Aside from the Venetic connection, another source for the claims of Suavic antiquity is Martin of Opava (also known as Martinus Oppaviensis, Martinus Polonus) (1215/1220 – 1278). This gentleman was a Polish or Czech (of Goduła or Boduła coat of arms) Dominican born in Opava (Opawa) and an author of the famous Chronicle of Popes and Emperors (Chronicon pontificum et imperatorum). He became a chaplain to Alexander IV and later popes and authored/coauthored a number of other works. Pope Nicolas III appointed him the archbishop of Gniezno (i.e., the primate of Poland). Unfortunately, Martin never made it to Poland dying on his way there in Bologna.
Opavan coat of arms
The Suavic lands feature in his Chronicle at different places but the most interesting reference to the Suavs comes in the section dealing with Roman times, namely the days of Lucius Aurelius Commodus and his younger brother Marcus Annius Verus. Thus, we are talking about the 160s-180s and the Marcomannic Wars. Here a reference is made to the war against the Germanics, Suavs, Glaucos and Sarmatians. It is not clear what “Glaucos” refers to (can’t be “sharks” presumably).
A similar passage in the Historia Romana mentions Germanos et Marcomannos, Quados et Dacos et Sarmatas. Assuming Marcomannos belong with the Germanos, we have Quados et Dacos in place of Sclavos as well as Glaucos.
CLXII. Marchus Antonius Verus cum fratre Lucio Aurelio Commodo imperavit annis XIX. Ab isto Roma incepit duos imperatores habere. Iste optimus fuit, tamen a suis mota est christianis persecutio quinta. Horum tempore primum res publica equo iure imperium administrantibus paruit. Mortuo tamen altero, solus Antonius rem publicam rexit et tam in oriente in Asia, quam in occidente in Galliis multi martirio coronati sunt. In Asia sanctus Policarpus, alii etiam cum eo XII ex Philadelphya, in Gallia Sanctus Iustus Viennensis episcopus et Fotinus Lugdunensis episcopus cum innumerabili multitudine martirio coronantur. Quem Marchum Antonium quis laudare possit? A principio enim vite sue tranquillissimus fuit adeo, ut ab infancia sua vultum [suum] nec ex gaudio nec ex merore mutaverit. In sciencia philosophica litteris tam Grecis quam Latinis peritissimus fuit. Hic ad nullum eventum elatus provincias ingenti benignitate ac moderamine tractavit. In datione munerum post victoriam magnificus. Hic in Pannonia mortuus [est et] ab omnibus conclamantibus certatim inter divos relatus est. Per idem tempore floruit Egesippus, scriptor historiographus. Huius tempore floruit beata virgo Praxedis, que iugiter martirum sepeliendo corpora, ipsa orante, ut transiret ex hoc mundo post eos ad Dominum, mox exaudita fuit migrando in pace ad Christum. Hic post bellum, quod habuit contra Germanos, Sclavos, Glaucos et Sarmatas, cum iam erario exhausto nil haberet militibus dare, nulli volens esse molestus, magis elegit vasa sua aurea et ornatum uxoris et multa alia ornamenta alienare, quam senatum vel provincias gravare. Sed victoria habita non solum illa recuperavit, verum etiam omnibus provinciis tributa relaxavit.
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