.
In the Balkan provinces, the Romans devoted particular attention to mining; it could be said that life was wholly in the sign of that branch of the economy. Slaves and manumitted slaves worked there under the strict control of the state administration.
The indigenous population lived traditionally by stock raising and farming. Romanization was slow, though ethnic traits were being lost steadily with the integration into the Roman Empire.
Religious life was colorful. The indigenous polytheists bore the brunt of the Roman and Greek religions, but also of various faiths spread by newcomers form the East. Characteristic for all these religions was the aspiration towards social justice, which paved the way to Christianity.
Barbarian raids north to the Roman border became a regular phenomenon over the years. Thus the Danubian limes, and its background, assumed paramount importance. This was reflected in those strong legions from this part of the Empire, called out their commanders tsars. Barbarian pressure was such that Emperor Aurelian (270-275) realized the futility of defending Dacia, a yielded it to the barbarians. Thus began the dissipation of he Roman Empire.
Emperor Diocletian (185-395) introduced a joint four-rule system, based on which on of the four rulers had to be situated permanently near the limes. Thanks to this the city of Sirmium actually became one of the capitals. Gamzigrad in Upper Moesia (eastern Serbia) probably grew out of the same reasons. It was built at the opening of the 4th century as the residence of Diocletian's co-ruler Galerius. Constantinopole was founded in the same way, on the Bosphorus in the place of the old Byzant.
Wars against barbarians (Sarmatians and Goths) weakened the Empire both in the military and economic sense. A drop in trade resulted from a production decline, while barbarian plundering raids destroyed both the population and economy. The onslaught of the Huns under Attila in 375 and of the Goths after their triumph at Hadrianopolis (Edirne) in 378 wreaked havoc with the empire. From then on barbarians settled on territory of the Roman Empire. Hardships in ruling over the Empire compelled Emperor Theodosius in 395 to divide in into the Western (capital in Rome) and Eastern (capital in Constantinople) empires. The final, historical result of barbarian destruction and plundering was the fall of the Western Empire 476.
Roman rule and civilization in the Balkan peninsula, especially in the territory to be settled by the Serbs, left deep traces. Testifying to this are the remains of the material culture, preserved until today, or uncovered in archeological excavations. The pictures published in this chapter present but a fraction of that treasure, but impressionable enough for a reconstruction of the appearance and life of that world.
