Siege of Trsat
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Trsat was a battle fought over possession of the town of Trsat
The city of Tarsatica, where the siege happened, was probably located at the present Old Town in Rijeka
, not at Trsat itself, which is found on on a hill overlooking Rijeka on the other side of the Rječina
River. Trsat was actually founded by the Tarsatica's surviving inhabitants, a year after the siege. (Croatian Academy of America. Journal of Croatian studies (1986), Vol. 27–30) in Liburnia
, near the Croatian
–Frankish
border. The battle was fought in the autumn of 799 between the defending forces of the Littoral Croatia under the leadership of Croatian duke Višeslav
and the invading Frankish army of the Carolingian Empire
led by Eric of Friuli
. The battle was a Croatian victory, and the Frankish commander Eric was killed during the siege.
The Frankish invasion of Croatia, the destruction of Tarsatica, the coronation of Charlemagne
as Holy Roman Emperor
, and negotiations from 802–815 between the Franks and Byzantines
led to a stalemate. The Littoral Croatia consequently peacefully accepted a limited Frankish overlordship.
, King of the Franks from 768 until his death in 814, expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire
that incorporated much of western and central Europe. He brought the Frankish state face to face with the Slavs to the northeast and the Avars and Slavs to the southeast of the Frankish empire. The Croats lived in Pannonian Croatia and Dalmatian Croatia (Littoral Croatia) to the southeast of the Frankish Empire. Dalmatian (Littoral) Croatia was ruled by Duke Višeslav
, one of the first known Croatian dukes.
While fighting the Avars, the Franks called for Slavic-Croatian support. Croatian Prince Vojnomir of Pannonian Croatia launched a joint counterattack
with the help of Frankish troops under Charlemagne in 791. The offensive was successful and the Avars were driven out of Croatia. In return for the help of Charlemagne, Vojnomir was obliged to recognize Frankish sovereignty, convert to Christianity
, and have his territory named Pannonian Croatia
. Charlemagne again campaigned against the Avars and won a major victory in 796. Prince Vojnomir aided him, and the Franks became overlords of the Croatians of northern Dalmatia, Slavonia
, and Pannonia. The Franks placed Pannonian Croats under Eric, the margrave of Friuli
, who then tried to extend his rule over the Croatians of Dalmatia.
The conquest of Istria
by the Franks brought the realm of Charlemagne adjacent to Dalmatia. Dalmatia at that time included both Roman cities and a Slavic-Croatian hinterland that was loosely subject to the rule of the Byzantine Empire
. In the treaty of 798, the Franks acknowledged Byzantine rights over the Slavs, but in the following years both Croatian Župans
(dukes) and Roman communities recognized an opportunity to win full independence from both Imperial powers.
As the eldest son of Gerold of Vinzgouw
and as a high ranking Frankish commander, Eric was titled from 789 to his death the Duke of Friuli
(dux Foroiulensis). He was appointed governor of Istria
, Fruli
, and neighbouring areas by Charlemagne. Eric wanted to extend his dominion by conquering Dalmatian Croatia.According to Denis Sinor
, it is possible that Eric set his army to fight the Avars and was attacked by Croats at Trsat. (Sinor (1990), p. 219.) In the autumn of 799, Eric marched from Istria along the seacoast of Liburnia towards the town of Trsat, which is today part of the city of Rijeka
. Meanwhile his opponent, duke Višeslav, gathered his forces and moved north from his governing center at Nin
.
. In his poem "Versus de Herico duce" he mention throwing spears, arrows, and huge stones upon Eric. Eric's forces fled their positions, and were subsequently routed by the forces of Višeslav in an ambush. Eric was among those killed, and his death and defeat proved to be a great blow for the Carolingian Empire. Aquileia
n Patriarch
Saint Paulinus II
cursed the land in which the hero was killed, and wrote Carmen de regula fidei, the rhythmus or elegy for his death.
According to contemporary Frankish scholar and courtier Einhard
, Eric was killed at Trsat (Tarsatch), a town on the coast of Liburnia by the treachery of the inhabitants. Due to a lack of primary materials, it is uncertain who killed Duke Eric. Most of historians point at Croats, while some point at Byzantines. Einhard also notes the death of Gerold, Prefect of Bavaria
, another Frankish commander who was slain in Pannonia in the same year. Croatian historian Nenad Labus refers to this event as a successful assassination attempt by Avars and Slavs. Historian Pierre Riché believes that Dalmatian Croats (Guduscani
) killed Eric in collusion with Avars.
Besides the Royal Frankish Annals
(Annales Regni Francorum), there is another primary source compiled in c. 950, the historical work De administrando imperio
, ascribed to Constantine Porphyrogenitus, which refers to Croatian-Frankish relations. Constantine notes that for a number of years the Croats of Dalmatia were subjects of the Franks, who treated them brutally. The Croats revolted and slew their princes. In an act of revenge, a large army from Francia invaded Croatia. After seven years of war, the Croats managed to defeat the Franks, killing a large portion of the invading army along with its commander. Although Constantine describes a chain of events that are analogous to the 'Siege of Trsat', he does not mention Tarsatica or the exact year of these events.
invaded the Littoral Croatian Duchy by the order of Charlemagne, but without considerable military success. Still, Tarsatica was burned down.Historians have a disagreement whether Tarsatica was destroyed in 799 or in 800. Tarsatica's surviving inhabitants moved to a more protected hill, where they established a new settlement called Trsat.According to Ferdo Šišić
, Rijeka was founded by the Croats after the destruction of Tarsatica. (Šišić, Ferdo. Abridged Political History of Rieka (Fiume) (1919)) Višeslav continued to rule over the Littoral Croatian Duchy and warred against the Franks, avoiding defeat upon his death in 802. He was succeeded by his son Borna
, who later become a Frankish ally.
On Christmas Day in 800, Pope Leo III
crowned Charlemagne as Imperator Romanorum (Holy Roman Emperor
) in Saint Peter's Basilica
. This was a direct challenge to Byzantium's claim to be the one - the Roman - empire. Nicephorus I of the Byzantine Empire and Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire settled their imperial boundaries in 803. Littoral Croatia peacefully accepted a limited Frankish overlordship. The peace of Aache in 812 confirmed Dalmatia, except for the Byzantine cities and islands, as under Frankish domain.
Ljudevit Posavski
, Croatian Duke of Pannonian Croatia, led a resistance to Frankish domination. Ljudevit also had to fight against Dalmatian Croatia, as their prince Borna
was a Frankish ally. After unsuccessful resistance by Ljudevit and Pannonian Croats, the Franks again controlled Istria, Dalmatia, and Pannonia. Nevertheless, Dalmatian Croatia remained a semi-independent duchy between the two Empires, as they had a right to elect their own prince.
Trsat
Trsat is part of the city of Rijeka, Croatia. It has a historic castle or fortress in a strategic location and several historic churches. The Croatian noble Prince Vuk Krsto Frankopan is buried in one of the churches. Trsat is a steep hill, 138 m high, rising over the gorge of the Rječina river,...
The city of Tarsatica, where the siege happened, was probably located at the present Old Town in Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, not at Trsat itself, which is found on on a hill overlooking Rijeka on the other side of the Rječina
Rjecina
Rječina is a river in Croatia which flows in the Adriatic Sea in the city of Rijeka .It is about 19 km long, with average width of 9-16 m. It springs from the cave on the height of 325 m above sea level, under high cliff of Kičej hill...
River. Trsat was actually founded by the Tarsatica's surviving inhabitants, a year after the siege. (Croatian Academy of America. Journal of Croatian studies (1986), Vol. 27–30) in Liburnia
Liburnia
Liburnia in ancient geography was the land of the Liburnians, a region along the northeastern Adriatic coast in Europe, in modern Croatia, whose borders shifted according to the extent of Liburnian dominance at a given time between 11th and 1st century BC...
, near the Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
–Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
border. The battle was fought in the autumn of 799 between the defending forces of the Littoral Croatia under the leadership of Croatian duke Višeslav
Višeslav of Croatia
Višeslav was one of the first princes or dukes of Littoral Croatia.He ruled with the support of the Pope and Byzantium. The Croats warred against the Franks during his rule and avoided defeat until 803 - a year after his death...
and the invading Frankish army of the Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
led by Eric of Friuli
Eric of Friuli
Eric was the Duke of Friuli from 789 to his death. He was the eldest son of Gerold of Vinzgouw and by the marriage of his sister Hildegard the brother-in-law of Charlemagne....
. The battle was a Croatian victory, and the Frankish commander Eric was killed during the siege.
The Frankish invasion of Croatia, the destruction of Tarsatica, the coronation of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
as Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
, and negotiations from 802–815 between the Franks and Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
led to a stalemate. The Littoral Croatia consequently peacefully accepted a limited Frankish overlordship.
Background
CharlemagneCharlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, King of the Franks from 768 until his death in 814, expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
that incorporated much of western and central Europe. He brought the Frankish state face to face with the Slavs to the northeast and the Avars and Slavs to the southeast of the Frankish empire. The Croats lived in Pannonian Croatia and Dalmatian Croatia (Littoral Croatia) to the southeast of the Frankish Empire. Dalmatian (Littoral) Croatia was ruled by Duke Višeslav
Višeslav of Croatia
Višeslav was one of the first princes or dukes of Littoral Croatia.He ruled with the support of the Pope and Byzantium. The Croats warred against the Franks during his rule and avoided defeat until 803 - a year after his death...
, one of the first known Croatian dukes.
While fighting the Avars, the Franks called for Slavic-Croatian support. Croatian Prince Vojnomir of Pannonian Croatia launched a joint counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
with the help of Frankish troops under Charlemagne in 791. The offensive was successful and the Avars were driven out of Croatia. In return for the help of Charlemagne, Vojnomir was obliged to recognize Frankish sovereignty, convert to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and have his territory named Pannonian Croatia
Pannonian Croatia
Pannonian Croatia was a medieval duchy from the 7th to the 10th century located in the Pannonian Plain approximately between the rivers Drava and Sava in today's Croatia, but at times also considerably to the south of the Sava. Its capital was Sisak...
. Charlemagne again campaigned against the Avars and won a major victory in 796. Prince Vojnomir aided him, and the Franks became overlords of the Croatians of northern Dalmatia, Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, and Pannonia. The Franks placed Pannonian Croats under Eric, the margrave of Friuli
Eric of Friuli
Eric was the Duke of Friuli from 789 to his death. He was the eldest son of Gerold of Vinzgouw and by the marriage of his sister Hildegard the brother-in-law of Charlemagne....
, who then tried to extend his rule over the Croatians of Dalmatia.
The conquest of Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
by the Franks brought the realm of Charlemagne adjacent to Dalmatia. Dalmatia at that time included both Roman cities and a Slavic-Croatian hinterland that was loosely subject to the rule of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. In the treaty of 798, the Franks acknowledged Byzantine rights over the Slavs, but in the following years both Croatian Župans
Grand Zupan
Grand, Great or Chief Župan is the English rendering of a South Slavic title which relate etymologically to župan like a Russian Grand Prince to a Knyaz .- Bulgaria :A decorated silver cup with a...
(dukes) and Roman communities recognized an opportunity to win full independence from both Imperial powers.
As the eldest son of Gerold of Vinzgouw
Gerold of Vinzgouw
Gerold of Vinzgau was a count in Kraichgau and Anglachgau. His daughter married King Charlemagne in 771.In 784 generous donations to the monastery of Lorsch by Gerold and Emma are recorded....
and as a high ranking Frankish commander, Eric was titled from 789 to his death the Duke of Friuli
Duke of Friuli
The dukes and margraves of Friuli were the rulers of the Duchy and March of Friuli in the Middle Ages.The dates given below, when contentious, are discussed in the articles of the respective dukes.-Lombard dukes:* 568–c.584 Grasulf I...
(dux Foroiulensis). He was appointed governor of Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
, Fruli
Fruli
Van Diest Früli or Fruli is a range of fruit flavoured beers with an alcohol content of 4.7% ABV. The Belgian brewery which produces this range is called Brouwerij Huyghe. Früli is a blend of 70% white beer and 30% fruit juice....
, and neighbouring areas by Charlemagne. Eric wanted to extend his dominion by conquering Dalmatian Croatia.According to Denis Sinor
Denis Sinor
Denis Sinor was a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Central Asian Studies at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University and a tenured lecturer at Cambridge University between 1948 and 1962, and was one of the world's leading scholars for the history of Central Asia. Sinor...
, it is possible that Eric set his army to fight the Avars and was attacked by Croats at Trsat. (Sinor (1990), p. 219.) In the autumn of 799, Eric marched from Istria along the seacoast of Liburnia towards the town of Trsat, which is today part of the city of Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
. Meanwhile his opponent, duke Višeslav, gathered his forces and moved north from his governing center at Nin
Nin, Croatia
Nin is a town in the Zadar county of Croatia, population 1,256 , total municipality population 4,603 .Nin was historically important as a centre of a Christian Bishopric in the Middle Ages. Up to the abolition and Latinization imposed by King Tomislav in the first half of the 10th century, Nin was...
.
Siege
Upon arriving at the foot of the settlement, Eric besieged and attacked the city, but was repelled. Led by duke Višeslav, the inhabitants of Trsat threw spears, shot arrows, and hurled huge stones on the enemy, and managed to kill many of them.This description of the battle can also be found in primary material from Aquileian Patriarch Saint Paulinus IISaint Paulinus II
Saint Paulinus II , was a northern Italian bishop, theologian, poet, and scholar of the Carolingian Renaissance.-Early life:...
. In his poem "Versus de Herico duce" he mention throwing spears, arrows, and huge stones upon Eric. Eric's forces fled their positions, and were subsequently routed by the forces of Višeslav in an ambush. Eric was among those killed, and his death and defeat proved to be a great blow for the Carolingian Empire. Aquileia
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
n Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
Saint Paulinus II
Saint Paulinus II
Saint Paulinus II , was a northern Italian bishop, theologian, poet, and scholar of the Carolingian Renaissance.-Early life:...
cursed the land in which the hero was killed, and wrote Carmen de regula fidei, the rhythmus or elegy for his death.
According to contemporary Frankish scholar and courtier Einhard
Einhard
Einhard was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Karoli Magni, "one of the most precious literary bequests of the early Middle Ages."-Public life:Einhard was from the eastern...
, Eric was killed at Trsat (Tarsatch), a town on the coast of Liburnia by the treachery of the inhabitants. Due to a lack of primary materials, it is uncertain who killed Duke Eric. Most of historians point at Croats, while some point at Byzantines. Einhard also notes the death of Gerold, Prefect of Bavaria
Gerold, Prefect of Bavaria
Gerold was an Alamannian nobleman, serving the Frankish King as Margrave of the Avarian March and Prefect of Bavaria. Gerold played a significant role in the integration of Bavaria into the Frankish Kingdom. Being related to the family of the Agilolfings, he was appointed Prefect of Bavaria after...
, another Frankish commander who was slain in Pannonia in the same year. Croatian historian Nenad Labus refers to this event as a successful assassination attempt by Avars and Slavs. Historian Pierre Riché believes that Dalmatian Croats (Guduscani
Guduscani
The Guduscani were an indetermined tribe on the then western border with the Avar Khaganate, around present day Gacka , between upper Kupa river and the Dalmatian coast...
) killed Eric in collusion with Avars.
Besides the Royal Frankish Annals
Royal Frankish Annals
The Royal Frankish Annals or Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks ,are annals covering the history of early Carolingian monarchs from 741 to 829. Their composition seems to have soon been taken up at court, providing them with markedly official character...
(Annales Regni Francorum), there is another primary source compiled in c. 950, the historical work De administrando imperio
De Administrando Imperio
De Administrando Imperio is the Latin title of a Greek work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is...
, ascribed to Constantine Porphyrogenitus, which refers to Croatian-Frankish relations. Constantine notes that for a number of years the Croats of Dalmatia were subjects of the Franks, who treated them brutally. The Croats revolted and slew their princes. In an act of revenge, a large army from Francia invaded Croatia. After seven years of war, the Croats managed to defeat the Franks, killing a large portion of the invading army along with its commander. Although Constantine describes a chain of events that are analogous to the 'Siege of Trsat', he does not mention Tarsatica or the exact year of these events.
Aftermath
In 800, Eric's successor Cadolah of FriuliCadolah of Friuli
Cadolah was the Duke of Friuli from 817 to his death. He was a son of Count Berthold and an Ahalolfinger....
invaded the Littoral Croatian Duchy by the order of Charlemagne, but without considerable military success. Still, Tarsatica was burned down.Historians have a disagreement whether Tarsatica was destroyed in 799 or in 800. Tarsatica's surviving inhabitants moved to a more protected hill, where they established a new settlement called Trsat.According to Ferdo Šišić
Ferdo Šišic
Ferdo Šišić was a Croatian historian, the founding figure of the Croatian historiography of the 20th century. He made his most important contributions in the area of Croatian early Middle Ages.- Life :...
, Rijeka was founded by the Croats after the destruction of Tarsatica. (Šišić, Ferdo. Abridged Political History of Rieka (Fiume) (1919)) Višeslav continued to rule over the Littoral Croatian Duchy and warred against the Franks, avoiding defeat upon his death in 802. He was succeeded by his son Borna
Borna of Croatia
Borna was the Knez of Littoral Croatia in 803–821 under the Frankish Empire. He was the son of his predecessor, Višeslav.- Ruler of Dalmatia :...
, who later become a Frankish ally.
On Christmas Day in 800, Pope Leo III
Pope Leo III
Pope Saint Leo III was Pope from 795 to his death in 816. Protected by Charlemagne from his enemies in Rome, he subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position by crowning him as Roman Emperor....
crowned Charlemagne as Imperator Romanorum (Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
) in Saint Peter's Basilica
Old Saint Peter's Basilica
Old Saint Peter's Basilica was the building that stood, from the 4th to 16th centuries, on the spot where the Basilica of Saint Peter stands today in Rome. Construction of the Basilica, built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero, began during the reign of emperor Constantine I...
. This was a direct challenge to Byzantium's claim to be the one - the Roman - empire. Nicephorus I of the Byzantine Empire and Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire settled their imperial boundaries in 803. Littoral Croatia peacefully accepted a limited Frankish overlordship. The peace of Aache in 812 confirmed Dalmatia, except for the Byzantine cities and islands, as under Frankish domain.
Ljudevit Posavski
Ljudevit Posavski
Ljudevit Posavski was a Croatian Duke of Pannonian Croatia from 810 to 823. The capital of his realm was in Sisak. As the ruler of the Pannonian Slavs, he led an unsuccessful resistance to Frankish domination. He held close ties with the Carantanian and Carniolan tribes and with the Serbian tribe...
, Croatian Duke of Pannonian Croatia, led a resistance to Frankish domination. Ljudevit also had to fight against Dalmatian Croatia, as their prince Borna
Borna of Croatia
Borna was the Knez of Littoral Croatia in 803–821 under the Frankish Empire. He was the son of his predecessor, Višeslav.- Ruler of Dalmatia :...
was a Frankish ally. After unsuccessful resistance by Ljudevit and Pannonian Croats, the Franks again controlled Istria, Dalmatia, and Pannonia. Nevertheless, Dalmatian Croatia remained a semi-independent duchy between the two Empires, as they had a right to elect their own prince.
