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The Picture of Early Christian Communities in Pannonia during the pre-Constantine and the Constantine time

Conquered Pannonia the Romans established authority of the Pannonian ancient settlements and part of this were incorporated in the new Roman authority. The Romans built two main main longitudinal roads in the area between the two rivers, which ran through the basins of the Sava and the Drava, and which connected Rome with the Pannonian provincial centres, Siscia and Sirmium. In the administrative division of the Empire, carried out by Diocletian in the year 297 of Christian era both Pannonias (Pannonia Superior and Pannonia Inferior) were subdivided into four small provinces each into two parts: Upper Pannonia was divided into First Pannonia (Pannonia Prima), north of the Drava river, and Pannonia Savia (Pannonia Savia, Savia Riparienses, Interamnensis), south of the Drava with the seat in Siscia. On the territory of the First Pannonia and Pannonia Savia exists the wrriten sources and archaeological materials about the presence of Christians in the first half of 4th century. Passio Sancti Quirini reveal a whole series of interesting facts from the early Christian history, of Siscia and Savaria as well Scarabantia. The document is based on the record of a judicial investigation of the Roman authorities in Siscia and Savaria. It should be pointed out that two Pannonian provinces are mentioned in the description of Kvirin’s passion, as well as their capitals, cities along the Danube and two provincial governors, by name. Those administrators were included in the lists of provincial governors only on account of the fact that they were mentioned in Kvirin’s passion, so our legend is added to those hagiographic sources that have an indubitable historical value. History is mute about the life of Kvirin’s devotees, but there are somewhat more rare archaeological monuments from the years of bloody persecutions (303-311), to which we are directed by the document Passio Sancti Quirini, from the period of Constantine’s rule or later. The legend can be dated to the 4th century, so it is the earliest source for the Christian community in Siscia, and the present of Christian on countryside Savia and First Panonia. Although the archaeological finds from Sisak an early Christian diocesan see, are still insufficiently informative about that period of the antiquity, future research will certainly contribute to the understanding and illumination of that earliest period of Christianity in the territory of Pannonia Savia, in relation with that period of the city’s life, as well as the entire area of the diocese, but also the territory under its influence. And finally, Kvirin’s passion, by virtue of the mention of two provincial governors, who were included in the lists of provincial governors only on account of having been mentioned in it, is included among the hagiographic sources with an indisputable historical value. Kvirin’s passion, in spite of its focus on religious issues and stereotypic form, offers interesting information in the context of ecclesiastic and general history. According to historical records, Christianity in the continental part of Croatia (Croatian section of Pannonia) in various periods or even contemporaneously, was under subject to influences of the Christian centre from the east (Sirmium), the west (Aquileia) and the south (Thessalonica). Considering quantity of archaeological material, and particularly architecture this work will have to show in which party of antiques Siscia Christian presence is confirm with material remains. According to onomastic data from written and epigraphical sources, would indicate that the continental part of Croatia was mainly under the influence of the western part of the Empire in the period of the 4th to 7th centuries A.D.

early Christian communities; Pannonia; pre-Constantine time; Constantine time

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