Roman provinces in Illyricum after administrative reforms of DiocletianCoin of Roman emperor Jovian, who was born in Singidunum (Moesia Prima)
Province of Moesia Prima was created at the end of the 3rd century during administrative reforms of Roman emperor Diocletian (284–305) who divided the Province of Moesia Superior in two separate provinces: Moesia Prima to the north and Dardania to the south.
Sometime in 293–294, emperor Diocletian traveled through Moesia Superior and came to its capital Viminacium. During that visit he created new province under the name Moesia Superior Margensis or Moesia Prima. The term Margensis was used in reference to the name of Margus River that runs through the province. Emperor also registered that the inhabitants of province wrote in Latin, as opposed to Greek in the southern regions.[4]
Danubian border of Moesia Prima was protected by fortifications of the limes. Two Roman legions were stationed in the province: Legio IV Flavia Felix in Singidunum and Legio VII Claudia in Viminacium. The seat of Praefectus legionis septimae Claudiae was in the frontier fortress of Cuppae (Golubac, Serbia).[7]
As a frontier province, Moesia Prima was under constant threat of barbaric invasions. In the middle of the 5th century the province was devastated by the Huns of Attila who took Singidunum and Viminacium in 441. The province was later invaded by various Germanic tribes like Ostrogoths, Gepids, Heruli and others.
Major efforts to secure the province were undertaken in the time of Justinian I (527–565) who rebuilt Viminacium and Singidunum around 535, restoring the frontier fortresses to their former military importance.[8]
Throughout the 6th century, Moesia Prima was often invaded by Slavs. The province was also invaded but the Avars who took Singidunum and Viminacium during the war of 582-584.[10] During emperor Maurice's military campaigns against Avars and Slavs, Moesia Prima served as a base of military operations.
After the fall of emperor Maurice in 602, Byzantine defenses in Moesia Prima finally collapsed. At the very beginning of the 7th century, Avars and Slavs sacked and burned Singidunum and Viminacium to the ground and the interior of the fallen province Moesia Prima was finally settled by the Slavic Serbs.[11]
^Curta (2001), Compare also Byzanz in Fischer Weltgeschichte.
Sources
Procopius. Edited by H. B. Dewing. 7 vols. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press and London, Hutchinson, 1914–40. Greek text and English translation.
Maurice's Strategikon: Handbook of Byzantine Military Strategy. translated by George T. Dennis. Philadelphia 1984, Reprint 2001.
Fischer Weltgeschichte, Band 13, "Byzanz" (pp. 139ff.). Franz Georg Maier, Frankfurt a. M. (1973) (in German)
As found in the Notitia Dignitatum. Provincial administration reformed and dioceses established by Diocletian, c. 293. Permanent praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial losses in the 7th century, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in c. 640–660, although in Asia Minor and parts of Greece they survived under the themes until the early 9th century.
