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== Chapter One - Origin and Events ==

== Chapter One - Origin and Events ==

Some fathers of history took notice of the writings of Ditti who was a contemporary from Cretan. When writing about the war of Troy, he noted that Antenore was the first to land on the island and build a city. Because of the islands dark appearance of its woods it was called ''Corcira Melaena''.  Other followers of his position claim that they were not exiles of Ilius, but fugitives of Gnido. In turn the vernacularisation of Ditti (work of Cav) <ref>Cavaliere = Knight (honorary title)</ref>  Compagnoni, <ref>Dalmatia, literary sheet, 1st January 1846; No. 1</ref> stated that Antenore remained in [[Greece]], but the said Aeneas, was the likely leader of the colony and founder of the ''Town of Curzola'', (Korčula's old name was Curzola).<ref>Korcula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island lies just off the Dalmatian coast.</ref><ref>Editors notes: The Old-Slavic term was Krkar.</ref> This theory was competing with the opinion of Darete, Phrygian and other contemporaries.   

Some fathers of history took notice of the writings of Ditti who was a contemporary from Cretan. When writing about the war of Troy, he noted that Antenore was the first to land on the island and build a city. Because of the islands dark appearance of its woods it was called ''Corcira Melaena''.  Other followers of his position claim that they were not exiles of Ilius, but fugitives of Gnido. In turn the vernacularisation of Ditti (work of Cav) <ref>Cavaliere = Knight (honorary title)</ref>  Compagnoni, <ref>Dalmatia, literary sheet, 1st January 1846; No. 1</ref> stated that Antenore remained in [[Greece]], but the said Aeneas, was the likely leader of the colony and founder of the ''Town of Curzola'', (Korčula's old name was Curzola).<ref>Korcula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the ''Dubrovnik-Neretva County'' of [[Croatia]]. The island lies just off the Dalmatian coast.</ref><ref>Editors notes: The Old-Slavic term was Krkar.</ref> This theory was competing with the opinion of Darete, Phrygian and other contemporaries.   

The truth of this claim, considering the mythological chronology of the grammatical ''Alexandrian Heratostene'', would oblige us to go back to approximately 1184 BC, at the time in which according to the Bible, Gideon judged Israel:  126 years prior to David coming to the throne.  But the historian, more traditional than anything else, cannot rely on these vague claims.  Yet least of all when facing criticism. ''Ditti'' and ''Darete'' did not know how to support their historical theory. Whether Antenore or Aeneas was the leader, or Gnidi or the Trojans the colonists, the study of local antiquities arouses a belief that Korčula in ancient times was not some Greco-Phoenician post.  Even though during this period there are inferences which are not at all unfounded, none are of a particular positive nature.   

The truth of this claim, considering the mythological chronology of the grammatical ''Alexandrian Heratostene'', would oblige us to go back to approximately 1184 BC, at the time in which according to the Bible, Gideon judged Israel:  126 years prior to David coming to the throne.  But the historian, more traditional than anything else, cannot rely on these vague claims.  Yet least of all when facing criticism. ''Ditti'' and ''Darete'' did not know how to support their historical theory. Whether Antenore or Aeneas was the leader, or Gnidi or the Trojans the colonists, the study of local antiquities arouses a belief that Korčula in ancient times was not some Greco-Phoenician post.  Even though during this period there are inferences which are not at all unfounded, none are of a particular positive nature.   

*Free with her own independence until the occupation by  Agron, and then for very short intervals by Teuta, by the Romans until Octaviano Augustus; and then at the time of the Veneti <ref>  People from the Veneto Region</ref>  from 1180 to 1252, from 1254 to 1258, and from 1418 to 1420, on the whole.

*Free with her own independence until the occupation by  Agron, and then for very short intervals by Teuta, by the Romans until Octaviano Augustus; and then at the time of the Veneti <ref>  People from the Veneto Region</ref>  from 1180 to 1252, from 1254 to 1258, and from 1418 to 1420, on the whole.

*Subject to the Roman Emperors first from the west, then from the east, by Augustus at Heraclius until 642.

*Subject to the Roman Emperors first from the west, then from the east, by Augustus at Heraclius until 642.

*Defeated and confederated by the Narantani (Neretljani) from 642 to 999.

*Defeated and confederated by the Narantani (Neretljani Slavs)<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=wEF5oN5erE0C&pg=PA62&dq=Neretljani&hl=en&ei=9ENbTYHbJYb0cY284fEK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Neretljani&f=false When Ethnicity did not Matter in the Balkans:] by John Van Antwerp Fine (p62)</ref> from 642 to 999.

*Conquered by the Veneti under the management of the doge '''Pietro II Orseolo''' from 999 to 1100.

*Conquered by the Veneti under the management of the doge '''Pietro II Orseolo''' from 999 to 1100.

*Held by the Genoese from 1100 to 1129.

*Held by the Genoese from 1100 to 1129.

From a very old report discovered recently, that we don’t consider apocryphal, is noted how frightening the invasion of the Narentani (Neretljani) was for the island, and as to a certain king ''who, escaping the persecution of Narentani's fleet, built a fortress in Siralievaz'', <ref>Latin sections: qui fugiens a persecution galearum Narentinorum construxit arcem in Siralievax</ref>  in which with one hundred of his followers he had stationed himself, succeeded to gather the surrounding defence to himself.  This king would have built other fortresses there:  Maxima Autem, says the report, {{Cquote| ''but the biggest fortress was the one erected in a place that locals call Bradat, close to the dwelling of a good man, a saint whose name is Saint Visko'' <ref>Latin section:arx fuit in domorio incolum quem locum appellant Bradat apud domum unius hominis probi, et sacnti quem incolae dicunt Sveti Visko</ref>}} He  had the inhabitants of Korčula equip six prisons at his own expense, and thus also erect three shelters. Of all this there are obvious ruins to date.  {{Cquote| ''(the king) erected three shelters in the harbour facing the northern side of the mountain called Gradina, where our merciful king's fleet used to be stationed... Not so far from the inner sea of the Island, there is a place favourable for fighting against the powerful Narentani pirates, who were a huge nuisance.'' <ref>Latin section: in portu ad septentrionem montis sic dicti Gradinae ubi sistebant naves nostril regis clementissimi.....non longe maris interni Insulae aptus locus est ad debellandos piratas fortes Narentinos molestos valde</ref>}}  

From a very old report discovered recently, that we don’t consider apocryphal, is noted how frightening the invasion of the Narentani (Neretljani) was for the island, and as to a certain king ''who, escaping the persecution of Narentani's fleet, built a fortress in Siralievaz'', <ref>Latin sections: qui fugiens a persecution galearum Narentinorum construxit arcem in Siralievax</ref>  in which with one hundred of his followers he had stationed himself, succeeded to gather the surrounding defence to himself.  This king would have built other fortresses there:  Maxima Autem, says the report, {{Cquote| ''but the biggest fortress was the one erected in a place that locals call Bradat, close to the dwelling of a good man, a saint whose name is Saint Visko'' <ref>Latin section:arx fuit in domorio incolum quem locum appellant Bradat apud domum unius hominis probi, et sacnti quem incolae dicunt Sveti Visko</ref>}} He  had the inhabitants of Korčula equip six prisons at his own expense, and thus also erect three shelters. Of all this there are obvious ruins to date.  {{Cquote| ''(the king) erected three shelters in the harbour facing the northern side of the mountain called Gradina, where our merciful king's fleet used to be stationed... Not so far from the inner sea of the Island, there is a place favourable for fighting against the powerful Narentani pirates, who were a huge nuisance.'' <ref>Latin section: in portu ad septentrionem montis sic dicti Gradinae ubi sistebant naves nostril regis clementissimi.....non longe maris interni Insulae aptus locus est ad debellandos piratas fortes Narentinos molestos valde</ref>}}  

Despite the relentless defence bravely sustained by the inhabitants, most from the Mattani in the fortress of Siralievaz, every effort was useless, the king was compelled to flee from the island; in fact he was almost taken by the Narentani (Neretljani) in the sortie made from the western promontory, if he had not been freed on the part of the islanders.  The reporter gives his name as Ristle and declares himself minister of the king, after his death which occurred elsewhere with royal brother Ottoniero, states that he returned to the island, where he had a sister desponsata Patron Spaho: {{Cquote| ''(the minister says: I had) a sister married to patron Spaho (patronus is someone who has undertaken to protect the interests of a community), lord of the beautiful land of Sitnizza, where he used to pitch his tent and hunt birds.... and I found that Narentani plundered many things. My strength abandoned me  when I saw the fleet and the fields... We cannot move any further without incurring in our strong enemies.'' <ref>Latin section: .... domino domorij Sitinitiani (Sitnizza) pulcherimi agri in quo habebat tentorio et capiebat aves ... et inveni, continues, Narentinos depopulasse multa.  Omnes mee vires sestebant in conspectioneagrorum atque navium ... nos non possumus prodire nullibi, nisi in fortes hostes incurramus.</ref>}}  There was hard aggression committed to both towns of which the ruins can still be seen in ''Bradat'' and ''Potirna''.<ref>Potirna is a village on the west end of the island of Korcula in Croatia</ref> They were inhabited also by Roman families, as the gravestones and many other ancient pieces unearthed not so long ago bear witness.

Despite the relentless defence bravely sustained by the inhabitants, most from the Mattani in the fortress of Siralievaz, every effort was useless, the king was compelled to flee from the island; in fact he was almost taken by the Narentani (Neretljani) in the sortie made from the western promontory, if he had not been freed on the part of the islanders.  The reporter gives his name as Ristle and declares himself minister of the king, after his death which occurred elsewhere with royal brother Ottoniero, states that he returned to the island, where he had a sister desponsata Patron Spaho: {{Cquote| ''(the minister says: I had) a sister married to patron Spaho (patronus is someone who has undertaken to protect the interests of a community), lord of the beautiful land of Sitnizza, where he used to pitch his tent and hunt birds.... and I found that Narentani plundered many things. My strength abandoned me  when I saw the fleet and the fields... We cannot move any further without incurring in our strong enemies.'' <ref>Latin section: .... domino domorij Sitinitiani (Sitnizza) pulcherimi agri in quo habebat tentorio et capiebat aves ... et inveni, continues, Narentinos depopulasse multa.  Omnes mee vires sestebant in conspectioneagrorum atque navium ... nos non possumus prodire nullibi, nisi in fortes hostes incurramus.</ref>}}  There was hard aggression committed to both towns of which the ruins can still be seen in ''Bradat'' and ''Potirna''.<ref>'''Potirna''' is a village on the west end of the island of Korcula in Croatia.</ref> They were inhabited also by Roman families, as the gravestones and many other ancient pieces unearthed not so long ago bear witness.

A battle took place on the island around the year 829. Exiled from the throne and from the Obeleiro State and Beato Antenonj, or Antonaj, doges, one after the other of Venice, to whom the Curzolani, already confederated of the Narentain (Neretljani), acknowledged friendship and partisan feelings, the latter fleeing to Korčula, where he had correspondences and instruments to recover with the assistance of these in the  ducal seat. But the doge Zuanne Partecipazio, being informed of these schemes, at the head of a strong army descended upon Korčula, which despite powerful resistance, saw many of his own killed and the prisoners hanged; the ex doge Beato Antenonio had his ''head cut'' off.   

A battle took place on the island around the year 829. Exiled from the throne and from the Obeleiro State and Beato Antenonj, or Antonaj, doges, one after the other of Venice, to whom the Curzolani, already confederated of the Narentain (Neretljani), acknowledged friendship and partisan feelings, the latter fleeing to Korčula, where he had correspondences and instruments to recover with the assistance of these in the  ducal seat. But the doge Zuanne Partecipazio, being informed of these schemes, at the head of a strong army descended upon Korčula, which despite powerful resistance, saw many of his own killed and the prisoners hanged; the ex doge Beato Antenonio had his ''head cut'' off.