Destinikon

Destinikon (Greek: Δεστινίκον), rendered also as Destinik^[1] and in Serbian as Dostinik (Serbian Cyrillic: Достиник) or Dostinika (Достиника), was one of eight inhabited cities (καστρα/kastra) of "baptized Serbia" (the hinterland of the Serbian Principality), mentioned in De Administrando Imperio (950s, abbr. DAI). The city's name probably derives from Greek or Latin (Ad Stenes).^[1]

The DAI mentions Destinikon as the first among the enumerated cities ("Destinikon, Tzernabouskeï, Megyretous, Dresneïk, Lesnik, Salines, Katera, Desnik") of "baptized Serbia".^[2] They were not mentioned afterwards, possibly because of remote location, lost importance or became desolated after Bulgarian Samuel's conquest in the end of the 10th century.^[3]

In chapter 32, the DAI tells of Klonimir, an exiled dynastical member in Bulgaria, who marched an army into Serbia, entering the city of Destinikon with the intent of seizing the throne, but was defeated by Prince Petar, in ca. 896.^[4]^[5]

It is considered that Destinikon was the ecclesiastical centre and capital of early medieval Serbia.^[1]^[5]^[6]^[7]

^ ^a ^b ^c Živković, Tibor (2013b). "The Urban Landcape [sic] of Early Medieval Slavic Principalities in the Territories of the Former Praefectura Illyricum and in the Province of Dalmatia (ca. 610-950)". The World of the Slavs: Studies of the East, West and South Slavs: Civitas, Oppidas, Villas and Archeological Evidence (7th to 11th Centuries AD). Belgrade: The Institute for History. pp. 28, 30. ISBN 9788677431044.
^ Moravcsik 1967, p. 161.
^ Cite error: The named reference Bulic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Moravcsik 1967, pp. 156–157.
^ ^a ^b Živković, Tibor (2013a). "On the Baptism of the Serbs and Croats in the Time of Basil I (867–886)" (PDF). Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana (1): 47.
^ Cite error: The named reference Vladeta was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Popović 1999, p. 401.

[Tibor-1] Živković, Tibor (2013b). "The Urban Landcape [sic] of Early Medieval Slavic Principalities in the Territories of the Former Praefectura Illyricum and in the Province of Dalmatia (ca. 610-950)". The World of the Slavs: Studies of the East, West and South Slavs: Civitas, Oppidas, Villas and Archeological Evidence (7th to 11th Centuries AD). Belgrade: The Institute for History. pp. 28, 30. ISBN 9788677431044.

[FOOTNOTEMoravcsik1967161-2] Moravcsik 1967, p. 161.

[Bulic-3] Cite error: The named reference Bulic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEMoravcsik1967156–157-4] Moravcsik 1967, pp. 156–157.

[TiborCap-5] Živković, Tibor (2013a). "On the Baptism of the Serbs and Croats in the Time of Basil I (867–886)" (PDF). Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana (1): 47.

[Vladeta-6] Cite error: The named reference Vladeta was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEPopović1999401-7] Popović 1999, p. 401.

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