On the attempts to locate the “inhabited cities” of porphyrogennetos’ Pagania a historiographic overview with special reference to controversial issues

Abstract

In this paper there was made an attempt at determining more precisely the location of the four “inhabited cities” (κάστρα οíκούμενα) of Pagania, mentioned in the De administrando imperio of Constantine Porphyrogennetos: Mokron (τò Μόκρον), Beroullia (τò Βερούλλια), Ostrok (τò Oστρωκ) и Slavinetza (ή Σλαβίνετζα). Having considered the results previously established in historiography in connection to the issue, the author concludes that Mokron (Makr) was probably situated in the village of Makar beneath Mt. Biokovo, and that Beroullia (Vrulja) was identical with Vrulja near Podgora. Ostrok (Ostrog), in accordance with generally accepted oppinion, is to be located in the immediate vicinity of today’s Zaostrog, at the foot of the Mt. Viter, while, considering Slavinetza, it is assumed that it was situated in the region of the Baćina lakes, near the ruins of Sladinac, where are the remnants of the old Church of St Andrew, although the possibility that it should be searched for in the area of today’s Gradac, near the Slavinjac spring, mentioned in a description of Gradac from 1863, should not be excluded]