Narentines

Pagania of the Narentines
9th century–11th century
Narentine State or Pagania in the 9th century, according to De Administrando Imperio.
Narentine State or Pagania in the 9th century, according to De Administrando Imperio.
Common languagesSlavic
Religion
Slavic paganism
GovernmentChiefdom
Prince 
History 
• Formed
9th century
11th century
Succeeded by
Republic of Venice
Today part ofCroatia

The Narentines were a South Slavic[1] tribe noted as pirates on the Adriatic Sea in the 9th and 10th centuries. They occupied an area of southern Dalmatia centered at the river Neretva (Narenta). Named Narentani in Venetian sources, they were called Paganoi, "pagans", by the Greeks, as they were still pagan after the Christianization of the neighbouring tribes. They were fierce enemies of the Republic of Venice, attacking Venetian merchants and clergy traveling through the Adriatic, and even raiding close to Venice itself and defeating the doge several times. Venetian–Narentine peace treaties did not last long, as the Narentines quickly returned to piracy. They were finally defeated in a Venetian crackdown at the turn of the 10th century and disappeared from sources by the 11th century.

  1. ^ Fine 1991, p. 306.