On the Danube Theories and the Suavi – Part V

The famous Senator Cassiodorus on whose work Jordanes allegedly based his Getica also wrote of the Suebi.  Or, rather, like Jordanes in Getica and like Procopius in his Wars, of the Suavi.   Specifically, he wrote of the Suavi that have lived in the province of Suavia which appears to have been somewhere around Dalmatia – perhaps on the river Sava.  These Suavi, as we already discussed here, were participants in the Battle of Nedao in 454 and the one of the losers of the Battle of Bolia in 469-470?  Their kingdom was in Pannonia and the nearby area between those years.  They shared the space with the other victors of Nedao, i.e., the Herulians, the Sciri, the Rugii and the Sarmatian Iaziges.  Before we get to Cassiodorus, however, it may be helpful to review the situation on the Danube right after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire, or rather, right after the Battle of Nedao:

(Mountainous regions in extra dark burgundy)

Of course, we know that the Ostrogoths eventually returned and other intruders, well, intruded (Odoacer’s forces from Italy and eventually the Lombards and then Avars) so that the results of the next reshuffling of the deck were as follows:

• Rugian kingdom (somewhere in lower Austria – perhaps opposite of Noricum) – defeated in 469-470 at Bolia by the Ostrogoths; at war with Odoacer’s Kingdom from 476 to 486 when they are finally destroyed by his forces;
  • remainder attaches itself to the Amal Goths under Theodoric (coming from southern Balkans) heading to Italy (in 487/488) versus Odoacer;
  • their former lands are encroached upon around 488-489 by the Lombards coming from Bohemia/Middle Elbe area;

• Herulian kingdom (southern Moravia) – (probably) defeated at Bolia by the Ostrogoths in 469-470;  then destroyed in 508 by the Lombards who enter Pannonia from the North
  • one group heads north to Scandinavia (past the “lands of the Slavs”);
  • another group flees to the Gepids then strikes a deal with Byzantines w/Anastasius  who gives them land somewhere on the Danube in the early 510s – they stay here till 540s or so and then send for a new king to Scandinavia; new fights with second preferred choice candidate vs Justinian’s choice so split again:
    • • • one group stays in with Byzantines – this group used by Byzantines to help Langobards versus the Gepids;
      • another group returns to the Gepids;

• Gepid kingdom (old Hun Attila’s haunts in the East of the Pannonian plain) – kingdom survives Odoacer’s Kingdom, the Ostrogoths’ passage to Italy and exists past Theodoric’s death in 525.  However, then the Langobards move into Pannonia in 526-546 and in 552 the Gepids are defeated by them; the final coup de grace comes from the Avars in 567 – it is at this point that the Slavs are supposed to have entered Pannonia with the Avars as their overlords.
  • Nevertheless, as late as the 630s, Byzantines are said to have encountered Gepids in Pannonia;

• Sciri (central Theiss/Tisza plain or maybe north of Danube’s bend) – these ancient tribe’s kingdom, if it can be called that, lasted till 468-469 when they were destroyed by the Ostrogoths (though killed their leader Valamir);

• Suavi – (right (southern) bank of the Danube) – kingdom of the Suavi lasts till about the Battle of Bolia in 469-470;
  • Nevertheless, the province of Suavia and Suavians appear in Cassiodorus’ writings well into the sixth century in the year 514-536 – see here;
  • Furthermore, the Suavs are said to have been defeated by the Langobard Wacho sometime between 526/546 – 568 – see here;

• Sarmatians – (likely on both sides of the Danube, perhaps along the Theiss/Tisza valley); unclear when the kingdom falls (Battle of Bolia 469-470?);

Thus, chronologically, we have (roughly given the quality of the sources) the following events and the following “kingdoms” go under:

• 451 – Battle of Catalaunian Fields (somewhere in France);
• 453 – death of Attila;
• 454 – Battle of Nedao (in Pannonia) – Huns (and, likely, Ostrogoths who fought on the Huns’ side) defeated;
• 468-469 – Sciri mostly destroyed by Ostrogoths;
• 469-470? – Hunimund of the Suavi raids Gothic cattle; Thiudimir and the Goths defeat the Suavi/Suavs of Hunimund at Lake Balaton;
• 469-470? – Battle of Bolia – Goths defeat Suavi/Suavs, (probably the) Heruli, rest of Sciri, probably Rugi and Sarmatians;
• 476 – Odoacer deposes Romulus Augustulus – end of the Western Roman Empire;
• 476-486 – Odoacer fights and defeats the Rugii;
• 488/489 – Theodoric and his Ostrogoths enter Italy;
• 488/489 – Lombards from Bohemia/Middle Elbe move past former Rugi kingdom into (northern?) Pannonia ;
• 488-493 – Theodoric’s Goths versus Odoacer;
• 493 – Odoacer killed by Theodoric;
• 508 – Lombards crush the Heruli some of whom emigrate back to Scandinavia “past the countries of the Slavs“;
• 510s – first mentions of Slavs in the East raiding the Eastern Roman Empire;
• 526 – death of Theodoric;
• 535-553 – Gothic War of Justinian and Belisarius – the Byzantines invade Italy;
• 526-546 – Langobards under King Wacho move into Pannonia south of the Danube and defeat local Suavi/Suavs;
• circa 549 – the Lombard heir HiIldigis flees “to the Slavs” (as per Procopius);
• 567 – Avars (supposedly with Slavs) enter Pannonia;
• 568 – Lombards under King Alboin leave Pannonia and enter Italy unopposed;

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