Istra med Justinijanom in Karlom Velikim

Abstract

The paper exposes a greater part of the problems concerning the history of the Byzantine province of istria from the 6lh to the 8th centuries. The methodological approach and the sources for this subject arc presented in the introduction. The survey of the first phase of the organization of the new Italic province during and after the conquest, in the first half and in the middle of the 6lh century, is followed by the analysis of the second phase, characterized by a military organization, i.e. the institution of the exarchate. Great political, economic and social changcs during the 7lh and 8th centuries affected substantially the structure of the cxarchatc and of its ducate of Istria. Since the exarchatc came under the control of the Lombards in 751, the question arises as to whether their domination included Istria and, if so, for how long. Finally, the author calls attention to some problems of the Rižana placitus from the year 804, containing information on the development and structure of the Byzantine ducatc of Istria in the second half of the 8'1' ccntury (autonomy of cities, regional autonomy, taxation system, social structure etc.).