Sclaveni (military)

The Sclaveni (in Latin) or Sklavenoi (in Greek) were early South Slavic tribes that raided, invaded and settled the Balkans in the Early Middle Ages. They were mentioned by early Byzantine chroniclers as barbarians having appeared at the Byzantine borders along with the Antes, another Slavic group. The Sclaveni were differentiated from the Antes (East Slavs) and Wends (West Slavs), however, described as kin. Eventually, most South Slavic tribes accepted Byzantine suzerainty, and came under Byzantine cultural influence. The term, along with the term Sklavinia ("Slav land") was widely used until the emergance of separate tribal names by the 10th century.

The Byzantines broadly grouped the numerous Slav tribes living in proximity with the Eastern Roman Empire into two groups: the Sklavenoi and the Antes. The Sclaveni were called as such by Procopius, and as Sclavi by Jordanes and Pseudo-Maurice; (Greek: Σκλάβηνοι - Sklábēnoi, Greek: Σκλαύηνοι - Sklaúēnoi, or Greek: Σκλάβινοι - Sklábinoi, Latin: Sclaueni, Latin: Sclavi, Latin: Sclauini, or Latin: Sthlaueni - Sklaveni). The derived Greek term Sklavinia(i) (Ancient Greek: Σκλαβινίαι, Latin: Sclaviniae) is interpreted as "Slav lands" in Byzantium. These Slavic settlements (area, territory) were initially out of Byzantine control and independent. By 800, however, the term also referred specifically to Slavic mobile military colonists who settled as allies within the territories of the Byzantine Empire. Slavic military settlements appeared in the Peloponnese, Asia Minor, and Italy.

...
Wikipedia