Arheološki Vestnik (Jan 2005)
The Bestoen bishopric in the light of prior research
Abstract
The aim of this article is to locate the Bestoen bishopric,its central area and the see of its bishop, on the basis of theresults of the analysis of archaeological, epigraphic, literaryand other sources. The Bestoen bishop Andreas co-signed actsof the Salona synods in the years 530 and 533 AD, and triedto bring about its division into two bishoprics. He was forcedto do so, on account of both its size and its poverty, whichprevented the bishopric from providing help for the poor andfor its clergy. This resulted in diminished pastoral care for theChristian population that was entrusted to him. Andreas’ re-quest was not fulfilled. His bishopric was situated in themountainous inland of Roman Dalmatia, most probably in thearea of the Rama River (northern Herzegovina), as well asalong the upper Vrbas, the valley of the river Lašva and thearea of Zenica (central Bosnia). The possibility that its centrewas at the ancient settlement of Grudine (Crkvina) in Ćipuljić-Bugojno (central Bosnia), where a Roman brick with the stampBistues was discovered, is not entirely to be excluded.
