EARLY BYZANTINE PERIOD HISTORY

EARLY BYZANTINE PERIOD
HISTORY

From the 6th century, the region of Niš had been more and more intruded by the Avarians and Slavs. Justinian tried to ensure peace by building and reconstructing ramparts and fortifications. During the reign of Justinian (527-565), as we have learned from Procopius, the ramparts of Niš were fortified and made impregnable to enemy, while 7 fortresses were reconstructed and 32 new ones erected in the vicinity of the town.

The ramparts of the Byzantine Nis

The ramparts of the Byzantine Niš

Parallel to settling the military situation, the reorganization of the Church was undertaken. Justinian created a unique church organization spreading from the southeast Pannonia to Macedonia and having its archiepiscopal seat in the newly built Justiniana Prima.

Even after Justinian, all the way to Avarian and Slavic conquering, the Niš Eparchy managed to survive, together with the town encircled with the ramparts. From the Collection of the Miracles of St. Dimitrios of Thessaloniki, we learn that Niš was demolished after 615 but before 618: "Others, however, of those coming from Niš and Serdica, as they had already experienced their (Avarian-Slavic) sieges, said tearfully: escaping from there, we have arrived here to suffer with you. For, one shot of their stone (that is, catapult) shall break the ramparts."

A street of the Byzantine Nis

A street of the Byzantine Niš