Avars: ancient and medieval nation, living in modern Hungary and along the Middle and Lower Danube, dominating power in Central Europe between c.560 and c.790 CE.
This timeline was taken from Walter Pohl, The Avars. A Steppe Empire in Central Europe, 567-822 (2018)
Migration Period
Tépe, Tomb of an Avar khagan, Gold filigree fittings from a sword
ca. 463 First mention of central Asian Avars in Byzantine sources (Priscus) in connection with westward migration of Sabirs, Ogurs, Saragurs, and Onogurs
Coin of Justin II
Nov. 565 The Avar envoy Targitius arrives shortly after Justin II's coronation; the emperor refuses to pay further subsidies
566 A second Avar expedition against the Franks under Sigibert I is victorious; he buys off the Avars with foodstuffs and concludes an alliance with them
566 The Gepids defeat the Langobards with Byzantine support, but do not hand over Sirmium to the Byzantines as promised
Winter 566/67 A Langobard embassy concludes an alliance against the Gepids with Khagan Baian, but only under great concessions
567 Decisive victory of the Langobards under Alboin against the Gepids, whose king Cunimund dies in battle; the Avars occupy the land of the Gepids and besiege the Gepid capital Sirmium, which Byzantine troops under Bonus have occupied
Settlement
Aquincum, Model of a farm from the Avar period
567-574 Fruitless negotiations between the Avars and Byzantium for a new treaty
April 568 Langobards and affiliated groups under King Alboin begin to leave Pannonia for Italy; the Avars occupy the land of the Langobards
Late 568 Turkish embassy under the Sogdian Maniakh in Constantinople
569-571 Byzantine embassy under Zemarchus travels to the Turk khagan Sizabulos/Istemi
572 Beginning of the twenty-year war of Byzantium against the Persians; Avar pressure increases
Tiberius II
574 Victory of the Avars over Tiberius; Emperor Justin II withdraws from politics, and in December appoints Tiberius Caesar
Winter 574/75 A new treaty of the Avars with Byzantium fixes the annual subsidies at 80,000 solidi
576-577 Byzantine embassy under Valentinus meets the new Turkish khagan Turxanthus, who reproaches them because of the treaty with the Avars; Turks and subdued Utigurs take the Byzantine city Bosporus/Kerch
Tile from Sirmium with a prayer for protection against the Avars
578 First culmination of Slavic raids in Thrace; Avars attack the Slavic settlement area north of the Danube with Byzantine support after the Slavic prince Dauritas has killed Avar envoys
578-582 Emperor Tiberius II
579-582 Avars besiege Sirmium; the city capitulates after three years
582 The peace treaty between Baian and Tiberius leaves the subsidies at 80,000 solidi plus arrears
Avar-Slav brooche
Avar-Slav stirrup
Avar-Slav belt (reconstruction)
Aquincum, Bronze Age bronze leave from a tomb from the Avar age
ca. 583 - ca. 602/10 One of Baian’s sons is khagan
ca. 582/83 Inner conflicts in the Turkish Empire
ca. 583 The Varchonite tribes Tarniakh, Kotzagir, and Zabender flee from the Turks and join the Avars
583/84 New wave of Slavic raids in the Balkan provinces; Greece is increasingly targeted
Fall 584 After the Byzantines have refused to raise the subsidies, the Avars capture Singidunum, Viminacium, and Augusta and march as far as Anchialus; failed mission of Comentiolus to the khagan
Spring 585 A second Byzantine embassy under Elpidius concludes a treaty with the Avars that raises the subsidies to 100,000 solidi
Fall 586 On the instigation of the fugitive Avar high priest Bookolabras, Maurice interns the Avar ambassador Targitius; the khagan renews his attacks and plunders Aquis, Bononia, Ratiaria, Apiaria, Durostorum, Zaldapa, Pannasa, Tropaeum Traiani, and Marcianopolis
The walls of Thessaloniki
Sept. 586 Avar-led Slavic siege of Thessaloniki fails
587 War in Thrace, fighting at Tomi and at Sabulente Canalis; Avar attacks on Mesembria and unsuccessful sieges of Beroe, Diocletianopolis, and Philippopolis; successful intervention of John Mystacon at Adrianople
587/88 Avars and Slavs take Patras and other Greek cities and begin to settle in Greece
591-616 Langoard king Agilulf
591 Peace treaty between Byzantium and the new Persian king Khusrau
592 Slavs attack Singidunum; Avar war, fighting at the Procliana Pass; siege of Drizipera; Avar victory at Heraclea; General Priscus besieged in Tzurullon; renewal of the treaty
592 Bavarian campaign under Tassilo I against Slavs
The Danube near Durostorum
593 Campaign of Priscus against Slavs north of the lower Danube; victories over the groups under Ardagast and Musucius
594 Slavic raids against Zaldapa, Aquis, and Scopi; Petrus leads a campaign against Slavs, victory over the Peiragast group, and defeat at the Helibacius
595 Campaign of Priscus against the Avars, confrontation at Singidunum; Avar raid on inland Dalmatia
595 Bavarian attack on Slavs; counterattack by the khagan, Bavarian army routed
596-597 Eighteen months of peace along the Danube
596 Avars attack Thuringia; the Frankish queen Brunhild buys them off
Fall 597 Avar campaign along the Danube; Avar army hibernates near Tomi
A Byzantine horseman
598 Fighting in Thrace, Comentiolus defeated at Iatrus; Avars capture Drizipera; their army decimated by the plague; Roman envoy Harmaton negotiates a rise of subsidies to 120,000 solidi
599 Offensive of Priscus on Avar territory: victories opposite Viminacium, and over the khagan’s army at the Tisza
ca. 600 Avar peace treaties with Langobards and Franks
601/2 Avars, Slavs, and Langobards raid Byzantine Istria
601 Avar army under Apsikh and Roman army under Petrus face each other at the Iron Gate
602 Avars under Apsikh defeat the Antes; Roman units under Guduin attack Slavs north of the lower Danube, but rebel against the order to hibernate in Slavic lands
Phocas
Nov. 602 Rebels under Phocas overthrow and kill Emperor Maurice
602-610 Emperor Phocas; new war against the Persians
Aug. 603 A Slavic contingent sent by the Avars helps the Langobard king Agilulf to take Cremona
ca. 604 Avar-Byzantine treaty; subsidies probably rise to 140,000 solidi
ca. 602/10-626/30 Another son of Baian reigns as khagan
604 Slavic surprise attack on Thessaloniki
609/10 Avar-Slav raids in Illyricum
Fall 610 Civil war in Byzantium; Phocas overthrown
ca. 611 Avar victory over the Langobard dux of Friuli, Gisulf II; capture of Forum Iulii/Cividale and deportation of the captives to Pannonia
ca. 611 Bavarians under Garibald defeated by Slavs at Aguntum; Brunhild's enemies suspect her of plotting with the Avars
ca. 615 Avars and Slavs capture Naissus and Serdica
ca. 615 Siege of Thessaloniki by Slavs under Chatzon
617 or 618 Thirty-three-day siege of Thessaloniki by Avars and Slavs under the command of the khagan
ca. 618 Avar expedition to Thrace
The Long Wall across the isthmus (Hexamilion)
618/19 Avar-Byzantine treaty (180,000 solidi?)
June 623 Failed Avar ambush against Emperor Heraclius near Heraclea; raids inside the Long Walls
623 New treaty with subsidies of 200,000 solidi
The walls of Constantinople that withstood the Avar siege
623-638 Dagobert I, king of the Franks
623/24 Beginning of the successful rebellion of Slavs in Bohemia/Moravia under Sarno
ca. 625-640 Salona abandoned because of Slavic pressure, population moves to Split
Summer 626 Great Avar siege of Constantinople with Persian support fails after ten days
Winter 627/28 The Persian war ends with Byzantine victory; Heraclius in Ctesiphon
Byzantine glass drinking horns from an Avar tomb
Byzantine jewelry from an Avar tomb
Gepid Belt Buckle
Bócsa, Horn from the tomb of an Avar prince
Seventh Century
Avar collier
630 Frankish embassy in Constantinople
630/31 Throne conflicts in the Avar Empire between an Avar and a Bulgar contender; flight of the defeated Bulgars to Bavaria, where a large part is massacred; survivors under Alciocus flee to the “March of the Vinedi” to Duke Walluc
ca. 631 Large-scale Frankish attack on Samo’s kingdom repelled at Wogastisburc; Langobard victory over Slavs in the Alps
630/35 Bulgar Empire north of the Black Sea under Khan Kuvrat expands against Avars and Turks
650s/660s Death of Khan Kuvrat; dissolution of his empire and rise of the Khazar khaganate
ca. 660 Death of Sarno and dissolution of his kingdom
662-671 Grimoald, king of the Langobards
662 The dethroned Langobard king Perctarit, an exile at the Avar court, has to continue his flight because of diplomatic pressures by King Grimoald
663 Emperor Constans II fights the Langobards in southern Italy
663 Duke Lupus of Friuli rebels against King Grimoald; on Grimoald's invitation, the Avars invade Friuli, and Lupus falls in battle; the Avars leave only when Grimoald arrives with his army
ca. 663 Alzeco comes to Italy with his Bulgars and settles with Langobard consent in the duchy of Benevento
Constantine IV
668-685 Emperor Constantine IV
July 677 A conflict with the Slavic prince Perbund leads to a Slavic siege of Thessaloniki
678/679 The last attested Avar embassy in Constantinople congratulates the emperor on his victory
680 Bulgars under Asparukh defeat the Byzantines near the Danube delta; Bulgar khanate established in Moesia
ca. 680 Kuver and his mixed group of Sermesianoi break free from Avar Pannonia and settle in the Keramesian plain; failed plot of Mavros against Thessaloniki
685-695, 705-711 Emperor Justinian II
Sânnicolau Mare, Nagyszentmiklós treasure, Jar with relief of a warrior
Sânnicolau Mare, Nagyszentmiklós treasure
Sânnicolau Mare, Nagyszentmiklós treasure
Sânnicolau Mare, Nagyszentmiklós treasure, Gold dish with handle (copy)
Sânnicolau Mare, Nagyszentmiklós treasure, Gold jar (copy)
Sânnicolau Mare, Nagyszentmiklós treasure, Gold jar (copy)
Sânnicolau Mare, Nagyszentmiklós treasure, Gold jar with two cups (copies)
Sânnicolau Mare, Nagyszentmiklós treasure, Gold jar with mythological scene
Eighth Century
712-744 Liutprand, king of the Langobard
ca.713/714 Destruction of Lorch by the Avars
742 The Carantanians under Boruth repel an Avar attack with the support of the Bavarian duke Odilo; beginning of Bavarian overlordship and Christian mission in Carantania
748-788 Tassilo III, duke of the Bavarians
Charlemagne
768-814 Charlemagne, king of the Franks
774 Charlemagne defeats the Langobard king Desiderius and becomes king of the Langobards
782 Avar embassy meets Charlemagne at Lippspringe; an Avar army appears at the Enns
788 Tassilo III dethroned and confined
788 Frankish-Avar War; Avars defeated near the Italian and Bavarian borders
790 Avar embassy in Worms; no consensus on the boundary
Aug.791 A Frankish-Langobard army takes an Avar fortification at the Italian border
Fall 791 Great Avar campaign led by Charlemagne, departing from Lorch in September and proceeding to the Rába without much resistance; horse pestilence, return via Savaria
791 - end of 793 Charlemagne in Regensburg; preparations for an Avar war, works for Danube-Main canal
793-795 Saxon uprising
Demise
Relief of an archangel
794/795 Inner conflict in the Avar Empire; death of the khagan and the iugurrus
795 Envoys of the tudun meet Charlemagne at Hliune at the Elbe and offer submission
Fall 795 A Frankish-Slav army under Woynimir advances to the “ring” of the khagans and sacks it
796 The tudun comes to Charlemagne, submits, and is baptized; an army under Pippin of Italy and Duke Eric of Friuli sacks the ring again; the khagan submits; a synod at the Danube deals with the conversion of the Avars
797 Campaign of Eric of Friuli in Pannonia; fights against Slavs
End of 797 Avar embassy meets Charlemagne at Herstelle
798 Bishop Arm of Salzburg is raised to archbishop with a view to the eastern missions
799-803 Great Avar uprising against the Franks
799 Eric of Friuli is killed by the residents of Tarsatica; Prefect Gerold I is murdered during a campaign against the Avars
802 The counts Chadaloh and Goteram fall in a fight against Avars near the castellum Guntionis
802/03-814 Bulgar khan Krum
803 The Franks finally put down the Avar revolt; the tudun comes to Charlemagne at Regensburg and submits
ca. 804 Campaign of the Bulgar khan Krum against the Avars
Early 805 The Christian kapkhan Theodore visits Charlemagne in Aachen and asks for land because of Slavic attacks; he obtains the region between Carnuntum and Savaria, but dies soon
Sept. 805 The Avar khagan asks Charlemagne to reestablish his supreme rule; on September 21, he is baptized with the name Abraham in the Fischa river
Ságvár, Bronze casket fitting with the Apostles
805 The capitulary of Thionville institutes Lorch as a toll post toward Slavs and Avars
811 A Frankish army mediates in fights between Avars and Slavs in Pannonia; the canizauci, the tudun, and other Avar and Slavic princes are summoned to Aachen
811 Emperor Nicephorus invades Bulgaria and falls in battle; in the Bulgar army, Avars are also attested
814 Khan Krum plans to attack Constantinople; his army is said to have included Avar mercenaries; Krum dies before putting the plan into action
822 Last attested Avar embassy at the Frankish court
828 The administrative reform of the eastern territories of Bavaria removes the Avar tributary principality
