The first populated cities of christened Serbia in X century by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, on the map of Guillaume Delisle

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the identification of the first inhabited cities in baptized Serbia at the beginning of the X century, mentioned by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. Writings from that time are important documents which provide a picture of the reality, but it is also necessary to carefully study the old maps. Of particular note is the French geographer and cartographer, Guillaume Delisle (Guillaume de L'Isle), a member of the Royal Academy of Science, from the beginning of the XVIII century, whose map 'Eastern Empire and neighboring regions of Constantine Porphyrogenitus' ('Imperio Orientalis et circumjacentium regionum sub Constantino Porphyrogenito et ejus praedecestoribus Descriptio') made on the data basis on Porphyrogenitus, so far not been used in the elucidation of uncertainty about the position of the first inhabited cities in christened Serbia. This map could be useful in researching of the networks of the cities, and territorial organization of Serbia and other Balkan countries.

Cilj ovoga rada je da doprinese identifikaciji prvih naseljenih gradova pokrštene Srbije na početku X veka, koje spominje Konstantin VII Porfirogenit. Spisi iz tog doba su značajni dokumenti, ali je potrebno pažljivo proučiti i Stare karte koje daju sliku tadašnje stvarnosti. Posebnu pažnju zaslužuje francuski geograf i kartograf Gijom de Lil (Guillaume de L'Isle), član Kraljevske akademije nauka, s početka XVIII veka, čija karta 'Istočna imperija i susedni regioni Konstantina Porfirogenita' ('Imperii Orientalis et circumjacentium regionum sub Constantino Porphyrogenito et ejus praedecestoribus Descriptio') urađena na bazi podataka Porfirogenita, do sada koliko nam je poznato, nije bila korišćena u rasvetljavanju nedoumica oko položaja prvih naseljenih gradova u pokrštenoj Srbiji. Ova karta može biti korisna u istraživanjima mreže gradova i teritorijalne organizacije Srbije i drugih balkanskih država u X veku.