Siege of Trsat

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Siege of Trsat


partof=
date=799
place=Trsat
result=Decisive Croatian Victory
combatant1=Croats
combatant2=Franks
commander1=Višeslav
commander2=Eric of Friuli †
strength1=Unknown
strength2=Unknown
casualties1=Light
casualties2=Heavy; Eric was among the dead

Siege of Trsat was a siege of the town Trsat, located near Rijeka, by the Frankish army led by Eric of Friuli, who was killed during the siege [Igor Žic, Kratka povijest grada Rijeke, 1998, p 18] .

Historical background

Eric was appointed governor of Istria, Fruli and other neighbouring aereas by king Charlemagne, but this was not much for him as he wanted to extend his dominion by conquering Dalmatian Croatia. During that time, Littoral Croatia, also known as Dalmatian Croatia, was ruled by duke Višeslav, one of the first known Croatian dukes. In 799 he marched from Istria along the sea coast towards Trsat near Rijeka in Liburnia [Vjekoslav Klaić, Povijest Hrvata, 1980, p 63-64] . Meanwhile his opponent, duke Višeslav, gathered his forces and moved north from his governing center at Nin, to confront his enemies.

Siege and aftermath

Upon arriving at the foot of the settlement, Eric begun besieging and charging the city, but was repelled. Led by the courageous duke Višeslav, the inhabitants of Trsat begun throwing spears, arrows and large rocks on the enemy [Hrvoje Hitrec, Hrvatska Povjesnica, 1999, p 18 ] . The forces of Eric fled their positions and were totally routed by the forces of Višeslav in an ambush that followed [Petar Tomac, Vojna Istorija, 1959, p 304] . Eric himself was among the killed, and his death and defeat proved to be a great blow for the Carolingian Empire [Einhard: Life of Charlemagne] . Aquileian Patriarch Saint Paulinus II even started cursing the land in which their hero was killed, and wrote "Carmen de regula fidei ; the rhythmus or elegy for his death [Vjekoslav Klaić, Povijest Hrvata, 1980, p 64] . Višeslav continued to rule Dalmatian Croatia for more 3 years and was succeeded by his son Borna after his death in 802.

References