Diocese of Dacia
| Diocese of Dacia Dioecesis Daciarum Διοίκησις Δακίας | |
|---|---|
| Dioceseof theRoman Empire | |
| ca. 337 – ca. 602 | |
 Dioceses of Dacia andThracein 400 AD | |
| Capital | Serdica(modernSofia) |
| Historical era | Late Antiquity |
• Split fromDiocese of Moesia | ca. 337 |
• Merged into the newly formedPraetorian prefecture of Illyricum | 357 |
• Merged into thePraetorian prefecture of Italy | 384 |
• Merged back into Illyricum after Theodosius' death | 395 |
| ca. 602 | |
TheDiocese of Dacia(Latin:Dioecesis Daciae) was adioceseof the laterRoman Empire,in the area of modern westernBulgaria,centralSerbia,Montenegro,Kosovo,northernAlbaniaand northernNorth Macedonia.It was subordinate to thePraetorian prefecture of Illyricum.Its capital was atSerdica(modernSofia).
History
[edit]
Origin of the name
[edit]Emperor Aurelian(270-275), confronted with the secession of Gallia and Hispania from the empire since 260, with the advance of theSassanidsin Asia, and the devastations that the Carpians and theGothshad created inMoesiaandIllyria,abandoned the province ofDaciacreated byTrajanand withdrew his troops altogether, fixing the Roman frontier at the Danube. A newDacia Aurelianawas organised south of the Danube out of centralMoesia,with its capital at Serdica.
The abandonment ofDacia Traianaby the Romans is mentioned byEutropiusin hisBreviarium historiae Romanae,book IX:
The province of Dacia, which Trajan had formed beyond the Danube, he gave up, despairing, after all Illyricum and Moesia had been depopulated, of being able to retain it. The Roman citizens, removed from the town and lands of Dacia, he settled in the interior of Moesia, calling that Dacia which now divides the two Moesiae, and which is on the right hand of the Danube as it runs to the sea, whereas Dacia was previously on the left.
Creation
[edit]
During the administrative reforms ofDiocletian(284-305), theDiocese of Moesiawas created, encompassing most of the central Balkans and the Greek peninsula. Later, however, probably in the time ofConstantine the Great(306-337) the diocese was split in two, forming theDiocese of Macedoniain the south and the Diocese of Dacia, in the north.
The Diocese of Dacia was composed of five provinces:Dacia Mediterranea(the southern, interior portion of Dacia Aureliana),Dacia Ripensis(the northern, Danubian portion of Dacia Aureliana),Moesia Prima(the northern portion ofMoesia Superior),Dardania(the southern portion of Moesia Superior) andPraevalitana(the eastern portion of Dalmatia).
The dioceses capital was atSerdica(modernSofia). Administration of diocese was headed by avicarius.According to theNotitia dignitatum(an early 5th century imperial chancery document), thevicariushad the rank ofvir spectabilis.
The diocese was transferred to theWestern Empirein 384 by Theodosius I, probably in partial compensation to the empressJustinafor his recognition of the usurpation ofMagnus Maximusin theGallic Empire.However, upon his death in 395, it reverted to the Eastern Empire, forming, together with theDiocese of Macedoniato the south, thePraetorian prefecture of Illyricum.
In 535, under emperorJustinian I(527-565), ecclesiastical order on the territory of the diocese was reshaped, and newArchbishopric of Justiniana Primawas created, centered in emperor's birth city ofJustiniana Prima.Newly appointed archbishop was given metropolitan jurisdiction over all provinces of the Diocese of Dacia.[1]
Destruction
[edit]The territory of diocese was devastated by theHunsin the middle of 5th century and finally overrun by theAvarsandSlavsin late 6th and early 7th century.[2]
See also
[edit]- Diocese of Moesia
- Province of Moesia
- Province of Moesia Superior
- Inscriptions of Upper Moesia
- Battles of Viminacium
References
[edit]- ^Turlej 2016.
- ^Janković 2004,p. 39–61.
Sources
[edit]- Procopius. Edited by H. B. Dewing. 7 vols. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press and London, Hutchinson, 1914–40. Greek text and English translation.
- Maurice's Strategikon: Handbook of Byzantine Military Strategy.translated by George T. Dennis. Philadelphia 1984, Reprint 2001.
- Curta, Florin(2001)."Limes and Cross: the Religious Dimension of the Sixth-century Danube Frontier of the Early Byzantine Empire".Старинар.51:45–70.
- Curta, Florin(2001).The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, c. 500–700.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Curta, Florin(2006).Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Given, John (2014).The Fragmentary History of Priscus.Merchantville, New Jersey: Evolution Publishing.
- Ivanišević, Vujadin (2015)."The Danubian Limes of the Diocese of Dacia in the 5th Century".The Frontier World: Romans, Barbarians and Military Culture.Budapest: Institute for Archaeological Sciences. pp. 653–665.
- Janković, Đorđe (2004)."The Slavs in the 6th Century North Illyricum".Гласник Српског археолошког друштва.20:39–61.
- Kazhdan, Alexander(1991)."Singidunum".The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.Vol. 3. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 1904.
- Mirković, Miroslava B. (2017).Sirmium: Its History from the First Century AD to 582 AD.Novi Sad: Center for Historical Research.
- Mócsy, András (2014) [1974].Pannonia and Upper Moesia: A History of the Middle Danube Provinces of the Roman Empire.New York: Routledge.
- Petrović, Vladimir P. (2007)."Pre-Roman and Roman Dardania: Historical and Geographical Considerations"(PDF).Balcanica.37.Balkanološki institut SANU: 7–23.
- Popović, Radomir V. (1996).Le Christianisme sur le sol de l'Illyricum oriental jusqu'à l'arrivée des Slaves.Thessaloniki: Institute for Balkan Studies.
- Turlej, Stanisław (2016).Justiniana Prima: An Underestimated Aspect of Justinian’s Church Policy.Krakow: Jagiellonian University Press.
- Whitby, Michael (1988).The Emperor Maurice and his Historian: Theophylact Simocatta on Persian and Balkan warfare.Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Zeiller, Jacques (1918).Les origines chrétiennes dans les provinces danubiennes de l'Empire romain.Paris: E. De Boccard.