The Kings of the Slavs

Book excerpt: "The Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja is considered to be among the most important and mysterious narrative sources discussing the Slavic presence on the Adriatic coast and its hinterland. It is also one of the most controversial. This detailed study examines the Latin version of the chronicle, and it explores the deeper meanings hidden behind the history of the contrived monarchy, acknowledging the tradition regarding the fate of its leading rulers. The work focuses on four representatives of the royal family, rulers during key periods in the narrative. Each of the kings presented a different pattern of rule, and each of them, in his own way, established new rules for the functioning of the Kingdom of the Slavs"--