Page "Duklja" Paragraph 10

Ultimately, the origins of Duklja are not known with certainty, for the literary evidence often rests on semi-legendary genealogies.

Moreover, what actually constituted a people ( gens ) in the Middle Ages has been rigorously debated.

There is no clear evidence that peoples known as Serbs or Croats migrated en masse as coherent nations.

Rather, some sort of group identity began to form within the Balkans from the late 7th century as Slavic notables formed a system of alliances.

This coincides with the final demise of Avar hegemony over the western Balkans.

At the same time, the Byzantines had begun to re-establish some control in parts of the Balkans after the 7th century collapse of imperial control.

The establishment of the Byzantine theme of Dyrrhachium facilitated diplomatic contacts between the East Romans and the Adriatic Sklaviniae.