The Avars were a confederation of heterogeneous (diverse or varied) people consisting of Rouran, Hephthalites, and Turkic-Oghuric races who migrated to the region of the Pontic Grass Steppe (an area corresponding to modern-day Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan) from Central Asia after the fall of the Asiatic Rouran Empire in 552 CE. They are considered by many historians to be the successors of the Huns in their way of life and, especially, mounted warfare. They settled in the Huns' former territory and almost instantly set upon a course of conquest. After they were hired by the Byzantine Empire to subdue other tribes, their king Bayan I (reigned 562/565-602 CE) allied with the Lombards under Alboin (reigned 560-572 CE) to defeat the Gepids of Pannonia and then took over the region, forcing the Lombards to migrate to Italy.
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Definition
Timeline
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552Fall of the Rouran Empire of Central Asia; flight of the Avars.
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557Avars arrive in the Steppe.
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558Avar contact with the Byzantine Empire.
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c. 562Bayan I becomes king of the Avars.
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567Avars and Lombards ally to defeat the Gepids of Pannonia.
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568Lombards leave Pannonia for Italy; Bayan begins building his empire.
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569 - 592Rise and expansion of the Avar Empire.
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c. 580The Slavs and the Avars overwhelm Greece, Thrace and Thessaly.
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602Death of King Bayan I of the Avars.
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626A coalition of Persians, Slavs, Avars and Bulgars unsuccessfully lays siege to Constantinople.
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630Bulgar revolt against the Avars results in civil war.
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630 - 795Decline of the Avar Empire.
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796Avars conquered by Franks under Charlemagne.
