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For some years the Croats who were in Dalmatia were also subject to the Franks, just as they had formerly been in their own country; and the Franks were so harsh towards them, that they would murder the suckling infants of the Croats and throw them to the dogs. But the Croats, unable to endure this from the Franks, revolted from them, murdering also the governors they had from them. Whereupon a great army from Francia marched against them, and after they had warred with one another for seven years, late and with difficulty the Croats prevailed, and they killed all the Franks and their archon, who was called Kotzilis. From that time, remaining independent and autonomous, they requested holy baptism from Rome, and bishops were sent, and they baptized them in the time of Porinos, their archon. So their country was divided into 11 zupanias, namely: Chlebiana, Tzenzina, Imota, Pleba, Pesenta, Parathalassia, Brebere, Nona, Tnina, Sidraga, Nina; and their ban holds Kribasa, Litza and Goutziska. And the aforesaid Croatia, and the other Sclavinias as well, are situated thus: Diocleia is near the fortresses of Dyrrachium, that is, toward Elissos and Helcynion and Antivari, and it extends as far as Decatera, and in the mountains it is near Serbia. From the castle of Decatera begins the archonty of Terbounia, and it stretches as far as Raousion, and in its mountains it is near Serbia. From Raousion begins the archonty of the Zachloumoi, and it stretches as far as the river Orontios, and toward the coast it is near the Pagani, but in the mountains it is near the Croats to the north, and at its head it is near Serbia. From the river Orontios begins Pagania, and it stretches as far as the river Zentina, having three zupanias: Rastotza and Mokros and Dalen. And the two zupanias, namely Rastotza and Mokros, lie by the sea, and they have sagenae; but that of Dalen is far from the sea, and they live from cultivating the land. And near them are four islands, Meleta, Kourkoura, Bratza and Pharos, most beautiful and fertile, having deserted castles and many olive-groves; and they live on them, and they keep their cattle, and from these they live. From the river Zentina begins the country of Croatia, and it extends along the coast as far as the borders of Istria, that is, to the castle of Albonos, and in the mountains it is in some part above the theme of Istria, and it is near the country of Serbia towards Tzentina and Chlebena. For the country of Serbia is at the head of all the other countries, and to the north it is near Croatia, and to the south it is near Bulgaria. And after the said Slavs had settled, they took possession of all the surrounding country of Dalmatia; and the castles of the Romans cultivated the islands, and lived from them; but being every day taken captive and destroyed by the Pagani, they abandoned those islands, wishing to cultivate the mainland. But they were prevented by the Croats; for they were not yet paying them tribute, but all the things which they now provide to the Slavs, they used to provide to the strategos. Being unable to live, they approached Basil, the emperor of blessed memory, reporting all the aforesaid. Therefore that emperor of blessed memory, Basil, ordained that all that was given to the strategos should be given by them to the Slavs, and that they should live in peace with them, and that some small amount should be given to the strategos, so that only their subjection and servitude to the emperors of the Romans and to their strategos might be demonstrated. And from that time all such castles became tributary to the Slavs, and they pay them pacts: the castle of Aspalathos, 200 nomismata; the castle of Tetrangourin, 100 nomismata; the castle of Diadora, 110 nomismata; the castle of

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Μέχρι δὲ χρόνων τινῶν ὑπετάσσοντο καὶ οἱ ἐν Λελματίᾳ ὄντες Χρωβάτοι τοῖς Φράγ γοις, καθὼς καὶ πρότερον ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ αὐτῶν· τοσοῦτον δὲ ἐσκληρύνοντο οἱ Φράγγοι πρὸς αὐτούς, ὅτι τὰ ὑπομάσθια τῶν Χρωβάτων φονεύοντες προσέρριπτον αὐτὰ σκύλαξιν. Μὴ δυνάμενοι δὲ οἱ Χρωβάτοι ταῦτα παρὰ τῶν Φράγγων ὑφίστασθαι, διέστησαν ἀπ' αὐτῶν, φονεύσαντες καὶ οὓς εἶχον ἄρχοντας ἐξ αὐτῶν. Ὅθεν ἐστράτευσαν κατ' αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Φραγγίας φοσσᾶτον μέγα, καὶ ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ χρόνους πολεμήσαντες ἀλλήλοις, ὀψὲ καὶ μόγις ὑπερίσχυσαν οἱ Χρωβάτοι, καὶ ἀνεῖλον τοὺς Φράγγους πάντας καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα αὐτῶν Κοτζίλιν καλούμενον. Ἔκτοτε δὲ μείναντες αὐτοδέσποτοι καὶ αὐτόνομοι, ἐξῃτήσαντο τὸ ἅγιον βάπτισμα παρὰ τοῦ Ῥώμης, καὶ ἀπεστάλησαν ἐπίσκοποι, καὶ ἐβάπτισαν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ Πορίνου, τοῦ ἄρχοντος αὐτῶν. ∆ιεμερίσθη οὖν ἡ χώρα αὐτῶν εἰς ζουπανίας ιαʹ, ἤγουν ἡ Χλεβίανα, ἡ Τζένζηνα, τὰ Ἤμοτα, ἡ Πλέβα, ἡ Πεσέντα, ἡ Παραθαλασσία, ἡ Βρεβέρη, ἡ Νόνα, ἡ Τνήνα, ἡ Σίδραγα, ἡ Νίνα· καὶ ὁ βοάνος αὐτῶν κρατεῖ τὴν Κρίβασαν, τὴν Λίτζαν καὶ τὴν Γουτζησκά. Καὶ ἡ μὲν εἰρημένη Χρωβατία, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ Σκλαβηνίαι διάκεινται οὕτως· ἡ δὲ ∆ιόκλεια πλησιάζει πρὸς τὰ καστέλλια τοῦ ∆υρραχίου, ἤγουν πρὸς τὸν Ἐλισσὸν καὶ πρὸς τὸ Ἑλκύνιον καὶ τὴνἈντίβαριν, καὶ ἔρχεται μέχρι τῶν ∆εκατέρων, πρὸς τὰ ὀρεινὰ δὲ πλησιάζει τῇ Σερβλίᾳ. Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ κάστρου τῶν ∆εκατέρων ἄρχεται ἡ ἀρχοντία Τερβουνίας, καὶ παρεκτείνεται μέχρι τοῦ Ῥαουσίου, πρὸς δὲ τὰ ὀρεινὰ αὐτῆς πλησιάζει τῇ Σερβλίᾳ. Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ῥαουσίου ἄρχεται ἡ ἀρχοντία τῶν Ζαχλούμων, καὶ παρεκτείνεται μέχρι τοῦ Ὀροντίου ποταμοῦ, καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὴν παραθαλασσίαν πλησιάζει τοῖς Παγανοῖς, πρὸς δὲ τὰ ὀρεινὰ εἰς ἄρκτον μὲν πλησιάζει τοῖς Χρωβάτοις, εἰς κεφαλὴν δὲ τῇ Σερβλίᾳ. Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ὀροντίου ποταμοῦ ἄρχεται ἡ Παγανία, καὶπαρεκτείνεται μέχρι τοῦ ποταμοῦ τῆς Ζεντίνας, τρεῖς ἔχουσα ζουπανίας, τὴν Ῥάστωτζαν καὶ τὸν Μοκρὸν καὶ τοῦ ∆αλέν. Καὶ αἱ μὲν δύο ζουπανίαι, ἤγουν ἡ Ῥάστωτζα καὶ ἡ τοῦ Μοκροῦ, πρόσκεινται τῇ θαλάσσῃ, αἵτινες καὶ σαγήνας ἔχουσιν· ἡ δὲ τοῦ ∆αλενοῦ μήκοθέν ἐστιν τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐργασίας ζῶσι τῆς γῆς. Πλησιάζουσιν δὲ αὐτοῖς νῆσοι τέσσαρες, τὰ Μέλετα, τὰ Κούρκουρα, ἡ Βράτζα καὶ ὁ Φάρος, κάλλισται καὶ εὐφορώταται, ἐρημόκαστρα ἔχουσαι καὶ ἐλαιῶνας πολλούς· οἰκοῦσι δὲ ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ ἔχουσι τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ζῶσιν. Ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Ζεντίνας τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἄρχεται ἡ χώρα Χρωβατίας, καὶ παρεκτείνεται πρὸς μὲν τὴν παραθαλασσίαν μέχρι τῶν συνόρων Ἰστρίας, ἤγουν τοῦ κάστρου Ἀλβούνου, πρὸς δὲ τὰ ὀρεινὰ καὶ ὑπέρκειται μέχρι τινὸς τῷ θέματι Ἰστρίας, πλησιάζει δὲ πρὸς τὴν Τζέντινα καὶ τὴν Χλέβενα τῇ χώρᾳ Σερβλίας. Ἡ γὰρ χώρα Σερβλίας εἰς κεφαλὴν μέν ἐστιν πασῶν τῶν λοιπῶν χωρῶν, πρὸς ἄρκτον δὲ πλησιάζει τῇ Χρωβατίᾳ, πρὸς μεσημβρίαν δὲ τῇ Βουλγαρίᾳ. Ἀφ' οὗ δὲ κατεσκήνωσαν οἱ εἰρημένοι Σκλάβοι, κατεκράτησαν πᾶσαν τὴν περίχωρον ∆ελματίας· ἠργάζοντο δὲ τὰ κάστρα τῶν Ῥωμάνων τὰς νήσους, καὶ ἔζουν ἐξ αὐτῶν· ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν Παγανῶν καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπαιχμαλωτιζόμενοι καὶ ἀφανιζόμενοι κατέλιπον τὰς τοιαύτας νήσους, βουλόμενοι εἰς τὴν ἤπειρον ἐργάζεσθαι. Ἐκωλύοντο δὲ παρὰ τῶν Χρωβάτων· οὔπω γὰρ ἐτέλουν αὐτοὺς φόρους, ἀλλὰ πάντα, ἅπερ ἀρτίως παρέχουσι τοῖς Σκλάβοις, τῷ στρατηγῷ ταῦτα παρεῖχον. Ἀδυνάτως δὲ ἔχοντες τοῦ ζῆν προσῆλθον Βασιλείῳ, τῷ ἀοιδίμῳ βασιλεῖ, ἀναδιδάξαντες τὰ εἰρημένα πάντα. Ὁ οὖν ἀοίδιμος ἐκεῖνος βασιλεὺς Βασίλειος προετρέψατο πάντα τὰ διδόμενα τῷ στρατηγῷ δίδοσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν τοῖς Σκλάβοις καὶ εἰρηνικῶς ζῆν μετ' αὐτῶν καὶ βραχύ τι δίδοσθαι τῷ στρατηγῷ, ἵνα μόνον δείκνυται ἡ πρὸς τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ πρὸς τὸν στρατηγὸν αὐτῶν ὑποταγὴ καὶ δούλωσις. Καὶ ἔκτοτε ἐγένοντο πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα κάστρα ὑπόφορα τῶν Σκλάβων, καὶ τελοῦσιν αὐτοῖς πάκτα, τὸ μὲν κάστρον ἡ Ἀσπάλαθος νομίσματα σʹ, τὸ κάστρον τὸ Τετραγγούριν νομίσματα ρʹ, τὸ κάστρον τὰ ∆ιάδωρα νομίσματα ριʹ, τὸ κάστρον τὰ