* * * * *

NOTE.

On the Orthography and Pronunciation of Slavic proper names, see the
note on p. 151; also the note under the letter V in the Index.

* * * * *

HISTORICAL SKETCH.

INTRODUCTION.

The earliest history of the Slavic nations is involved in a darkness,
which all the investigations of diligent and sagacious modern
historians and philologians have not been able to clear up. The
analogy between their language and the Sanscrit, seems to indicate
their origin from India; but to ascertain the time at which they first
entered Europe, is now no longer possible. Probably this event took
place seven or eight centuries before the Christian era, on account of
the over-population of the regions on the Ganges.[1] Herodotus
mentions a people which he called Krovyzi, who lived on the Ister.
There is even now a tribe in Russia, whose name at least is almost
the same.[2] Strabo, Pomponius Mela, Pliny, Tacitus, and several other
classical and a few oriental writers, allude to the Slavic nations
occasionally. But the first distinct intelligence we have of them, is
not older than the middle of the sixth century.[3] At this period we
see them traversing the Danube in large multitudes, and settling on
both the banks of that river. From that time they appear frequently in
the accounts of the Byzantine historians, under the different
appellations of the Slavi, Sarmatae,[4] Antae, Vandales, Veneti, and
Vendes, mostly as involved in the wars of the two Roman empires,
sometimes as allies, sometimes as conquerors; oftener, notwithstanding
their acknowledged valour and courage, as vassals; but chiefly as
emigrants and colonists, thrust out of their own countries by the
pressing forward of the more warlike German or Teutonic tribes. Only
the first of the above mentioned names is decidedly of Slavic
origin;[5] the second is ambiguous; and the last four are later and
purely geographical, having been transferred to Slavic nations from
those who had previously occupied the territory where the Romans first
became acquainted with them.

It results from the very nature of this information, that we cannot
expect to get from it any satisfactory knowledge of their political
state or the degree of their civilization. In general, they appear as
a peaceful, industrious, hospitable people, obedient to their chiefs,
and religious in their habits. Wherever they established