Serbia and Dioclea in the work of John Scylitzes

Abstract

Recalling the fact that John Scylitzes in his Short History strictly distinguishes Serbia from Tribalia, the conclusion is made that Serbia and Tribalia in the work of John Scylitzes represent two clearly defined separate terms, with Tribalia meaning Dioclea and Serbia meaning Serbia (so-called Rascia and Bosnia). From that conclusion another one is derived - that Stephen Vojislav led his uprising against imperial authority in 1034-1036 and 1039-1040 not in Dioclea but in Serbia. That conclusion is followed by the assumption of existence of a direct imperial rule in Serbia in the years following 1018, which would be an argument in proving the thesis that the theme of Serbia was located exactly in the area of Serbia. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177032 - Tradicija, inovacija i identitet u vizantijskom svetu]

Keywords

• the theme of Serbia
• Dioclea
• Tribalia
• Stephen Vojislav
• Constantine Diogenes
• Theophilus Eroticus
• John Scylitzes