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=== Old Roman cities of Dalmatia ===

=== Old Roman cities of Dalmatia ===

The old Roman cities of Dalmatia; Epidaurum, Narona and Salona which were then part of the Byzantine-Eastern Roman Empire, were destroyed or just abandoned. This was due to the fact that the cities were not strategically set up for defence from constant invasions. According to various sources the Avars participated in these events too. The ''Avars'' were a nomadic people from  Eurasian  who invaded the Balkans  at the same time as the Slavs. In this historic period it is recorded that many of the churches on the island of Korčula were abandoned (or destroyed) and then rebuilt at a later stage. <ref>According to recent studies done at the '''University of Zadar''',  Slavs on the island of Korčula accepted Christianity fully in the 14th century. Reference from: University of Zadar-Sociogeographic Transformation of the Western Part of Korcula Island by Lena Mirosevic-2008 (p161)</ref> The Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe ''related'' to the Goths) also invaded Dalmatia in the 6th century.  According to Nikola Ostojic, the Roman families survived. They spoke the [[Latin]] Romance ''language'' - Dalmatian.

The old Roman cities of Dalmatia; Epidaurum, Narona and Salona which were then part of the Byzantine-Eastern Roman Empire, were destroyed or just abandoned. This was due to the fact that the cities were not strategically set up for defence from constant invasions. According to various sources the Avars participated in these events too. The ''Avars'' were a nomadic people from  Eurasian  who invaded the Balkans  at the same time as the Slavs. In this historic period it is recorded that many of the churches on the island of Korčula were abandoned (or destroyed) and then rebuilt at a later stage. <ref>According to recent studies done at the '''University of Zadar''',  Slavs on the island of Korčula accepted Christianity fully in the 14th century. Reference from: University of Zadar-Sociogeographic Transformation of the Western Part of Korcula Island by Lena Mirosevic-2008 (p161)</ref> The Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe ''related'' to the Goths) also invaded Dalmatia in the 5th century.  According to Nikola Ostojic, the Roman families survived. They spoke the [[Latin]] Romance ''language'' - Dalmatian.

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The new population of Slavs probably settled in the centre of the island and they spoke old Slavic '''Chakavian'''. The centre of the island had its strategic qualities which allowed protection on all sides from attack by sea. It also had fertile land which allowed cultivation.  After the invasion of Slavic tribes, the region stabilised to a certain extent. The Byzantines and the ''Republic of Venice''  and others, started to exert a political influence over the region. These events have been recorded historically by both Empires in chronicles of the time.

The new population of Slavs probably settled in the centre of the island and they spoke old Slavic '''Chakavian'''. The centre of the island had its strategic qualities which allowed protection on all sides from attack by sea. It also had fertile land which allowed cultivation.  After the invasion of Slavic tribes, the region stabilised to a certain extent. The Byzantines and the ''Republic of Venice''  and others, started to exert a political influence over the region. These events have been recorded historically by both Empires in chronicles of the time.