But had there been a forecast then of the future, it would have been said that the more finely organized Finn would become the dominant race; or perhaps the Bulgarian, who was showing capacity for empire-building; but certainly not that helpless Slavonic people wedged in between their stronger neighbors.
But there were no large ambitions yet.

It meant nothing to them that there was a new "Holy Roman Empire," and that Charlemagne had been crowned at Rome successor of the Roman Caesars (800 A.D.); nor that an England had just been consolidated into one kingdom.

Nor did it concern them that the Saracen had overthrown a Gothic empire in Spain (710).

For them these things did not exist.

But they knew about Constantinople.