Great Moravia (see Name section) was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe from the 9th century to the early 10th century. Great Moravia (see Name section was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe from the 9th century to the early 10th century There is some controversy as to the actual location of its core territory. According to mainstream historians, its core territory laid on both sides of the Morava river, in present-day Slovakia and the Czech Republic, but the empire also extended into what are today parts of Hungary, Romania, Poland, Austria, Germany, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia. The Morava (March is a River in Central Europe. It is the most important river of Moravia, which derives its name from it Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between ^[1][2][3] This theory also states that Great Moravia was inhabited by the ancestors of modern Moravians and Slovaks. This article deals with the modern national/ethnic group For other meanings see Moravian. } The Slovaks or Slovakians are a western Slavic People that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is ^[4] According to alternate theories, the core territory of Great Moravia was situated South of the Danube river, in Slavonia or in the southern parts of the Carpathian Basin. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Not to be confused with Slovenia, a nearby country Slavonia ( Croatian, Serbian: Slavonija, Cyrillic script The Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin is a large basin in Central Europe. ^[5][6]

Great Moravia was founded when Mojmír I unified by force two neighboring states, referred to by the modern historiography as the "Principality of Nitra" and the "Principality of Moravia", in 833. Mojmír I (also Moymir or Moimir; c 795 &ndash 846 was the first known prince of the Моravian principality (?830-833 and the first prince of Great Moravia The Principality of Nitra or Nitrian Principality (Nitrianske kniežatstvo Nitriansko Nitrava is the name for a Slavic polity centered around Nitra ^[1][7][8] The rulers of the emerging state periodically accepted the supremacy of the Kings of East Francia, but they continuously endeavored to strengthen the independent status of their country. East ( ern) Francia ( Regnum Francorum orientalium) known variously as Francia Orientalis or the Kingdom of the East Franks, was the

Unprecedented cultural development resulted from the mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who came during the reign of Prince Rastislav in 863. Saints Cyril and Methodius (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи) were two Byzantine Greek brothers born Rastic or Rastiz (in modern Slovak Rastislav) (died after 870 was the second ruler of Great Moravia between 846 and 870 The empire reached its greatest territorial extent under Svatopluk I (871-894), although the borders of his dominions are still under debate. Svatopluk I (around 830 - 894 from the House of Mojmír was the prince of the Principality of Nitra (850s - 871 and then the king of Great Moravia (871 He also achieved to have his independent status acknowledged by Pope John VIII who styled Svatopluk "king" in a letter. John VIII was Pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882.

Weakened by internal struggle and frequent wars with the Carolingian Empire, Great Moravia was ultimately overrun by the Magyars, who invaded the Carpathian Basin around 896. Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty. Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. The Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin is a large basin in Central Europe. Its remnants were later divided among Poland, Kingdom of Hungary, Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Kingdom of Hungary (short form Hungary) was a considerable state in Central Europe that existed from 1001 to 1918 then from 1919 to 1946 Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Although some contemporary sources mention that Great Moravia vanished, archaeological researches and toponyms suggest the continuity of Slavic population in the valleys of the rivers of the Inner Western Carpathians. Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology. The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати ^[9][10] Most castles and towns survived the destruction of the empire,^[1][11] but the identification of some castles is still debated and some scholars even claim that Great Moravia, in fact, disappeared without trace. ^[12]

Great Moravia left behind a lasting legacy in Central and Eastern Europe. The Glagolitic script and its successor Cyrillic were disseminated to other Slavic countries, charting a new path in their cultural development. The Glagolitic alphabet or Glagolitsa is the oldest known Slavic Alphabet. The Cyrillic alphabet (səˈrɪlɪk also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters is actually a family of Alphabets, subsets of which are used by The administrative system of Great Moravia may have influenced the development of the administration of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Kingdom of Hungary (short form Hungary) was a considerable state in Central Europe that existed from 1001 to 1918 then from 1919 to 1946 Great Moravia also became a favorite issue in the Czech and Slovak romantic nationalism of the 19th century. Romantic nationalism (also National Romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of Nationalism in which the state derives ^[8]

Map of Great Moravia at its possible greatest territorial extent during the reign of Svatopluk I (871-894), superimposed on the modern borders of European states. Note that some of the borders of Great Moravia are under debate.

Name

The designation "Great Moravia" ("Μεγάλη Μοραβία") originally stems from the work De Administrando Imperio written by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos around 950. De Administrando Imperio is the commonly used Latin title of a scholarly work written in Greek, by the 10th-century Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Ζ΄ Πορφυρογέννητος ^[13][14] Although the name Great Moravia is used by the modern historiography to refer to a medieval polity in the northern part of the Carpathian Basin, the Emperor himself referred to a different country, located south of or in the southern part of the Carpathian Basin or he mismatched the location. The Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin is a large basin in Central Europe. The Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin is a large basin in Central Europe.

The word "Great Moravia" used by modern authors not only refers to present-day Moravia, but to a country situated on both sides of the Morava river whose capital was also plausibly called Morava. Moravia (Morava; Morawy Moravie Moravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands. The Morava (March is a River in Central Europe. It is the most important river of Moravia, which derives its name from it ^[15] Alternatively, "Moravia" could also refer to country whose capital was Morava. It is not always clear whether an early medieval written source names a country or a town called Morava. The adjective "Great" nowadays denotes Moravia plus the annexed territories. Some authors interpret the original meaning as "distant", because Byzantine texts used to distinguish between two countries of the same name using the attribute "little" for the territory closer to the Byzantine Empire (such as the Morava rivers in Serbia) and "great" for the more distant territory (such as the Morava river between Moravia and Slovakia). The Velika Morava or Great Morava ( Serbian Cyrillic: Велика Морава) is a final section of the Morava (Cyrillic Морава Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country ^[11]

The adjective "Μεγάλη" may also mean "old" in Byzantine texts^{[5][16][17][6]} and some scholars argue Old Moravia is the correct name.

The names of Great Moravia in other languages are Велья Морава in Old Church Slavonic, Veľká Morava in Slovak, Velká Morava in Czech, Magna Moravia in Latin, Velika Moravska (Велика Моравска) in Serbian and Croatian, and Nagymorva Birodalom in Hungarian. to make sure old Cyrillic letters are displayed properly (For example instead of just Ѣ write Ѣ The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Serbian (sr-Cyrl српски језик sr-Latn ''srpski jezik'' is a South Slavic language, Croatian language ( hrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic language which is used primarily in Croatia, by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in neighbouring Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. In English, the forms Greater Moravia and Moravia Magna are also sometimes used. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

The use of the term (Great) Slovak Empire instead of Great Moravia is promoted by some Slovak authors who attempt to define it as an early Slovak state. } The Slovaks or Slovakians are a western Slavic People that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is ^[18] The use of this term would contradict the theory that the distinct Slavic nations had not yet emerged by the 9th century and the culture and language of various Slavic tribes in central Europe were indistinguishable from each other. ^[19]

History

Foundation

The formation of Great Moravia resulted from the political and social development that is documented by archaeological findings, but scarcely described by contemporary chroniclers. ^[20] The first state of the Slavs living on the Middle Danube was Samo's Realm, a tribal confederation existing between 623 and 658. Samo (died 658 was a Frankish merchant from the "Senonian country" ( Senonago) probably modern Sens, France. ^[21] It encompassed the territories of Moravia, Slovakia, Lower Austria, Carantania, Sorbia at the Elbe, and probably also Bohemia, which lies between Sorbia and other parts of the realm. Lower Austria (Niederösterreich is one of the nine states or Bundesländer in Austria. Carantania, also known as Carentania (Karantanija Karantanien in old Slovene Onomastics Korotan) was a Slavic Principality Upper and Lower Lusatia Upper Lusatia ( Oberlausitz or Hornja Łužica) is today part of the German state of Saxony except for a small part east of The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Although this tribal confederation plausibly did not survive its founder, it created favorable conditions for the formation of the local Slavic aristocracy.

Graves dated to the period after King Samo's death show that the Avars returned to some of their lost territories and they even could expand their area of settlement not only over the western parts of the present-day Slovakia but also over the Vienna Basin when a new population of the "griffin and tendril" archaeological culture (identified as Onogurs) appeared in the 670s. The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. The Viennese Basin (German Wiener Becken, Czech Vídeňská pánev, Slovak Viedenská kotlina, Slovenian Dunajska kotlina) is a Sedimentary Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Onogurs were a horde of Equestrian nomads that wandered the Eurasian plains in the 5th – 8th centuries. ^[17] However, archaeological findings from the same period (such as an exquisite noble tomb in Blatnica) also indicate formation of a Slavic upper class on the territory that later became the nucleus of Great Moravia. Blatnica (1927-1946 Turčianska Blatnica) is a Village and Municipality in the Turiec region of Slovakia. ^[1]

In the late 8th century, the Morava river basin and present-day western Slovakia, inhabited by the Slavs and situated at the Frankish border, flourished economically. Construction of numerous river valley settlements as well as hill forts indicates that political integration was driven by regional strongmen protected by their armed retinues. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement The Blatnica-Mikulčice horizon, a rich archaeological culture partially inspired by the contemporaneous Carolingian and Avar art, arose from this economic and political development. In addition to its usual meaning in Social science, in Archaeology, the term culture is also used in reference to several related concepts unique to The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. ^[1][22] In the 790s, the Slavs who had settled on the middle Danube overthrew the Avar yoke in connection with Charlemagne's campaigns against the Avars. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his Further centralization of power and progress in creation of state structures of the Slavs living in this region followed. As a result, two major states emerged: the Moravian Principality originally situated in present-day southeastern Moravia and westernmost Slovakia (with the probable center in Mikulčice)^[3] and the Principality of Nitra, located in present-day western and central Slovakia (with the center in Nitra). Moravia (Morava; Morawy Moravie Moravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands. Mikulčice (ˈmɪkʊlt͡ʃɪt͡sɛ is a municipality ( Obec) in the Czech Republic, situated 7 km south of Hodonín, near the border with The Principality of Nitra or Nitrian Principality (Nitrianske kniežatstvo Nitriansko Nitrava is the name for a Slavic polity centered around Nitra Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million If you were looking for a chemical see Nitre or Nitro. Nitra ( Neutra ( Nyitra / Nyitria) is a city in western ^[1][7][4]

Moravian legates were sent to Frankish emperors in 811 and 815. ^[22] In 822, the Royal Frankish Annals record that the Marvani paid homage to the Frankish Emperor at the Diet in Frankfurt. The Royal Frankish Annals or Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks ( Latin: Annales regni Francorum) are Annals written for the early Frankish kings ^[23][24] The first Moravian ruler known by name, Mojmír I, was baptized in 831 by Reginhar, bishop of Passau. Mojmír I (also Moymir or Moimir; c 795 &ndash 846 was the first known prince of the Моravian principality (?830-833 and the first prince of Great Moravia Passau ( Latin: Batavis or Batavia, also Passavium; Italian: Passavia; Czech: Pasov) is a town in ^[2]

There is not much information in the contemporary primary sources (only two remarks in a Western documents) about the polity referred to as the "Principality of Nitra" by later historians. ^[25] Nevertheless, during the first decades of the 9th century, the Slavic people living in the north-western parts of the Carpathian Basin were under the rule of a tribal leader (styled as prince by later historians) whose seat was in Nitra. The Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin is a large basin in Central Europe. A traditional tribal chief is the leader of a Tribe, or the head of a tribal form of self-government If you were looking for a chemical see Nitre or Nitro. Nitra ( Neutra ( Nyitra / Nyitria) is a city in western ^[17] In 828, Pribina, although probably still a pagan himself, built the first Christian church within the borders of modern Slovakia in his possession called Nitrava. Pribina, also called Priwina or Privina by Frankish chronicles was the ruler and Prince of the Principality of Nitra before 833 and established ^[26][27]

In 833, Mojmír I expelled Pribina^[28] from Nitra and the two principalities became united under the same ruler. ^[1][4] Excavations revealed that at least three Nitrian castles (Pobedim, Čingov, and Ostrá skala) were destroyed around the time of the conquest (i. Pobedim is a Village and Municipality in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District in the Trenčín Region of western Slovakia. e. , around the time when Pribina was expelled from his possession). ^[1] But Pribina escaped to the Franks and their king Louis the German granted him parts of Pannonia around the Zala River, referred usually in modern works as the Balaton Principality. Louis (also Ludwig or Lewis) the German (also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian) (806 &ndash August 28, 876 Pannonia is an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, Zala is the name of an administrative county ( Comitatus or megye in Hungary. The Balaton Principality (also called Pannonia, Lower Pannonia, Pannonian Principality, Transdanubian Principality or Slavic Pannonian State ^[29]

After unification

Rastislav as an Orthodox Saint (modern depiction)

What modern historians designate as "Great" Moravia arose around 830 when Moimír unified the Slavic tribes settled north of the Danube and extended the Moravian supremacy over them. ^[30] When Mojmír I endeavoured to secede from the supremacy of the king of East Francia in 846, King Louis the German deposed him and assisted Moimír's nephew, Rastislav (846–870) in acquiring the throne. East ( ern) Francia ( Regnum Francorum orientalium) known variously as Francia Orientalis or the Kingdom of the East Franks, was the Louis (also Ludwig or Lewis) the German (also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian) (806 &ndash August 28, 876 Rastic or Rastiz (in modern Slovak Rastislav) (died after 870 was the second ruler of Great Moravia between 846 and 870 ^[31][32] Although he was originally chosen by the Frankish king, the new monarch pursued an independent policy. After stopping a Frankish attack in 855, he also sought to weaken influence of Frankish priests preaching in his realm. Rastislav asked the Byzantine Emperor Michael III to send teachers who would interpret Christianity in the Slavic vernacular. Michael III the Drunkard (Μιχαήλ Γ΄ ο Μέθυσος Mikhaēl III ho Methysos) ( January 19, 840 &ndash September 23–24 867 By establishing relations with Constantinople, Rastislav wanted to weaken influence of Frankish preachers, who served the interests of the Frankish Emperor. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS ^[33] He also desired to counter an anti-Moravian alliance recently concluded between the Franks and Bulgarians. ^[33] Upon Rastislav's request, two brothers, Byzantine officials and missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius came in 863. Saints Cyril and Methodius (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи) were two Byzantine Greek brothers born Cyril developed the first Slavic alphabet and translated the Gospel into the Old Church Slavonic language. Saints Cyril and Methodius (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи) were two Byzantine Greek brothers born The Glagolitic alphabet or Glagolitsa is the oldest known Slavic Alphabet. to make sure old Cyrillic letters are displayed properly (For example instead of just Ѣ write Ѣ Texts translated or written by Cyril and Methodius are considered to be the oldest literature in the Slavic languages. Rastislav was also preoccupied with the security and administration of his state. Numerous fortified castles built throughout the country are dated to his reign and some of them (e. g. , Dowina, sometimes identified with Devín Castle)^[20][7] are also mentioned in connection with Rastislav by Frankish chronicles. Devín Castle ( Slovak: hrad Devín or Devínsky hrad, Hungarian: dévényi vár, German: Burg Theben) is a castle ^[34][31] The nomadic Magyar tribes invaded the Carpathian Basin for the first time during his reign, in 861, and afterwards, the Magyars were occasionally hired by several rulers of the territory in order to intervene in their wars against the opposite party. ^[35]

Central Europe in 870. Eastern Francia in blue, Bulgaria in orange, Great Moravia under Rastislav in green. East ( ern) Francia ( Regnum Francorum orientalium) known variously as Francia Orientalis or the Kingdom of the East Franks, was the The First Bulgarian Empire (Първo Българско царство Părvo Bălgarsko Tsarstvo) was a Medieval Bulgarian state founded in AD 632 Rastic or Rastiz (in modern Slovak Rastislav) (died after 870 was the second ruler of Great Moravia between 846 and 870 The green line depicts the borders of Great Moravia after the territorial expansion under Svatopluk I (894). Svatopluk I (around 830 - 894 from the House of Mojmír was the prince of the Principality of Nitra (850s - 871 and then the king of Great Moravia (871 Note that some of the borders of Great Moravia are under debate

During Rastislav's reign, the Principality of Nitra was given to his nephew Svatopluk as an appanage. ^[7] The rebellious prince allied himself with the Franks and overthrew his uncle in 870. The beginning of Svatopluk I’s reign was turbulent as his former Frankish allies refused to leave the western part of his empire. Svatopluk I (around 830 - 894 from the House of Mojmír was the prince of the Principality of Nitra (850s - 871 and then the king of Great Moravia (871 The young prince was even taken captive by the Franks and the country rallied around Slavomír who led an uprising against the invaders in 871. Priest Slavomír was an interim ruler of the Great Moravian Empire in 871 Svatopluk was finally released and took over the command of the insurgents, driving the Franks from Great Moravia. In the subsequent years, he successfully defended the independence of his realm from Eastern Francia and subjected many neighboring lands. East ( ern) Francia ( Regnum Francorum orientalium) known variously as Francia Orientalis or the Kingdom of the East Franks, was the Similarly to his predecessor, Svatopluk I (871–894) assumed the title of the king (rex). During his reign, the Great Moravian Empire reached its greatest territorial extent, when not only present-day Moravia and Slovakia but also present-day northern and central Hungary, Lower Austria, Bohemia, Silesia, Lusatia, southern Poland and northern Serbia belonged to the empire, but the exact borders of his domains are still disputed by modern authors. ^[1][36] Svatopluk also withstood attacks of Magyar tribes^[8] and the Bulgarian Empire, although sometimes it was he who hired the Magyars when waging war against East Francia. The First Bulgarian Empire (Първo Българско царство Părvo Bălgarsko Tsarstvo) was a Medieval Bulgarian state founded in AD 632 ^[35]

In 880, Pope John VIII issued the bull Industriae Tuae, by which he set up an independent ecclesiastical province in Great Moravia with Archbishop Methodius as its head. John VIII was Pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. Saints Cyril and Methodius (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи) were two Byzantine Greek brothers born He also named the German cleric Wiching the Bishop of Nitra, and Old Church Slavonic was recognized as the fourth liturgical language, along with Latin, Greek and Hebrew. If you were looking for a chemical see Nitre or Nitro. Nitra ( Neutra ( Nyitra / Nyitria) is a city in western

Decline and fall

The papal bull Industriae Tuae addressed to Svatopluk I

After the death of King Svatopluk in 894, his sons Mojmír II (894-906?) and Svatopluk II succeeded him as the King of Great Moravia and the Prince of Nitra respectively. Mojmír II (?-(?906 was the last king of the Great Moravian Empire (894-?906 Svatopluk II (? - ca 906 ruled the Principality of Nitra from 894 to 906 and strove to control all of Great Moravia. ^[7] However, they started to quarrel for domination of the whole empire. Weakened by an internal conflict as well as by constant warfare with Eastern Francia, Great Moravia lost most of its peripheral territories.

In the meantime, the Magyar tribes, having suffered a catastrophic defeat from the similarly nomadic Pechenegs, left their territories east of the Carpathian Mountains, invaded the Carpathian Basin and started to occupy the territory gradually around 896. The Pechenegs or Patzinaks ( Turkish: Peçenekler, Hungarian: Besenyő, Greek: Patzinaki/Petsenegi or Πατζινάκοι/Πετσενέγοι/Πατζινακίται ^[36] Their armies' advance may have been promoted by continuous wars among the countries of the region whose rulers still hired them occasionally to intervene in their struggles. ^[9] The Bavarians and the Moravians accused each other of having formed alliances, even by "taking oath upon dogs and wolves", with the pagan Magyars. ^[37][9]

Both Mojmír II and Svatopluk II probably died in battles with the Magyars between 904 and 907 because their names are not mentioned in written sources after 906. In three battles (July 4-5 and August 9, 907) near Bratislava, the Magyars routed Bavarian armies. Battle of Pressburg or Battle of Bratislava refers to a battle fought at Brezalauspurc (today Bratislava in Slovakia) on July 4 907 during ARTICLE TEXT BEGINS AFTER THESE COMMENTS - PLEASE READ 1 Please do not edit the lead without reading Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Historians traditionally put this year as the date of the breakup of the Great Moravian Empire.

Although some contemporary sources mention that Great Moravia disappeared without trace and its inhabitants left for the Bulgars, Croats and Magyars following the latters' victories, but archaeological researches and toponyms suggest the continuity of Slavic population in the valleys of the rivers of the Inner Western Carpathians. Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology. The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати ^[9][10] Toponyms may prove that the nomadic Magyars occupied the Western Pannonian Plain in present-day Slovakia, while the hills were inhabited by a mixed (Slav and Hungarian) population and people living in the valleys of the mountains spoke Slavic language. The Pannonian Plain is a large Plain in Central Europe that remained when the Pliocene Pannonian Sea dried out The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages ^[10]

Moreover, there are sporadic references to Great Moravia from later years:^[15] In 924/925, both Folkuin in his Gesta abb. Lobiensium and Ruotger in Archiepiscopi Coloniensis Vita Brunonis mention Great Moravia. From 925 until 931, there are several references to certain counts Mojmír and Svatopluk in official documents from Salzburg, though the origin of the two nobles is not clear. is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. In 942, Magyar warriors captured in Al Andalus said that Moravia is the northern neighbor of their people. Al-Andalus (الأندلس was the Arabic name given to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims or The fate of the northern and western parts of former Great Moravia in the 10th century is thus largely unclear.

The western part of the Great Moravian core territory (present-day Moravia) became the Frankish March of Moravia. The March or Margraviate of Moravia, sometimes called the Bohemian march within the Holy Roman Empire, was a marcher state, sometimes de Originally a buffer against Magyar attacks, the march became obsolete after the Battle of Lechfeld (955). The Battle of Lechfeld ( 10 August 955) perhaps the defining event for holding off the incursions of the Magyars into Central Europe, was a decisive After the battle, it was given to the Bohemian duke Boleslaus I. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the In 999 it was taken over by Poland under Boleslaus I of Poland and returned to Bohemia in 1019.

As for the eastern part of the Great Moravian core territory (present-day Slovakia), its southernmost parts fell under domination of the old Magyar Árpád dynasty after 955. The Árpáds or Arpads (Árpádok Arpadovići Арпадовићи ArpádovciArpatlar was the ruling Dynasty of the federation of the Magyar tribes ^[38] The rest remained under the rule of the local Slavic aristocracy^[39] and was gradually^[4] integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary in a process finished in the 14th century. ^[38][40] In 1000 or 1001, all of present-day Slovakia was taken over by Poland under Boleslaus I and much of this territory became part of the Kingdom of Hungary by 1031. The Kingdom of Hungary (short form Hungary) was a considerable state in Central Europe that existed from 1001 to 1918 then from 1919 to 1946 ^[38][8] Since the 10th century, the population of Slovakia has been evolving into the present-day Slovaks. } The Slovaks or Slovakians are a western Slavic People that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is ^[4]

Territory

The territory of Great Moravia was extending gradually in the course of the 9th century and it reached its largest extension between 874 and 894, following the conquests of Svatopluk I. However, the territories ruled by Svatopluk has not been exactly determined, yet. For example, it is under debate whether the "Balaton Principality" (administered probably by counts appointed by the King of East Francia during this period) or parts of the Carpathian Basin east of the Danube or the Tisza (Tisa) ("the territories of the Avars") were controlled by King Svatopluk. "Tisa" redirects here For other uses see Tisa (disambiguation and Tisza (disambiguation. ^[36]

The following map presents the territorial extension of Great Moravia as it appears in,,^[1][2] and. ^[3]

1. Core territory, Principality of Moravia before 833. Moravia (Morava; Morawy Moravie Moravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands.
2. Core territory, Principality of Nitra before 833
3. The Principality of Nitra or Nitrian Principality (Nitrianske kniežatstvo Nitriansko Nitrava is the name for a Slavic polity centered around Nitra Either part of the Principality of Nitra before 833, or conquered later by Mojmír I or by Rastislav. Mojmír I (also Moymir or Moimir; c 795 &ndash 846 was the first known prince of the Моravian principality (?830-833 and the first prince of Great Moravia Rastic or Rastiz (in modern Slovak Rastislav) (died after 870 was the second ruler of Great Moravia between 846 and 870
4. Conquered by Mojmír I or by Rastislav, administered from Nitra.
5. Part of the Principality of Moravia or conquered no later than 853.
6. Conquered in 858, administered from Nitra and lost in 894.
7. Either part of Nitra or the Balaton Principality. The Balaton Principality (also called Pannonia, Lower Pannonia, Pannonian Principality, Transdanubian Principality or Slavic Pannonian State Conquered either in 833 or 883, administered from Nitra. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
8. Conquered in 858 or 883, administered from Nitra and lost in 894. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
9. Conquered by Rastislav or Svatopluk I, administered from Nitra and lost in 896. Svatopluk I (around 830 - 894 from the House of Mojmír was the prince of the Principality of Nitra (850s - 871 and then the king of Great Moravia (871 (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
10. Conquered in 858 or 883, administered from Nitra. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
11. Vistulans conquered in 874. Vistulans (Wiślanie were a Lechitic tribe inhabiting since at least the 7th century, lands known today as Lesser Poland.
12. Probably conquered in 874 along with the Vistulan territory.
13. Silesia probably annexed in 880. Etymology One theory claims that the name Silesia is derived from the Silingi, who were most likely a Vandalic (East Germanic people
14. Probably conquered together with Silesia.
15. Lusatia controlled in 890-897. Upper and Lower Lusatia Upper Lusatia ( Oberlausitz or Hornja Łužica) is today part of the German state of Saxony except for a small part east of
16. Probably part of the Great Moravian Lusatia.
17. Probably part of the Great Moravian Lusatia.
18. Probably part of the Great Moravian Lusatia.
19. Bohemia controlled in 888-894. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the
20. The Balaton Principality controlled in 883-894. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
21. Probably part of the conquered Balaton Principality. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
22. Probably part of the conquered Balaton Principality. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
23. Transtheissia controlled in 881-896. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
24. Probably part of Transtheissia. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
25. Conquered by Svatopluk I and lost in 896. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
26. Conquered by Svatopluk I.
27. Probably part of Transtheissia. (The supremacy of Great Moravia over the territory is under debate. )
(yellow lines: current borders
blue lines: rivers
red dots: main castles and settlements)

As for the history of Bohemia—annexed by Great Moravia for eleven years (from 883 to 894),^[2] the crucial year is 895, when the Bohemians broke away from the empire and became vassals of Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnulf of Carinthia (Arnulf von Kärnten Arnulf Koroški 850 &ndash December 8 899) was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887 Independent Bohemia, ruled by the dynasty of Přemyslids, began to gradually emerge. The Přemyslids ( Czech: Přemyslovci, Polish: Przemyślidzi, German: Premysliden) were a Czech royal dynasty which

Alternate theories

An alternative theory, proposed by Imre Boba independently of the similar theories of earlier authors (e. g. , Daniele Farlatti, Gelasius Dobner working in the 18th century) in the 1970s, suggests that the core territory of the empire was situated south of the Danube river in Pannonia/Slavonia. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Pannonia is an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, Not to be confused with Slovenia, a nearby country Slavonia ( Croatian, Serbian: Slavonija, Cyrillic script ^[41] The theory is based on Boba's reading of primary written sources (e. g. , De administrando imperio, the Bavarian Geographer and Annales Fuldenses), which in his opinion were misread^[42] or ignored^[43] by other historians. De Administrando Imperio is the commonly used Latin title of a scholarly work written in Greek, by the 10th-century Byzantine emperor The Bavarian Geographer (Geographus Bavarus is a conventional name given by Jan Potocki in 1796 to the author of an anonymous Medieval The Annales Fuldenses or Annals of Fulda are East Frankish chronicles that cover the period from the last years of Louis the Pious (died 840 Moreover, he also utilized the results of archaeological researches and his knowledge of Slavic studies. Slavic studies or Slavistics is the Academic field of Area studies concerned with Slavic areas Slavic languages, literature history A short summary of his statements and their criticism follows:

• Boba claimed that some primary sources (e. g. , De administrando imperio, the Bavarian Geographer) clearly locate the territory of Great Moravia south of the Danube and other primary sources do not contradict them. His opponents pointed out that the sources cited by Boba were written by foreigners "at a considerable distance from the events narrated" and their understanding of geography is not very precise. ^[42] It is also true that some of the primary sources (such as Life of Methodius and Life of St. Clement of Ohrid, referred also by Boba) seem to contradict Boba's theory. ^[42] For example, the escape of the Slavonic priests to Bulgaria, as described in the primary sources, indicates that Great Moravia was not located south of the Danube. ^[42]
• Boba also emphasized that Saint Methodius was made Archbishop of Syrmium, a town south of the Danube. Saints Cyril and Methodius (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи) were two Byzantine Greek brothers born Sirmium in Pannonia should not be confused with Sirmio on Lake Garda Sirmium (today Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia) was an ancient The opposite view states that the see in Syrmium was only symbolic, because Syrmium had formerly been the see of an archdiocese in the past,^[42] but Boba and his followers indicated that Method's consecration for a symbolic see would have violated canon law in the 9th century. Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches ^[41] Boba's opponents also pointed out that the church claimed by Boba to be the resting place of Methodius in Syrmium turned out to be founded two hundred years after Methodius' death and no medieval settlement existed in Syrmium before AD 1000. ^[42]
• In addition, Boba argued that the continuity of the Slavonic liturgy and the uninterrupted use of Glagolitic alphabet in the Catholic Church can be proven south of the Danube, while such tradition did not exist uninterruptedly north of the Danube. The Glagolitic alphabet or Glagolitsa is the oldest known Slavic Alphabet. In reality, the Slavonic liturgy survived in some places north of the Danube until 1097. ^[2] Boba claimed that this tradition came to the Monastery of Sázava from Vyshhorod in the Kievan Rus'. See other places named Sázava. Sázava (ˈsazava is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Vyshhorod (Вишгород is a city in the Kiev Oblast ( province) in central Ukraine. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan
• Great Moravia was often mentioned as Sclavonia in the primary sources and this denomination may have survived the fall of the empire in the name of Slavonia (a territory south of the Danube) until the 20th century. Not to be confused with Slovenia, a nearby country Slavonia ( Croatian, Serbian: Slavonija, Cyrillic script But Boba's opponents pointed out that the same Latin name Sclavonia also referred to Slovakia and those northern parts of Hungary that were inhabited by Slavs. ^[4] On the other hand, the Latin denomination Sclavonia for the territories of present-day Slovakia was documented only in 1512. ^[31]
• Another Boba's claim was that archaeological findings attributed to the Moravians north of the Danube should be reclassified because they show clear nomadic characteristics (i. e. , men and their horses buried together). But these characteristics are known only from some of the earliest graveyards, from the regions influenced by the nomad Avars. The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. ^[1][44] There is also a "sharp contrast in the archaeological record" between the politically and economically developed regions of Moravia and Slovakia (the location of Boba's opponents) on the one hand, and the sparsely populated Slavonia (Boba's location) on the other hand. ^[42]

In 1983, the Japanese Senga Toru, based on the primary sources, argued that Great Moravia was located around the territory where the Drava joins the Danube, i. The are the dominant Ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent of these approximately 127 million are residents of Japan Drava or Drave ( German: Drau; Italian, Croatian, and Slovene: Drava; Hungarian: Dráva e. , south of and in the southern parts of the Carpathian Basin on both sides of the Danube. ^[45] He also stated that another polity named Moravia (without the adjective "Great") existed in the 9th century in the territory of present-day Moravia and in the western regions of present-day Slovakia, and the two polities were unified by Svatopluk I. ^[45]

In the 1990s, the Hungarian historian, Gyula Kristó also mentioned that some sources allow to suppose that Great Moravia was located around the Great Morava River, south of the Danube. The Velika Morava or Great Morava ( Serbian Cyrillic: Велика Морава) is a final section of the Morava (Cyrillic Морава ^[17] Later, he stated that some primary sources refer to the existence of two Moravian polities ("Great Moravia" and "Moravia") lying on the territories where Senga Toru located them. ^[9]

People

The inhabitants of Great Moravia were designated Slovene, which is an old Slavic word meaning the "Slavs". The same name was used by the ancestors of Slovaks, Slovenes and Slavonians at that time and the present-day native names of these nations (for example Slovensko, the Slovak name of Slovakia) are still derived from the root Slovene. } The Slovaks or Slovakians are a western Slavic People that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is Slovenes or Slovenians ( Slovene Slovenci, dual Slovenca, singular Slovenec, feminine Slovenke, dual Slovenki Not to be confused with Slovenia, a nearby country Slavonia ( Croatian, Serbian: Slavonija, Cyrillic script The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" ^[4] People of Great Moravia were sometimes referred to as "Moravian peoples" by Slavic texts, and "Sclavi" (i. e. the Slavs), "Winidi" (another name for the Slavs), "Moravian Slavs" or "Moravians" by Latin texts. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.

As in all medieval states, life in Great Moravia was difficult compared to the modern standards: 40 percent of men and 60 percent of women died before reaching the age of 40 years. ^[22] However, Great Moravian cemeteries also document rich nutrition and advanced health care. Inhabitants of Great Moravia even had better teeth than people today: a third of the examined skeletons had no caries or lost teeth. ^[22]

Government and society

Great Moravia was ruled by a hereditary monarch from the House of Mojmír. The House of Mojmír ( Czech and Slovak: Mojmírovci) is the modern name of the ruling dynasty of Great Moravia, the Moravian principality ^[46] He was aided by a council of noblemen. The heir of the dynasty resided in Nitra, ruling the Principality of Nitra as an appanage. If you were looking for a chemical see Nitre or Nitro. Nitra ( Neutra ( Nyitra / Nyitria) is a city in western The Principality of Nitra or Nitrian Principality (Nitrianske kniežatstvo Nitriansko Nitrava is the name for a Slavic polity centered around Nitra An apanage or appanage is the grant of an estate titles offices or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign who under the system of ^[4][7] He enjoyed a great deal of autonomy, as documented by the Papal correspondence that addressed Rastislav and his heir Svatopluk in the same way. Some parts of the Great Moravian territory were ruled by vassal princes, such as Borivoj I of Bohemia. The realm was further divided into counties, headed by župans. Župa, zhupa, żupa ( Cyrillic: Жупа is a Slavic term notably among the Southern and Western branches of the ^[46] The number of counties is estimated to 11 at the beginning of the 9th century and to 30 in the second half of the 9th century. ^[46] This system also influenced the later Hungarian administrative division, often with the same castles serving as the seats of a county both under the Great Moravian and under the later Hungarian rule. A comitatus (vármegye less frequently a comitat, or inaccurately a county; for the various names their origin and use see here) is the name of an ^[1][11] However, historians has not reached a consensus yet, for example, whether administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary (e. g. , the vármegye) followed foreign (Bulgarian, Moravian or German) patterns or the administrative system was an internal innovation. ^[47] Most of the population was formed by freemen, who were obliged to pay an annual tax. ^[46] Slavery and feudal dependency are also recorded. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another ^[48][46]

Warfare

Very little is known about the Great Moravian way of warfare. Earlier Byzantine sources mention the javelin as the favorite weapon of Slavic warriors. For the athletic event see Javelin throw. For other uses see Javelin (disambiguation A javelin is a light Spear designed ^[49] Great Moravia also probably employed spear and axe armed infantry, including the powerful royal bodyguard called druzhina. Druzhina, Družyna or Drużyna (дружина druzhyna) in the history of early East Slavs was a detachment of select troops in personal ^[46] The druzhina was a princely retinue composed of professional warriors, who were responsible for collecting tribute and punishing wrongdoers. ^[22] In general, Slavs used cavalry rarely, which made them particularly vulnerable to the Magyar horse archers. Despite a relative scarcity of horses among the Slavs, a contemporary Arab traveler reported that Svatopluk I had plenty of riding horses. Svatopluk I (around 830 - 894 from the House of Mojmír was the prince of the Principality of Nitra (850s - 871 and then the king of Great Moravia (871 ^[44] The Great Moravian heavy cavalry emulated the contemporary Frankish predecessors of knights, with the expensive equipment that only the highest social strata could afford. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. In Sociology, social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of Social classes Castes and strata within a Society. ^[44] Facing larger and better equipped Frankish armies, Slavs often preferred ambushes, skirmishes, and raids to regular battles. ^[49] An important element of Great Moravian defense was to hide behind strong fortifications, which were difficult to besiege with the then prevailing forms of military organization. For example, a Frankish chronicler wrote with awe about "Rastislav's indescribable fortress" that stopped a Frankish invasion. ^[50] The army was led by the king or, in case of his absence, by a commander-in-chief called voivode. A voivode or waywode is a Slavic title that originally denoted the principal commander of a military force ^[46]

Culture

Architecture

Ruins of a Great Moravian castle in Ducové

Church in Kopčany, Slovakia - the only remaining Great Moravian building

Great Moravia had an exceptionally developed system of fortresses and fortified towns. Kopčany is a Village in western Slovakia, close to the borders with the Czech Republic. ^[50] Geographus Bavarus, when listing the neighbouring territories, mentioned "Beheimare, where 15 civitates are situated. The Bavarian Geographer (Geographus Bavarus is a conventional name given by Jan Potocki in 1796 to the author of an anonymous Medieval The Marharii have 11 civitates. The territories of the Vulgari are extensive and populated by many people and they have 5 civitates; they do not need civitates, because they number so many people. There are people, called Merehanos, having 30 civitates". The sentences of the mediæval author are sometimes interpreted that 30 out of the 41 Great Moravian castles (civitates) were situated on the territory of present-day Slovakia and the remaining 11 in Moravia. ^[51] These numbers are also corroborated by archaeological evidence. The only castles which are mentioned by name in written texts are Nitrawa (828; identified with Nitra), Dowina (864; sometimes identified with Devín Castle) and Brezalauspurc (907; usually identified with Bratislava Castle). If you were looking for a chemical see Nitre or Nitro. Nitra ( Neutra ( Nyitra / Nyitria) is a city in western Devín Castle ( Slovak: hrad Devín or Devínsky hrad, Hungarian: dévényi vár, German: Burg Theben) is a castle Bratislava Castle ( Slovak:, Pressburger Schloss Pozsonyi Vár is the main Castle of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. ^{[26][34][52][31]} Some sources claim that Uzhhorod in Ukraine (903) was also a fortress of the empire. Uzhhorod (Ужгород Уґоград Ужгород or Унґвар Ungvár Slovak and Czech: Užhorod; Użgorod Ungwar Ungarisch Burg אונגװיר Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Many other castles were identified by excavations.

Although location of the Great Moravian capital has not been safely identified, the fortified town of Mikulčice with its palace and 12 churches is the most widely accepted candidate. Mikulčice (ˈmɪkʊlt͡ʃɪt͡sɛ is a municipality ( Obec) in the Czech Republic, situated 7 km south of Hodonín, near the border with ^[3][53] However, it is fair to note that early medieval kings spent a significant part of their lives campaigning and traveling around their realms due to the lack of reliable administrative capacities. It is thus very likely that they also resided from time to time in other important royal estates. ^[38] For instance, Devín Castle is sometimes identified with a "fortress of Prince Rastislav" mentioned in the Annales Fuldenses. The Annales Fuldenses or Annals of Fulda are East Frankish chronicles that cover the period from the last years of Louis the Pious (died 840 ^[7][20]

Mikulčice was fortified in the 7th century and it later developed into a large (2 sq km) agglomeration composed of various villages and forts, spread over several river islands. ^[3][50] The area enclosed by the fortifications was only slightly smaller than the area of the contemporary Frankish Emperor's capital of Regensburg. Regensburg ( also Ratisbon, Ratisbona Řezno originally Castra Regina) is a City (population 131000 in 2007 in Bavaria, Germany ^[50] The population, estimated at 2,000, lived off trade and crafts. ^[38] Mikulčice was also a foremost religious center, with the first stone churches built around 800. ^[53] The largest among them was a three-nave basilica with the inside dimensions 35 m by 9 m and a separate baptistery. The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry ( Latin baptisterium) is the separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the ^[20][3] The only church safely identified as Great Moravian and at the same time still remaining above ground is situated in nearby Kopčany. Kopčany is a Village in western Slovakia, close to the borders with the Czech Republic. ^[54]

Nitra, the second center of the Empire, was ruled autonomously by the heir of the dynasty as an appanage. If you were looking for a chemical see Nitre or Nitro. Nitra ( Neutra ( Nyitra / Nyitria) is a city in western An apanage or appanage is the grant of an estate titles offices or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign who under the system of ^[4][7] Nitra consisted of five large fortified settlements and twenty specialized craftsmen's villages, making it a real metropolis of its times. Crafts included production of luxury goods, such as jewelry and glass. The agglomeration was surrounded by a number of smaller forts and religious buildings (e. g. in Dražovce and Zobor).

Bratislava Castle had a stone two-story palace and a spacious three-nave basilica, built in the mid-9th century. Bratislava Castle ( Slovak:, Pressburger Schloss Pozsonyi Vár is the main Castle of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. ^[1] Excavations of the cemetery situated by the basilica brought findings of the Great Moravian jewelry, similar in style and quality to that from Mikulčice. ^[1] The castle's name was first recorded in 907, during the fall of Great Moravia, as Brezalauspurc. ^[17] This name literally means "Braslav's Castle" and Braslav of Pannonia was a count appointed by King Arnulf of East Francia. Braslav or Bräslav was a Prince of Savia (Southern Pannonia Transsavian Croatia in 880-898/900 vassalaged to the Kingdom of East Francia. Arnulf of Carinthia (Arnulf von Kärnten Arnulf Koroški 850 &ndash December 8 899) was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887 ^[17]

The sturdy Devín Castle, in vicinity of Bratislava, guarded Great Moravia against frequent attacks from the West. Devín Castle ( Slovak: hrad Devín or Devínsky hrad, Hungarian: dévényi vár, German: Burg Theben) is a castle ^[1] Although some authors claim that it was built only later as a stronghold of the Kings of Hungary,^[31][55] excavations have unearthed an older Slavic fortified settlement founded in the 8th century. ^[1] During the Great Moravian period, Devín Castle was a seat of a local lord, whose retainers were buried around a stone Christian church. ^[1] These two castles were reinforced by smaller fortifications in Devínska Nová Ves, Svätý Jur, and elsewhere. Devínska Nová Ves (Theben-Neudorf Devinsko Novo Selo Dévényújfalu lit Svätý Jur (Sankt Georgen Szentgyörgy is a small town northeast of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

Most Great Moravian castles were rather large hill forts, fortified by wooden palisades, stone walls and in some cases, moats. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement The typical Great Moravian ramparts combined an outer drystone wall with an internal timber structure filled with earth. ^[22] The fortifications usually formed several contiguous enclosures, with the elite buildings concentrated in the center and crafts in the outer enclosures. ^[22] Most buildings were made of timber, but ecclesiastical and residential parts were made of stone. Sometimes, earlier, prehistoric (Devín Castle) or Roman (Bratislava Castle) fortifications were integrated. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial At least some churches (e. g. in Bratislava, Devín Castle, and Nitra) were decorated by frescoes, plausibly painted by Italian masters since the chemical composition of colors was the same as in northern Italy. Fresco (plural either frescos or frescoes) is any of several related Painting types done on Plaster on walls or ^[1] In Nitra and Mikulčice, several castles and settlements formed a huge fortified urban agglomeration. Many castles served as regional administrative centers, ruled by a local nobleman. ^[1] For example, Ducové was the center of the Váh river valley and Zemplín Castle controlled the Zemplín region. Ducové (Hungarian Ducó) is a Municipality (village situated in western Slovakia, near the spa town of Piešťany. Zemplín is the name of an informal region located presently in eastern Slovakia. Their form was probably inspired by Carolingian estates called curtis. Carolingian architecture is the style of north European architecture belonging to the period of the Carolingian Renaissance of the late 8th and 9th centuries ^[1] The largest castles were usually protected by a chain of smaller forts. Smaller forts (e. g. Beckov Castle) were also built to protect trade routes and to provide shelter for peasants in case of a military attack. Beckov Castle (Beckovský hrad or Beckov is a castle in ruins located near the village of Beckov in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District, Trenčín Region

Only few examples of Great Moravian architecture are fully preserved or reconstructed. The only still standing building is the church in Kopčany, though several other early medieval churches (for example in Kostoľany pod Tribečom, Michalovce, and Nitra) may be Great Moravian too. Kostoľany pod Tribečom is a Village and Municipality in Zlaté Moravce District of the Nitra Region, in western-central Slovakia Michalovce ( Nagymihály Großmichel Romani: Nadymihaya, Yiddish: Mikhaylovets or Mykhaylovyts) is a town on the Laborec ^[1] Two open air museums, in Modrá near Uherské Hradiště and in Ducové, are devoted to the Great Moravian architecture. Uherské Hradiště ((ˈuɦɛrskɛː ˈɦraɟɪʃcɛ German: Ungarisch Hradisch, Magyarhradis is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic

Religion

Due to the lack of written documents, very little is known about the original Slavic religion and mythology. Slavic mythology is the Mythological aspect of the Religion that was practised by the ancient Slavs. Several cult places used prior the Christianization are known from Moravia (Mikulčice and Pohansko). However, we do not know what these objects, such as a ring ditch with a fire, a horse sacrifice, or human limbs ritually buried in a cemetery, meant for Great Moravians. ^[2] A cult object in Mikulčice was used until the evangelization of the Moravian elite in the mid-9th century and idols in Pohansko were raised on the site of a demolished church during the pagan backlash in the 10th century. ^[2] The period of the Great Moravian ascent in European history is associated more with the spread of Christianity. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings

Saints Cyril and Methodius in Rome

The territory of Great Moravia was originally evangelized by missionaries coming from the Frankish Empire or Byzantine enclaves in Italy and Dalmatia since the early 8th century and sporadically earlier. Dalmatia ( Croatian: Dalmacija, see names in other languages) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, situated mostly in modern ^[56][20] The first Christian church of the Western and Eastern Slavs known to the written sources was built in 828 by Pribina in Nitra. Pribina, also called Priwina or Privina by Frankish chronicles was the ruler and Prince of the Principality of Nitra before 833 and established The church, consecrated by Bishop Adalram of Salzburg, was built in a style similar to contemporaneous Bavarian churches, while architecture of two Moravian churches from the early 9th century (in Mikulčice and Modrá) indicates influence of Irish missionaries. is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. ^[53][57] Despite the formal endorsement by the elites, the Great Moravian Christianity was described as containing many pagan elements as late as in 852. ^[22] Grave goods, such as food, could be found even in church graveyards. Grave goods, in Archaeology and Anthropology, are the items buried along with the body ^[20] The Church organization in Great Moravia was supervised by the Bavarian clergy until the arrival of the Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius in 863. Saints Cyril and Methodius (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи) were two Byzantine Greek brothers born

Foundation of the first Slavic bishopric (870), archbishopric (880), and monastery was the politically relevant outcome of the Byzantine mission initially devised by Prince Rastislav to strengthen his early feudal state. It is not known where the Great Moravian archbishop resided (a papal document mentions him as the archbishop of Morava, Morava being the name of a town), but there are several references to bishops of Nitra. Big three-nave basilicas unearthed in Mikulčice, Staré Město, Bratislava, and Nitra were the most important ecclesiastical centers of the country, but their very construction may have predated the Byzantine mission. See other places named Staré Město. Staré Město (ˈstarɛː ˈmɲɛsto (meaning Old Town in English is a town in the Zlín ^[1] Nitra and Uherské Hradiště are also sites where monastic buildings have been excavated. A church built at Devín Castle is clearly inspired by Byzantine churches in Macedonia (from where Cyril and Methodius came) and rotundas, particularly popular among Great Moravian nobles, also have their direct predecessors in the Balkans. Macedonia is a Geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe whose area was re-defined in the early 20th century ^[1]

Literature

An example of the Glagolitic script created by Saint Cyril for the mission in Great Moravia (Baščanska ploča from Croatia)

But yields of the mission of Cyril and Methodius extended beyond the religious and political sphere. Baška tablet (Bašćanska ploča is one of the first monuments of Croatian language, dating from the year 1100 The Old Church Slavonic became the fourth liturgical language of the Christian world, though its use in Great Moravia proper had gradually declined until it virtually vanished in the late Middle Ages. to make sure old Cyrillic letters are displayed properly (For example instead of just Ѣ write Ѣ Its late form still remains the liturgical language of the Russian, Bulgarian, and Serbian Orthodox Church. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Българска православна църква Bălgarska pravoslavna cărkva) is an Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( Serbian: Српска Православна Црква / Srpska Pravoslavna Crkva; СПЦ / SPC) or the Cyril also invented the Glagolitic alphabet, suitable for Slavic languages. The Glagolitic alphabet or Glagolitsa is the oldest known Slavic Alphabet. He translated the Gospel and the first translation of the Bible into a Slavic language was later completed by his brother Methodius.

Methodius wrote the first Slavic legal code, combining the local customary law with the advanced Byzantine law. In Law, custom can be described as the established patterns of behavior that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting The Corpus Juris Civilis ("Body of Civil Law" is the modern name for a collection of fundamental works in Jurisprudence, issued from 529 Similarly, the Great Moravian criminal law code was not merely a translation from Latin, but it also punished a number of offenses originally tolerated by the pre-Christian Slavic moral standards yet prohibited by Christianity (mostly related to sexual life). The canon law was simply adopted from the Byzantine sources. Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches

There are not many literary works that can be unambiguously identified as originally written in Great Moravia. One of them is Proglas, a cultivated poem in which Cyril defends the Slavic liturgy. Proglas ( Old Church Slavonic Glagolitic ⰒⰓⰑⰃⰎⰀⰔⰟ, Cyrillic Прогласъ; meaning Foreword) is the foreword Vita Cyrilli (attributed to Clement of Ohrid) and Vita Methodii (written probably by Methodius' successor Gorazd) are biographies with precious information about Great Moravia under Rastislav and Svatopluk I. Saint Clement of Ohrid (Свети Климент Охридски sve'ti 'kliment 'oxridski (ca

The brothers also founded an academy, initially led by Methodius, which produced hundreds of Slavic clerics. A well-educated class was essential for administration of all early-feudal states and Great Moravia was no exception. Vita Methodii mentions bishop of Nitra as Svatopluk I’s chancellor and even Prince Koceľ of the Balaton Principality was said to master the Glagolitic script. Koceľ, also spelled Kocel, Kocelj, Gozil, Chezil, Chezilo, Chezul (c The Balaton Principality (also called Pannonia, Lower Pannonia, Pannonian Principality, Transdanubian Principality or Slavic Pannonian State ^[56] Location of the Great Moravian academy has not been identified, but the possible sites include Mikulčice (where some styli have been found in an ecclesiastical building), Devín Castle (with a building identified as a probable school), and Nitra (with its Episcopal basilica and monastery). A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a Writing utensil. The word is also used for a computer accessory ( PDAs) When Methodius’ disciples were expelled from Great Moravia in 885, they disseminated their knowledge (including the Glagolitic script) to other Slavic countries, such as Bulgaria, Croatia, and Bohemia. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between ^[33] They created the Cyrillic alphabet, which became the standard alphabet in the Slavic Orthodox countries, including Russia. The Cyrillic alphabet (səˈrɪlɪk also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters is actually a family of Alphabets, subsets of which are used by Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Great Moravian cultural heritage survived in Bulgarian seminaries, paving the way for evangelization of Eastern Europe.

Arts and crafts

In the first half of the 9th century, Great Moravian craftsmen were inspired by contemporary Carolingian art. ^[20] In the second half of the 9th century, Great Moravian jewelry was influenced by Byzantine, Eastern Mediterranean, and Adriatic styles. ^[20] But, in the words of Czech archaeologist Josef Poulík, "these new forms and techniques were not copied passively, but were transformed in the local idiom, establishing in this way the roots of the distinctive Great Moravian jewellery style. "^[20] The typical Great Moravian jewelry included silver and golden earrings decorated by fine granular filigree, as well as silver and gilded bronze buttons covered by foliate ornaments. ^[3]

The most important industry was iron metallurgy. ^[20] An example of highly developed tool production are asymmetrical plowshares. In Agriculture, a plowshare (or ploughshare) is a component of a plow ( Plough) ^[20]

Legacy

Destruction of the Great Moravian Empire was rather gradual. Since excavations of Great Moravian castles show continuity of their settlement and architectural style after the alleged disintegration of the Empire, local political structures must have remained untouched by the disaster. Another reason is that the originally nomad old Magyars lacked siege engines to conquer Great Moravian fortifications, although this did not hinder them from conquering strong fortresses, documented by primary written sources (e. g. , Blatnograd, Bratislava Castle). ^[31] Nevertheless, the core of Great Moravia was finally integrated into the newly established states of Bohemia and the Kingdom of Hungary. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the The Kingdom of Hungary (short form Hungary) was a considerable state in Central Europe that existed from 1001 to 1918 then from 1919 to 1946

Great Moravian centers (e. g. , Bratislava, Nitra, Tekov, and Zemplín) also retained their functions afterwards, although the identification of Bratislava, Tekov and Zemplín as Great Moravian castles is not generally accepted. Tekov ''Bars'' is the traditional name of a region situated in southern and central Slovakia. ^[31] Since the same castles became the seats of early Hungarian administrative units (counties), historians posit that the administrative division of Great Moravia was just adopted by new rulers. A comitatus (vármegye less frequently a comitat, or inaccurately a county; for the various names their origin and use see here) is the name of an ^[1][11] On the other hand, several sources suggest that the Hungarian rulers followed the contemporary German or Bulgar patents when they established the new administrative system in their kingdom, or they introduced a new system. ^[47] Moreover, the territorial administration of the Kingdom of Hungary was developing gradually, i. e. , counties with larger territory were divided into smaller ones, while the scarcely habitated parts of the kingdom (e. g. , the northern and north-eastern territories of present-day Slovakia or the Bakony Hills in today Hungary) were originally the kings' private forests, then they were organized into "forest counties" (12-13th centuries) and the latter, following their colonization, developed into or were divided among counties around 1300. Bakony (Bakonyer Wald is a mountainous region in Transdanubia, Hungary. ^[47]

Social differentiation in Great Moravia reached the state of early feudalism, creating the social basis for development of later medieval states in the region. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed ^[58] The question what happened to Great Moravian noble families after 907 is still under debate. On the one hand, recent research indicates that a significant part of the local aristocracy remained more or less undisturbed by the fall of Great Moravia and their descendants became nobles in the newly formed Kingdom of Hungary. ^[39][46][44] The most prominent example are the powerful families of Hunt and Pázmán. ^[39] On the other hand, both Anonymous and Simon of Kéza, two chroniclers of the early history of Hungary, recorded that the prominent noble families of the kingdom descended either from leaders of the Magyar tribes or from immigrants, and they did not connect any of them to Great Moravia. Gesta Hungarorum may also refer to Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum, written by Simon of Kéza Simon of Kéza (in Hungarian Kézai Simon) was the most famous Hungarian chronicler in the 13th century For example, the ancestors of the clan Hunt-Pázmán (Hont-Pázmány), whose Great Moravian origin has been advanced by modern scholars,^[39] were mentioned by Simon of Kéza to have arrived from the Duchy of Swabia to the kingdom in the late 10th century. Hont-Pázmány was the name of a gens ("clan" in the Kingdom of Hungary. The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany ^[31][59][60]

Many Slavic words related to politics, law, and agriculture were taken into the Hungarian language. A loanword (or loan word) is a word directly taken into one Language from another with little or no translation Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. ^[1][11] Nevertheless, it is sometimes difficult to decide whether a certain word was borrowed from which Slavic language; e. g. , the Hungarian word for county ("megye") was borrowed from a South Slavic language, but it may have taken either from the Slovene or from the Serbo-Croatian. South Slavic languages comprise one of the three geographical groups of Slavic languages (besides West and East Slavic) Slovene or Slovenian ( slovenski jezik or slovenščina, not to be confused with Slovenčina) is a South Slavic language The Serbo-Croatian language or Croato-Serbian language (cрпскохрватски језик srpskohrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic Diasystem ^[31]

The territories mentioned as "Tercia pars regni" (literally "one-third part of the Kingdom of Hungary") in the medieval sources are referred to as the "Duchy" in Hungarian scholarly works and as the "Principality of Nitra" in Slovak academic sources. The Tercia pars regni ( ie, one-third parts of the kingdom is the denomination for territories occasionally governed separately by members (dukes of the Árpád dynasty The Principality of Nitra or Nitrian Principality (Nitrianske kniežatstvo Nitriansko Nitrava is the name for a Slavic polity centered around Nitra These territories were ruled autonomously by members of the Árpád dynasty residing in Bihar (today Biharea in Romania) or in Nitra - a practice reminiscent of the Great Moravian appanage system, but also similar to that of some other dynasties in the Early Middle Ages (e. The Árpáds or Arpads (Árpádok Arpadovići Арпадовићи ArpádovciArpatlar was the ruling Dynasty of the federation of the Magyar tribes Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania If you were looking for a chemical see Nitre or Nitro. Nitra ( Neutra ( Nyitra / Nyitria) is a city in western g. , the Ruriks in the Kievan Rus'). The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling Dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598 Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan ^[31][61] The existence of an autonomous political unit centered around Nitra is often considered by Slovak scholars an example of political continuity from the Great Moravian period. ^[62]

There are also documents indicating that the Church organization survived the invasion of the pagan Magyars at least to some degree. ^[46] For example, continuity of the formal Church organization is confirmed by an uninterrupted list of Moravian bishops from the 14th century. ^[15]

Neither the demographic change was dramatic. As far as the graves can tell, there had been no influx of the Magyars into the core of former Great Moravia before 955. Afterwards, Magyar settlers appear in some regions of Southern Slovakia, but graves indicate a kind of cultural symbiosis (resulting in the common Belobrdo culture), not domination. ^[1] Due to cultural changes, archaeologists are not able to identify the ethnicity of graves after the half of the 11th century. ^[1] This is also why integration of central, eastern, and northern territories of present-day Slovakia into the Hungarian Kingdom is difficult to be documented by archeology, and written sources have to be used.

The Byzantine double-cross thought to have been brought by Cyril and Methodius is part of the symbol of Slovakia until today and the Constitution of Slovakia refers to Great Moravia in its preamble. The coat of arms of Slovakia is composed of a Silver ( argent) double cross, elevated on the middle peak of a dark blue mountain consisting The Constitution of Slovakia, officially Constitution of the Slovak Republic (Ústava Slovenskej republiky is the current Constitution of Slovakia Interest about that period rose as a result of the national revival in the 19th century. Romantic nationalism (also National Romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of Nationalism in which the state derives Great Moravian history has been regarded as a cultural root of several Slavic nations in Central Europe (especially the Slovaks, as it was the only significant Slavic state Slovakia had ever been a part of) and it was employed in vain attempts to create a single Czechoslovak identity in the 20th century. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. ^[8]

Notes

Sources

Primary sources

• Annales regni Francorum, annals covering the years 741-829. The Royal Frankish Annals or Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks ( Latin: Annales regni Francorum) are Annals written for the early Frankish kings Annals ( Latin Annales, from annus, a year are a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically year by year
• Annales Bertiniani, a continuation of Annales regni Francorum covering the period 830-82. The Annales Bertiniani, or Annals of St Bertin, is a Frankish chronicle that was found in the Monastery of St
• Annales Fuldenses, a continuation of Annales regni Francorum until 901. The Annales Fuldenses or Annals of Fulda are East Frankish chronicles that cover the period from the last years of Louis the Pious (died 840
• Geographus Bavarus, written sometime between the 830s and 870s. The Bavarian Geographer (Geographus Bavarus is a conventional name given by Jan Potocki in 1796 to the author of an anonymous Medieval
• Libellus de conversione Bagoariorum et Carantanorum (i. e. Conversio), written in 870.
• Vita Methodii, a biography of Saint Methodius written in Great Moravia shortly after 885. Saints Cyril and Methodius (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи) were two Byzantine Greek brothers born
• Annales Iuvavenses, annals written in the 9th and 10th centuries in Salzburg. The Annales Iuvavenses or Annals of Salzburg were a series of Annals written in the 9th and 10th centuries from Salzburg. is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg.
• De Administrando Imperio, written by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos between 948 and 952. De Administrando Imperio is the commonly used Latin title of a scholarly work written in Greek, by the 10th-century Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Ζ΄ Πορφυρογέννητος

Primary documents can be found in the following volumes:

• Havlík, Lubomír E. (1966-1977). Magnae Moraviae Fontes Historici I. -V. , Brno: Masarykova univerzita.
• Marsina, Richard (1971). Codex diplomaticus et epistolaris Slovaciae I. , Bratislava: Veda.
• Ratkoš, Peter (1964). Pramene k dejinám Veľkej Moravy, Bratislava: Vydavateľstvo Slovenskej akadémie vied.

Secondary sources

• Dekan, Jan (1981). Moravia Magna: The Great Moravian Empire, Its Art and Time, Minneapolis: Control Data Arts. ISBN 0-89893-084-7
• Havlík, Lubomír E. (1992). Kronika o Velké Moravě, Brno: Iota.
• Kučera, Matúš (1974). Slovensko po páde Veľkej Moravy, Bratislava: Veda.
• Lukačka, Ján (2002). Formovanie vyššej šľachty na západnom Slovensku, Bratislava: Mistrál.
• Poulík, Josef (1975). Mikulčice: Sídlo a pevnost knížat velkomoravských, Praha.
• Štefanovičová, Tatiana (1989). Osudy starých Slovanov, Bratislava: Osveta.
• Wieczorek, Alfried and Hans-Martin Hinz (Hrsg. ) (2000). Europas Mitte um 1000, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-8062-1545-6 or ISBN 3-8062-1544-8

External links

Part of the Czech history series Samo's Realm Great Moravia Middle Ages Czech lands 1526-1648 · 1648-1867 · 1867-1918 Czechoslovakia (1918-1993) Czech Republic

Part of the series on Slovak history Samo's Empire Principality of Nitra Great Moravia Kingdom of Hungary Royal Hungary History of Czechoslovakia Slovaks in Czechoslovakia (1918–1938) Slovak Republic (1939–1945) Slovak National Uprising (1944) Slovaks in Czechoslovakia (1960–1990) This box: view • talk • edit

• Articles about Great Moravia and text of many primary sources (Czech)
• Brief overview
• Detailed timeline
• Reconstruction of a Great Moravian settlement (Czech)