Homer, a poet of the 9th-8th centuries, appears first in the brilliant host of ancient authors by right of seniority and greatness of an immortal genius. BC e. In the poem about the Trojan War we read:
“The leader Pilemen led Paphlagonsev with a shaggy chest, In the land of Enets living, where wild mules are born.
They inhabited Kitor, the surrounding lands of Sesame, They lived in bright houses near the stream of Parfenia, And in Aegial, and in Kromna, as well as in the Erifins high."
The decade of the siege of Troy VII dates back to the second quarter of the XIII century. BC e. Homer's testimony indicates that no later than the middle of the XIII century. BC e. the ethnic core of the Wends, formed in the center of Europe, who are the same Proto-Slavs, carried out widespread settlement on the Eurasian continent, including the valleys of the north and north-west of Asia Minor.
And here is what the great historian of Hellas of the 5th century tells about the Wends. BC e. Herodotus:
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"The land of the siginns extends almost to the [region of] the enets on the Adriatic."
“The most prudent custom, which, as I know, is also practiced by the Illyrian Enets, in my opinion, is the following. Once a year, in each village, they usually did this: they called all the girls who had reached marriageable age and gathered in one place. Crowds of young men surrounded them, and the herald made each girl stand up one by one and the sale of brides began …"
About the correspondence of the ancient name of the people - Venets (Wends) to the modern name - Slavs in 551, Jordan writes in the book "On the origin and deeds of the Getae":
“… From the source of the Vistula River, a large tribe of Venets lives in vast areas. Although now their names change depending on different genera and habitats, mostly they are still called Slavs and Antes.
The Slavs live from the city of Novietun and the lake, which is called Mursiansky, up to Dunastr and in the north to Viskla [49], swamps and forests replace them with cities. The Antas are the most powerful of them, where the Pontic Sea makes an arc, stretches from Danastra to Danapre."
By the way, it should be noted that the assumption expressed by Slovenian researchers that the name of the people - Slavs comes from the ancient name - Veneta, deserves serious consideration. Slovenia is really a phrase, possibly formed from the concept of a people who speak the Venetian language. The continuity here is quite natural and convincing. I will only add that the name of the Veneti, as noted above, can go back to the name of the Vanir people, which in ancient times lived in the valley of the Lower Don, in the south of Eastern Europe, which was repeatedly mentioned by the North German sagas.
The above means that we have indicated a more than probable Proto-Slavic presence in the core of the Indo-European origin of the steppe south of Eastern Europe, relying at the same time, at least, on the written evidence of ancient and medieval authors. But these are the subtleties of the great Indo-European history.
Let's return to the Wends of the center of Europe. Here is what the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus (55/57–117) tells about them:
“I really don’t know whether the singers, Wends and Fenns should be attributed to the Germans or the Sarmatians, although the singers, whom some call Bastars, repeat the Germans in their speech, way of life, settledness and dwellings. Untidiness among all, idleness and inertia among the nobility. Due to mixed marriages, their appearance becomes more ugly, and they acquire the features of the Sarmatians. The Veneds adopted much of their mores, for for the sake of plunder they prowl through the forests and mountains, which only exist between the singers and the Fenns. However, they can rather be counted among the Germans, because they build houses for themselves, wear shields and move on foot, and moreover with great speed; all this dissociates them from the Sarmatians, who spend their whole lives in a cart and on horseback."
In another work, Cornelius Tacitus exclaims:
"… Or is it not enough for us that the Veneti and Insubrs broke into the curia, and we yearn to be, as it were, captured by a crowd of foreigners?"
Earlier, Cornelius Tacitus wrote about the Wends and the name of their country by Gaius Pliny Secundus (23–79), the Roman author of Natural History in 37 books:
Eningia. Some say that it is inhabited up to the Visula River [56] by Sarmatians, Wends …"
The Icelandic author of the XIII century. Snori Sturluson in the book of the ancient Germanic sagas "The Circle of the Earth" presents the phrase:
"… which to the west some call Europe, and some Aeneas."
Pliny's Eningia of the Wends is very much like Aeneas Sturluson. And here it is timely to turn to the testimony of the Roman historian Titus Livy (59 BC - 17 AD), the author of 142 books, "From the Founding of the City", from which 35 books have survived to this day (I – X, XXI – XLV):
“First of all … the capture of Troy was followed by a fierce reprisal against all the Trojans; only to two, Aeneas and Antenor, the Achaeans did not apply the law of war due to their ancient hospitality and due to the fact that they constantly advised to make peace and return Helen. Antenor with a handful of Enets, who were expelled from Paphlagonia for a rebellion and, having lost the king of Palemon under Troy, were looking for a leader and a place for settlement, after various adventures arrived in the most remote bay of the Adriatic Sea. Having driven out the Euganees who lived between the sea and the Alps, the Enets and Trojans took possession of this land. The place where they landed for the first time is called Troy, thanks to this the region of the Trojan is also called; all the people are called Venets."
Let us turn to the description of Italy left by the Greek historian Polybius (205–125 BC), who lived in Rome for sixteen years. Of the 40 books of "General History" by Polybius, time has kept 5 complete books. Describing the Podane Valley in northern Italy, Polybius calls its inhabitants the Tyrrhenians (Etruscans), Celts and Wends:
“The River Pad, celebrated by the poets under the name of Eridani, springs from the Alps and flows southward into the plains. Having reached flat areas, the river changes its direction and flows along them to the east, flowing into the Adriatic with two mouths …
… The natives call the river Bodenk …
… The countries adjacent to the Adriatic were seized by a very ancient tribe called the Veneti. In terms of morals and clothing, they differ little from the Celts, but they speak a special language. Tragedy writers often mention this people and tell many miracles about them."
Another great Greek traveler, geographer and historian of antiquity Strabo (64/63 BC - 23/24 AD) in his main work "Geography", consisting of 17 books, also writes about the Veneti:
“Today's Italy begins on the slope of the Alps. The ancients called Italy Oinotria, from the Sicilian Strait to the Gulf of Taranta and Poseidoniatsky; subsequently the name of Italy became predominant and spread throughout the country to the foot of the Alps …
… later, when the Romans granted the Italians the right of citizenship, they deigned to honor the Galatians on this side of the Alps and the Veneti in the same way, and called all the same Italians and Romans; they founded many colonies there, some earlier, others later; it is not easy to indicate settlements better than these …
… Directly in front of the Alps there is a considerable plain, which has almost the same width and length, namely two thousand one hundred stadia; its southern side is closed partly by the Venetian sea coast and partly by the Apennine mountains, extending to Arina and Ancona."
The most capacious and amazing story about the Veneti is contained in the book of Julius Caesar "Notes on the Gallic War". It seems to me necessary to quote the text of Julius Caesar, for no retelling can reproduce the original.
In Book II of the Notes, Julius Caesar first mentions the Veneti:
"34. At the same time, P. Krasus, sent with one legion against the Veneti, Venelles, Osisms, Curiosolites, Esubians, Aulercs and Redons (all these are seaside communities that lived along the shores of the Ocean), informed Caesar that they were all now subordinate to the dominion Roman people ".
Before further citing the text of the Notes, I will briefly touch on the time and circumstances of the author's life. July 12, 100 (or 102) BC e. in the ancient patrician family Juliev was born Gaius Julius Caesar, the grandson of the famous commander with the same name. In January 59 BC. e. Julius Caesar took over as consul in Rome. Bibulus, who represented the party of the Senate, became the second consul. In April 59 BC. e. in Rome, it became known about the intention of the Helvetians to leave their own region in the north of modern Switzerland and look for new lands for settlements in Gaul. Soon Caesar left for Transalpine Gaul, and it was this event that marked the beginning of the story of the "Notes on the Gallic War." In Latin, the title of this invaluable book for us looks like this: "Commentarii de bello Gallico". Each of the seven Commentarii books corresponds to one year of war,which fell on 58-52 years. BC e. The Commentarii appeared shortly after 52 BC. e. The eighth book "Commentarii" belongs to the pen of Girtius, a close friend of Julius Caesar.
Julius Caesar begins his book III Commentarii with a description of the war waged by the Roman legions and navy against the Veneti. Despite the length of the text, I consider it necessary to cite it almost completely:
"7. … Caesar had every reason to consider Gaul pacified. … Young P. Krasé wintered with the 7th legion at the very shores of the Ocean, in the country of the Andes [63]. was sent … Apt. Velaniy and T. Siliem to the Veneti.
8. This tribe enjoys the greatest influence along the entire sea coast, since the Veneti have the largest number of ships on which they go to Britain, and also surpass the rest of the Gauls in knowledge of and experience in maritime affairs. With a strong and unobstructed sea surf and with a small number of harbors, which, in addition, are in the hands of the Veneti, they made everyone sailing on this sea their tributaries. They began by detaining Celia and Velania in the belief that through them they would return their hostages, which they had given to Crassus. Their example was followed by their neighbors …
9. … Caesar, meanwhile, ordered the building of warships on the Liger River, which flows into the Ocean of the Venets, they began to put their fleet on alert, placing great hopes on it because they were confident in the natural benefits of their country. They knew that their land roads were cut by lagoons and that navigation was difficult due to their lack of knowledge of the terrain and due to the scarcity of harbors; they were also convinced that our troops could not stay too long with them due to lack of provisions; and even if everything happened contrary to their expectations, then they still have a numerical superiority in ships, while the Romans do not have them, and, moreover, in those areas in which they have to wage a war, they do not know either shoals or harbors, no islands; and the very sailing in a closed sea is a completely different matter than in the boundless, everywhere open Ocean. According to the decision taken, they strengthen the cities, bring bread from the villages to them, pull as many ships as possible to Venetia, where Caesar undoubtedly had to start military operations. For the joint conduct of this war, they admit Osism, Lexoviev, Namnet, Ambiliate, Morin, Diablint, Menapian allies, and take auxiliary troops from the opposite Britain."
It is easy to understand from the text that Venetia occupies part of the coast of continental Europe, located opposite the British archipelago. For a detailed localization of Venetia, it is necessary to carefully study the toponymy of this region. However, let us return to the text of Julius Caesar.
“11 … Brutus was ordered to attack the Veneti as soon as possible. Caesar himself hastened there with his land army.
12. The local cities were usually located at the end of a spit or on a promontory, and it was impossible to approach them either from land, since twice a day, every twelve hours, the sea tide came, not from the sea, since at low tide the ships suffered great damage when aground.
13. It must be said that their own ships were built and equipped as follows: their keel was slightly flatter to make it easier to cope with shoals and ebb tides; the bows, as well as the sterns, were entirely made of oak to withstand any shock of waves and damage; the ribs of the ship were underneath bound by foot-thick beams and pinned together with finger-thick nails; the anchors were fastened not with ropes, but with iron chains; instead of sails, the ships had rough or thin tanned leather, perhaps because of a lack of flax and an inability to use it in business, and even more likely because linen sails seemed insufficient to withstand strong storms and gusty winds of the Ocean and to manage such heavy ships. And that's when our fleet collided with these ships,then he gained the upper hand solely by the speed of the move and by the work of the rowers, our ships could not harm them with their noses (to such an extent they were strong); due to their height, it was not easy to fire at them; for the same reason, it was not very convenient to grab them with hooks.
16. … the battle put an end to the war with the Veneti and with the entire coast, for there came together all capable of bearing arms, even the elderly, with at least some intelligence and influence; at the same point, all the ships that were at their disposal were collected from everywhere. All this was lost, and the survivors had nowhere to hide and no one knew how to defend the cities. Therefore, they surrendered with all their property to Caesar. He decided to punish them severely, so that in the future the barbarians would treat the right of ambassadors with great respect, and ordered their entire Senate to be executed, and all the rest to be auctioned off.
17. This is how things went in the country of the Veneti …"
I confess, having read this far, I was horrified at the cruelty shown by the Romans at the end of the Venetian war. However, the Venetians of the Atlantic coast survived the horrors of the war of 57–56. BC e. and in Book VII "Commentarii" Julius Caesar again narrates about the Veneti:
"75. … under Alesia, the Gauls appointed a congress of princes and decided not to convene under the banner of all those capable of carrying arms, as Vercingetorig wanted, but to demand from each community a certain contingent of fighters … they had to put up … all communities living off the coast of the Ocean under the general name of Aremoria, - thirty thousand; among them were Coriosolites, Redons, Ambibaria, Kalets, Osismas, Venets, Lexovias and Venella …"
And the fight continued
Wrote about the Venets and Claudius Ptolemy, the great Greek mathematician, astronomer and geographer, in the II century. who lived in Alexandria of Egypt. In Book III, in Chapter V of Geography, Claudius Ptolemy describes the "Position of European Sarmatia". Here are excerpts from this essay:
"1). European Sarmatia is limited in the north by the Sarmatian Ocean along the Venedian Gulf and part of an unknown land."
We are talking about the Baltic Sea, in ancient times called the Vienna Sea. Further, Claudius Ptolemy mentions the "Venedian mountains" and writes about the peoples inhabiting European Sarmatia.
nineteen). Sarmatia is inhabited by very numerous tribes: the Wends - all over the Venedian Gulf; above Dacia - singers and basterns; along the entire coast of Meotida, Yazyga and Roxolana; further behind them inland are the Amaxians and Scythians-Alans.
20). Less significant tribes inhabiting Sarmatia, near the Vistula river, below the Wends - hyphans (gitons), then the Finns …
21). To the east of the above tribes live: below the Wends - Galindians, Sudins and Stavans before the Alans
22). Then the coast of the ocean at the Gulf of Veneda is occupied by the Velts …
So, the Alexandrian geographer Claudius Ptolemy testifies that the Wends in the II century. were a very large people, settled on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea (Veneda Bay). Claudius Ptolemy calls the Vistula River (Vistula) a kind of axis around which the world of the Baltic Wends revolved.
Having such a temporal and spatial diversity in the description of the Wends by ancient authors, one involuntarily turns to the data of archeology in order to compare the information from written sources with material cultures and thereby better understand the geography of the continental settlement of the Wends of the 13th century. BC e. - VI century. n. e.
Alexey Viktorovich Gudz-Markov