Po redaktohet Dardania (Roman province)

{{Short description|Roman province}}
[[File:Ancient balkans 4thcentury.png|300px|thumb|Roman provinces after administrative reforms in the 4th century. Dardania in red.]]
'''Dardania''' ({{IPAc-en|d|ɑr|ˈ|d|eɪ|n|i|ə}}; {{lang-grc|Δαρδανία}}; {{lang-la|Dardania}}) was a [[Roman province]] in the Central [[Balkans]], initially an unofficial region in [[Moesia]] (87–284), and then a province administratively part of the [[Diocese of Moesia]] (293–337). It was named after the tribe of the [[Dardani]] who inhabited the region in classical antiquity prior to the Roman conquest.

== Background ==
{{Further|Kingdom of Dardania|Paeonia (kingdom)}}
Dardania is named after the Dardani, a tribe that lived in the region and formed the [[Kingdom of Dardania]] in the 4th century BC. The eastern parts of the region were at the [[Thraco-Illyrian]] contact zone. In archaeological research, Illyrian names are predominant in western Dardania (present-day Kosovo), while Thracian names are mostly found in eastern Dardania (present-day south-eastern Serbia). Thracian names are absent in western Dardania; some Illyrian names appear in the eastern parts. The correspondence of Illyrian names - including those of the ruling elite - in Dardania with those of the southern Illyrians suggests a "thracianization" of parts of Dardania.<ref name="Wilkes-1992-85">{{harvnb|Wilkes|1992|p=85}} {{quote|Whether the Dardanians were an Illyrian or a Thracian people has been much debated and one view suggests that the area was originally populated with Thracians who then exposed to direct contact with Illyrians over a long period. [..] The meaning of this state of affairs has been variously interpreted, ranging from notions of Thracianization' (in part) of an existing Illyrian population to the precise opposite. In favour of the latter may be the close correspondence of Illyrian names in Dardania with those of the southern 'real' lllyrians to their west, including the names of Dardanian rulers, Longarus, Bato, Monunius and Etuta, and those on later epitaphs, Epicadus, Scerviaedus, Tuta, Times and Cinna.}}</ref> [[Celtic settlement of Southeast Europe|Celts were present]] in Dardania in 279 BC.{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=9}}

In 179 BC, the [[Bastarnae]] conquered the Dardani, who later in 174 pushed them out, in a war which proved catastrophic, with a few years later, in 170 BC, the Macedonians defeating the Dardani.{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=10}} Macedonia and Illyria became Roman protectorates in 168 BC.{{sfn|Papazoglu|1978|p=173}} The [[Scordisci]], a tribe of Celtic origin, most likely subdued the Dardani in the mid-2nd century BC, after which there is for a long time no mention of the Dardani.{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=12}} In 97 BC the Dardani are mentioned again, defeated by the Macedonian Roman army.{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=15}} Dardanian slaves or freedmen at the time of the Roman conquest were clearly of [[Paleo-Balkan languages|Paleo-Balkan]] origin, according to their personal names,{{sfn|Papazoglu|1978|p=224}} noted as being mostly of the "Central-Dalmatian type".{{sfn|Papazoglu|1978|p=245}} Dardania was [[Romanization (cultural)|Romanized]] early on.{{sfn|Papazoglu|1978|p=224}}

== Administration ==
{{See also|Moesia}}
After the Roman conquest, the pre-Roman Dardania eventually was organized into the [[Moesia]] province.<ref>{{cite book|title=Starinar|volume=45–47|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZYxpAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Arheološki institut|page=33}}</ref> During the reign of [[Domitian]] (81–96), in 86, Moesia was subdivided into Upper and Lower Moesia (Moesia Superior and Moesia Inferior).<ref>{{cite book|author=Balkanoloski institut|title=Balcanica|volume=38|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OYsvAQAAMAAJ|year=2008|publisher=SANU|page=30}}</ref> The old name of Dardania was used for a new province part of Moesia Superior.{{sfn|Wilkes|1992|p=210}} [[Ptolemy]] (100–170) calls Dardania a special district of Moesia Superior.{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=69}}

The [[Diocese of Moesia]] was a [[Roman diocese|diocese]] established by Emperor [[Diocletian]] (r. 284–305). During his reign, the diocese included 11 provinces, one of which was Dardania.{{sfn|Roisman|Worthington|2010|p=547}} Dardania and Moesia Prima were established by dividing them from Moesia Superior, probably under Diocletian.{{sfn|Roisman|Worthington|2010|p=547}} During{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=69}} or likely after{{sfn|Roisman|Worthington|2010|p=547}} emperor [[Constantine the Great|Constantine I]] (r. 306–337), [[Dacia Mediterranea]] was created out of parts of Dardania and Thrace.{{sfn|Roisman|Worthington|2010|p=547}}{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=69}} The two new dioceses, Moesia and [[Diocese of Dacia|Dacia]], were grouped into the new [[praetorian prefecture of Illyricum]] in the second half of the 4th century, which essentially covered the same area as the earlier Diocese of Moesia.{{sfn|Roisman|Worthington|2010|p=548}}

== Religion ==
Little is known regarding Christianity in the Balkans in the three first centuries AD.{{sfn|Harnack|1998|p=371}} Bishop Dacus of Macedonia, from Dardania, was present at the [[First Council of Nicaea]] (325).{{sfn|Harnack|1998|p=80}}

In 535, emperor [[Justinian I]] (527-565) created the [[Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima]] as a regional primacy with ecclesiastical jurisdiction over all provinces of the [[Diocese of Dacia]], including the province of ''Dardania''.{{sfn|Turlej|2016|p=47-86}}

== Economy ==
According to the ''[[Expositio totius mundi et gentium|Expositio totius mundi]]'' (ca. 350), Dardania supplied Macedonia with cheese and lard.{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=299}}

== Cities and towns ==
The main centres of Roman Dardania were [[Skopje|Scupi (Skopje)]], [[Niš|Naissus (Niš)]] and [[Ulpiana]] ([[Lipjan]]).{{sfn|Papazoglu|1978|p=224}} At the time of Moesia Superior, the towns in Dardania included Scupi, Naissus, Ulpiana, [[Therranda]], [[Vicianum]], [[Vindenis]], [[Velanis]], [[Dardapara]], [[Quemedava]] and [[Damastion]].

The Romans occupied Naissos ({{lang-la|Naissus}}) in the period of the "Dardanian War" (75–73 BC), and set up a legionary camp.{{sfn|Syme|1999|p=207}} The city (called ''refugia'' and ''vici'' in pre-Roman relation), because of its strategic position (Thracians were based to the south{{sfn|Syme|1999|p=207}}) developed as an important [[garrison]] and market town of Moesia Superior.{{sfn|Petrović|2007|p=}} The Romans also founded a mining town named ''[[municipium Dardanicum]]''.{{sfn|Wilkes|1992|p=258}}

== Aftermath ==
 [[File:Balkans 6th century.svg|thumb|right|300px|Provinces in the Balkans in the 6th century.]]
The area remained part of the Eastern Roman, [[Byzantine Empire]], after the Eastern–Western Roman split in the 5th century.{{sfn|Mócsy|2014|p=350}} [[Procopius]] (500–560) used the old Roman provinces to describe the geography of the Balkans. According to ''Buildings of Justinian'' IV, there were 8 new and 61 restored fortifications in Dardania.{{sfn|Curta|2001|p=156}} Dardania was a region in which Justinian's restoration process was predominant.{{sfn|Bulić|2013|p=209}} In 518 an earthquake devastated Dardania, followed by famine that killed much of the population and weakened the Empire's defences.{{sfn|Bulić|2013|p=209}} According to Florin Curta, a small number of Slavs ([[Sclaveni]] and [[Antes (people)|Antes]]) migrated to the Balkans in the 6th century.{{sfn|Curta|2001|pp=84–92}}

== See also ==
* [[Illyrians]]
* [[Dardani]]
* [[Kingdom of Dardania]]
* [[Serbia in the Roman era]]
* [[Archaeology of Kosovo]]
* [[Illyricum (Roman province)]]
* [[Roman heritage in Kosovo]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Sources ==
{{refbegin|2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Bulić|first=Dejan|chapter=The Fortifications of the Late Antiquity and the Early Byzantine Period on the Later Territory of the South-Slavic Principalities, and their re-occupation|title=The World of the Slavs: Studies of the East, West and South Slavs: Civitas, Oppidas, Villas and Archeological Evidence (7th to 11th Centuries AD)|year=2013|location=Belgrade|publisher=The Institute for History|pages=137–234|isbn=9788677431044|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pLJCCwAAQBAJ}}
* {{Cite book|last=Curta|first=Florin|author-link=Florin Curta|title=The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, c. 500–700|year=2001|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781139428880|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rcFGhCVs0sYC}}
* {{Cite book|last=Curta|first=Florin|author-link=Florin Curta|title=Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250|year=2006|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521815390|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YIAYMNOOe0YC}}
* {{Cite book|last=Cvjetićanin|first=Tatjana|title=Late Roman Glazed Pottery: Glazed Pottery from Moesia Prima, Dacia Ripensis, Dacia Mediterranea and Dardania|year=2006|location=Belgrade|publisher=National Museum|isbn=9788672690880|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZeFNET4x2tsC}}
* {{cite book|last=Harnack|first=Adolf|title=The Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries|volume=1–2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FltKAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1|year=1998|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers|isbn=978-1-57910-002-5}}
* {{Cite book|last=Mócsy|first=András|title=Pannonia and Upper Moesia: A History of the Middle Danube Provinces of the Roman Empire|year=2014|orig-year=1974|location=New York|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317754251|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LP9RAwAAQBAJ}}
* {{Cite book|last=Papazoglu|first=Fanula|author-link=Fanula Papazoglu|title=The Central Balkan Tribes in pre-Roman Times: Triballi, Autariatae, Dardanians, Scordisci and Moesians|year=1978|location=Amsterdam|publisher=Hakkert|isbn=9789025607937|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Up4JAQAAIAAJ}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Petrović|first=Vladimir P.|year=2007|title=Pre-Roman and Roman Dardania: Historical and Geographical Considerations|journal=Balcanica|issue=37|publisher=Balkanološki institut SANU|pages=7–23|url=http://www.balkaninstitut.com/pdf/izdanja/balcanica/Balcanica%20XXXVII%20(2006).pdf}}
* {{Cite book|last=Петровић|first=Владимир П.|title=Дарданија у римским итинерарима: Градови и насеља|year=2007|location=Београд|publisher=Балканолошки институт САНУ|url=http://www.balkaninstitut.com/pdf/izdanja/posebno/Dardanija.pdf}}
* {{Cite book|last=Popović|first=Radomir V.|title=Le Christianisme sur le sol de l'Illyricum oriental jusqu'à l'arrivée des Slaves|year=1996|location=Thessaloniki|publisher=Institute for Balkan Studies|isbn=9789607387103|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YwsQAQAAIAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last1=Roisman|first1=Joseph|last2=Worthington|first2=Ian|title=A Companion to Ancient Macedonia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lkYFVJ3U-BIC|year=2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-7936-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Syme|first=Ronald|title=The Provincial at Rome: And, Rome and the Balkans 80BC-AD14|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D5IxWxCgFFwC|year=1999|orig-year=1935|publisher=University of Exeter Press|isbn=978-0-85989-632-0}}
* {{Cite book|last=Turlej|first=Stanisław|title=Justiniana Prima: An Underestimated Aspect of Justinian's Church Policy|year=2016|location=Krakow|publisher=Jagiellonian University Press|isbn=9788323395560|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C2yYDQAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Wilkes|first=J. J.|year=1992|title=The Illyrians|publisher=Blackwell |isbn=0-631-19807-5}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Dardania (Roman Empire)}}

{{Late Roman Provinces|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dardania (Roman province)| ]]
[[Category:Late Roman provinces]]
[[Category:Serbia in the Roman era]]
[[Category:Macedonia (Roman province)]]
[[Category:Bulgaria in the Roman era]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 3rd century]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 6th century]]