Origin hypotheses of the Serbs

The Serbs trace their history to the 6th- and 7th-century migrations of Early Slavs to south-eastern Europe. Settling in various parts of the Balkans, Early Slavs assimilated local Byzantine populations (primarily descendants of different paleo-Balkan peoples) and other former Roman citizens. Their descendants later coalesced into different Balkan Slavic medieval states.[1][2]

  1. ^ Hupchick, Dennis P. (11 January 2002). "Introduction: Land, People, and Culture". The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 15. ISBN 9780312299132. Retrieved 15 September 2024. The coming of the Slavs facilitated the transformation of the East Roman into the 'Byzantine' Empire, and Hellenic continuity was preserved. When Slavic states developed in the Balkans, most did so under the strong cultural influence of neighboring Byzantium.
  2. ^ Barford, Paul M. (2001). "State-formation: the South and East Slavs". The Early Slavs: Culture and Society in Early Medieval Eastern Europe. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. pp. 227ff. ISBN 9780801439773. Retrieved 15 September 2024.