Most often, we know the Ancient Slavs as peaceful tribes of the steppes and woodlands, who excelled at animal husbandry and agriculture. But did you know that they were also skilled seafarers? Navigating the rivers and seas of Europe, they became so proficient at seafaring that they influenced the powerful Vikings. And one of the most important of these Slavic tribes were the Narentines. Nestled along the rugged Dalmatian coast, the Narentines, also known as Neretvians, emerged as a powerful and feared maritime people. They were infamous for their piracy in the Adriatic Sea during the early medieval period, especially from the 7th to the 11th centuries AD. In fact, they were so powerful that even the mighty Venetian Republic bowed before them. Who were they? And how did they grow so powerful? The Republic of Venice, The Greatest Jewel of the Mediterranean? The Ottoman-Venetian Wars: 322 Years Of Battles Between East and West Ferocious Narentines, the Southernmost Serbian Tribe The Narentines are believed to have been a group of early Serbs that settled in the region of modern-day Croatia, specifically around the Neretva River, from which they derived their name. At the onset they were part of the larger Slavic migrations that swept across Europe in the early Middle Ages. Read moreSection: HistoryFamous PeopleRead Later