Originally Posted by
Keba
Eventually, of course, they did. I can't exactly speak about the Thracians, but Illyrians and Romans actually managed to live alongside the Slavs in certain areas (few areas, places where their cities couldn't be conquered easily). Some modern cities began with two seperate towns, a Slavic one and another, older one, that eventually merged, as the Slavs assimilated or were assimilated ... that bit is difficult to say.
However, I will say that Byzantines are hardly a source of information on the Slavs, some books, like the Strategikon, actually sing praises of them at times (treatment of slaves, for one, as well as the organization of local goverments, there are also praises of the rules of hospitality in existance among the Slavs). At the same time, they condemn them for raiding. Of course, they neglect to mention the fact that the Empire, y'know, forgot to pay them. They were barbarians after all, and pillaging is as efficent a way as getting paid as any. The Byzantines (at least, the Strategikon) suggested equally vile strategies (such as surround them, then slaugher everyone in a clan, so they can't come back for vengance, an important detail, I mean, vengance).
So, essentially, they didn't really stand out in cruelty overmuch.
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