This paper traces the history of the use of the ancient name 'Illyric' in the Western Balkans after the settlement of the Slavs, taking into consideration the different typology of its attestations. This name occurs in different medieval and pre-modern sources relating to Dalmatia and Croatia. In the first half of the 19th century, the era of Croatian nation building, such a name was considered evidence of the continuity of the Croatian nation on these territories, so beginning with Gaj's Illyrian Movement, Illyrianism became synonymous with Croatian national self-consciousness. Relying on the continuity in the use of the name, recent theories point to the humanist period as the origin of Illyrianism, believing that the term 'Illyric' was entered into circulation by humanist writers. The article argues that the use of 'Illyric' as a coronym (Illyricum) is actually older and is due to the Church organisation, based on a territorial principle dating back to Roman Empire civil administration. The Roman Church endured in use of this old coronym and extended it as an ethnonym to the people living in the correspondent ecclesiastical province, including the new population settled in consequence of Great Migration process. That's why two designations, Illyric/Illyrian and Slavs, continued to be used interchangeably. The overlapping of these names makes it difficult to reconstruct the logic of their use over time.
Il contributo ripercorre la storia dell'uso della denominazione «illirico» nei Balcani occidentali dopo l'insediamento degli Slavi, attraverso una disamina delle attestazioni e della loro tipologia. Questo nome, presente nelle fonti medievali e premoderne relative a Dalmazia e Croazia, nella prima metà del XIX secolo, epoca di costruzione dell'identità nazionale, fu ritenuto elemento di prova della continuità della nazione croata su questi territori, sicché con il movimento illirista di L. Gaj, illirismo è diventato sinonimo di autocoscienza nazionale croata. Facendo leva sulla continuità d'uso del nome varie recenti teorie puntano ad anticipare al periodo umanistico la genesi dell'illirismo, ritenendo che il termine «illirico» fosse stato messo in circolazione dagli scrittori umanisti. L'articolo mostra che l'uso di «illirico» come coronimo è in realtà più antico poiché è stato mantenuto dalla Chiesa romana che, nella sua organizzazione ecclesiastica territoriale, ha continuato a usare le denominazioni antiche delle province ecclesiastiche. Tali denominazioni sono state estese alle popolazioni residenti, anche a quelle che vi sono giunte fra tardo-antico e medioevo per effetto della grande migrazione, in un intreccio di nomi di luogo e nomi di popoli che non è sempre facile dipanare.
Coronimi, etnonimi e scritture nell'Illirico medievale e pre-moderno
Barbara Lomagistro
2023-01-01
Abstract
This paper traces the history of the use of the ancient name 'Illyric' in the Western Balkans after the settlement of the Slavs, taking into consideration the different typology of its attestations. This name occurs in different medieval and pre-modern sources relating to Dalmatia and Croatia. In the first half of the 19th century, the era of Croatian nation building, such a name was considered evidence of the continuity of the Croatian nation on these territories, so beginning with Gaj's Illyrian Movement, Illyrianism became synonymous with Croatian national self-consciousness. Relying on the continuity in the use of the name, recent theories point to the humanist period as the origin of Illyrianism, believing that the term 'Illyric' was entered into circulation by humanist writers. The article argues that the use of 'Illyric' as a coronym (Illyricum) is actually older and is due to the Church organisation, based on a territorial principle dating back to Roman Empire civil administration. The Roman Church endured in use of this old coronym and extended it as an ethnonym to the people living in the correspondent ecclesiastical province, including the new population settled in consequence of Great Migration process. That's why two designations, Illyric/Illyrian and Slavs, continued to be used interchangeably. The overlapping of these names makes it difficult to reconstruct the logic of their use over time.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
