Castella qui sunt super civitatem Salonitanam

Sa？etak Late Roman forts in the hinterland of Salona are analyzed in this paper. They are mentioned in several written historical sources: in the work De bellis by Procopius of Caesarea, then in an incomplete codicil from the 6th century mentioning Castella qui sunt super civitatem Salonitanam. Klis is mentioned in chapters 29 and 30 of De administrando Imperio by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in the context of his description of the Avaro-Slav conquest of Salona. It was one of the forts erected along the Roman roads that led from Salona to Andetrium (Mu？), Osinium and Tilurium. Forts were situated on the same road routes: Klis, Markezina greda, ？utanj, Grubu？a (Deciminum), Gradina above Kukuzova Canyon, Sinj (Osinium), and Trilj (Tilurium). Some of them stood above churches and rural communities. In the latter half of the 6th century, Markezina greda, ？utanj and Gradina above the Kukuzova canyon were reinforced with outer defensive walls (proteichismas), typical early Byzantine fortification methods. These fortified structures ensured control over the approaches to Salona and were part of its defensive system