Praevalitana

Praevalitana (also Praevallis ) was a late 3rd century built a Roman province. It comprised roughly the territory of present-day Montenegro, the north of Albania and the western border of Kosovo. Capital was Scodra; as other important cities are Duklja and Risinium mentioned.

The province was established in the course of administrative reform of Emperor Diocletian and assigned to the diocese of Dacia. In the division of the Roman Empire in 395 Praevalitana came to the east. The dividing line between Eastern and Western Roman Empire ran between Praevalitana and Dalmatia.

In the second half of the 6th century, the region was devastated by Slavic tribes, who soon settled there. The provincial administration collapsed, although the coastal cities and Scodra still remained Byzantine.