Branimir, Duke of Croatia

[2][4][7] In 879, a "certain Slav of the name Branimir" reportedly had the weak Duke Zdeslav, a supporter of the Byzantine Empire, killed near Knin in a rebellion that he led, per John the Deacon's Chronicon Venetum et Gradense (early 11th century).

[5] As the blessing was reported by the Pope himself twenty days later, it may have had a significant meaning for the time, recognizing Croatia as a relevant part of medieval Christian Europe [7] as well as a sovereign state.

[4] In Branimir's time, Venetians had to pay taxes to Croatia and to the Narentines for the right to travel by ship along the eastern Adriatic coast, while the Dalmatian cities under Byzantium protection paid 710 ducats of tribute to the Croatian ruler.

According to the map of his contemporary, Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great (871–899), the territory of "Dalmatia" was between the Adriatic Sea, Danube, "desolate lands", Bulgars and Achaia.

[11] Under the influence of Methodius' baptising missions in 882 who made a stop in Croatia on his way from Moravia to Constantinople, Branimir possibly also endorsed parallel usage of Latin and Slavic in liturgy.

[citation needed] Unlike his predecessor and successor (both Trpimirović), some historians suggest that Branimir might be a member of the House of Domagojević, particularly, one of Domagoj's sons, but there's no certainty.

[6] Today, there are six or eight known epigraphic inscriptions, mostly altar beams from old Croatian churches (from Muć, Nin, Ždrapanj, Šopot, Otres once located between Bribir and Ostrovica,[15] and Lepuri near Benkovac), that bear the name of Duke Branimir.

[7][18] They were rich in decorations and artifacts dated to the same period,[18][7] with the main sarcophagus (possibly forcibly opened already in 12–13th century[18]) having engraved a Latin cross partly forming a crown, including among others bronze gilded spurs, gold coins of Constantine V (741–775) and Leo IV the Khazar (775–780) which usage was common at the time in early medieval Croatia.

[7] Only part of findings survived as, reportedly, the next day after discovery a group of people re-opened the sarcophagus and smashed with stones the bones and dress of the adult man, while one pendant was stolen in Belgrade during Marun's travel in 1924.