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THEME 3. The east Slavs

77 AD The first record about the Venedi living in
the northern east from the Carpathians was in
the work “The Natural History” by the Roman
historian Pliny the Elder.
~4th cent. The division of the Venedi into the Antes
and the Sclaveni is connected with the attack
of the Germanic tribes (the Goths, the
Vandals and the Gepids) from the Lower
Vistula. Later they set up the Gothic
Kingdom.
4th-the The military-political alliance of the Antes as
beginning of the first form of the early Slavic statehood
7th cent. occupied the territory from the Dniester to the
Siversky Donets. The basis of agriculture
was represented by crop-farming. The
military democracy was the form of
government of the Antes. The elders and
princes had strong a hold but the supreme
power was in hands of the popular assembly.
All issues were decided jointly. But during
the periods of military raids and in times of
danger the elected the tsar (the leader). This
fact is recorded in the work of the Byzantine
author Procopius of Caesarea. Starting from
th
the 6 century, the Antes together with the
Sclaveni passed to a wide-front attack against
the Balkan domains of the Byzantine Empire.
The last record about the Antes in historical
sources dates back to the year of 602. They
failed to withstand the assault of Avar
Khaganate, long-lasting wars and decayed.

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