So-called Albanians!

On Jul 10, 8:27 pm, Dušan Vukotić <dusan.vuko...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Jul 10, 7:40 pm, Rudy <r...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:





On Jul 10, 6:54 pm, Dušan Vukotić <dusan.vuko...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

George Maniakes was in command in Sicily and he first gathered his
rebellion-army from Albanians and Latins; read again: "uprising
(started) in the Italian part of the Empire with Byzantine and
Albanian soldiers there"

He was the military commander in Italy. He rebelled against
Constantinople with his troops. Where the hell do you think the
Byzantine Army came from? When he crossed the Adriatic towards
Constantinople, they were all going home, not emigrating. BTW the
earliest Albanian settlement in Sicily is not until several centuries
later. E.g. Piana degli Albanesi, one of the more important ones, was
founded in 1488 by Albanian deserters from the Turkish army.

On the Italian soil his rebellious army was constituted for the most
part of the Albanians. If Maniakes succeeded to organize such a strong
insurrection in Sicily and in southern part of Italy, with the
Albanians as a core of his army, it must be clear that Albanian
population in Italy was of larger proportion. Those Albanians were
later melted into Italians but even today there are many Italians who
are aware of their Albanians roots.

Indescribably insane. He already had an army, who supported him; why
invent a newly constituted army with locals? Why would these alleged
"locals" wish to rebel against the Byzantine Emperor? You make
absolutely no sense at all. There was no Albanian population in Italy
at the time, and those Italian nationals who are aware of their
Albanian roots are the descendents of Albanians who arrived centuries
after your friend Maniakes had left. Many of them could hardly be
unaware, since they still speak the language...

Read again Attaliota's words:
[...Unfortunately, the people who had once beenour allies and who
possessed the same rights as citizens and the same religion, i.e. the
_Albanians and_the_Latins_, who live in the Italian regions of our
Empire beyond Western Rome, quite suddenly becameenemies when Michael
Dokenianos insanely directed his command againsttheir leaders...]

Attalliota clearly said that Albanian were citizens in the "Italian
region of Empire"

DV- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The next historical source which confirms that Albanian were strangers
to Balkan is the Ana Komnena's "Alexiad". Describing another war
campaign (1081-1082), similar to the one undertaken by George
Maniakes, this time under leadership of Robert Guiscard - again from
Sicily and south Italy - Ana Komnena saied, that "Robert was being
worried on all sides by the so-called Albanians and by the natives of
Dalmatia sent by Bodinus".

Michael Bodinus is the Serbian king or "the Chief of Dalmatia" (as Ana
referred to him) and we can see from Ana's writing that Serbs
(Dalmatians) were NATIVES while, at the same time. Albanians were "SO-
CALLED"!

Obviously. Ana Komnina had not considered Albanians to be NATIVES even
in the region of present Albania (Dyrrachium, Serbian Drač) and
additionally she hinted that the Albanians had another name (of their
own) because the one she uttered was SO-CALLED!


DV

Anna Comnena (Komnene). The Alexiad. Edited and translated by
Elizabeth A. Dawes. London: Routledge, Kegan, Paul, 1928

" ...Now Robert as rumour insisted and many said, was a most
exceptional leader, quick-witted, good-looking, courteous in
conversation, ready too in repartee, loud-voiced, easily accessible,
very tall in stature, his hair always close-cut, long bearded, always
anxious to maintain the ancient customs of his race. He preserved his
perfect comeliness of countenance and figure until the end, and of
these he was very proud as his appearance was considered worthy of
kingship, he showed respect to all his subordinates, more especially
to those who were well-disposed towards him. On the other hand he was
very thrifty and fond of money, very business-like and greedy of gain,
and, in addition to all this, most ambitious; and since he was a slave
to these desires, he has incurred the serious censure of mankind. Some
people slander the Emperor and say he was faint-hearted and began the
war with Robert too soon. For if, as they allege, he had not attacked
Robert before the right time, he could have defeated him easily, as
Robert was being worried on all sides by the so-called Albanians and
by the natives of Dalmatia sent by Bodinus. These remarks came from
the backbiters who stood out of shot and hurled envenomed darts from
their lips against the fighters. For all acknowledge Robert's bravery,
remarkable skill in warfare and steadfast spirit; and he was a man who
could not be conquered easily but only with extreme difficulty, and
after a defeat he seemed to rise again with renewed vigour.

.

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