Sclaveni

The Sclaveni was used to describe the southwestern branch of Slavic peoples that the Byzantine Empire came into contact with, and especially the South Slavs in the Balkans. It was widely used during the early Middle Ages, until separate tribal affiliations emerged in the 8th and 9th century.

Terminology

The Byzantines broadly grouped the numerous Slav tribes living in proximity with the Eastern Roman Empire into two groups: the Sklavenoi and the Antes. The Late Roman historians, Jordanes and Procopius both locate the Sklavenoi in the lower Danube (modern Wallachia and Moldavia), although Sklavi subsequently in Latin sources in connection to events in Lombard Italy. Whilst there were many Sklaveni, the Antes were a specific ethnicon who had a foedus with the Byzantine Empire, and were probably located in Scythia Minor.

The derived Greek term Sklavinia(i) (Ancient Greek: Σκλαβινίαι, Latin: Sclaviniae) was used for the Slav settlements (area, territory) which were initially out of Byzantine control and independent. The term may be interpreted as "Slav lands" in Byzantium.