Antaes

   A nomadic tribe of obscure origins that was assimilated with the Slavs (q.v.) in the fifth and sixth centuries. Prokopios of Caesarea (q.v.) describes the Antaes as looking like Slavs and speaking the same language. They attacked across the Danube (q.v.) in the reign of Justin I (q.v.), but after Justinian I (q.v.) settled them as foederati (q.v.) they defended the Balkan Peninsula against the Bulgars (qq.v.). Justinian's immediate successors, including Maurice (q.v.), found them useful opponents to the Avars (q.v.).