TheRhynchines, Richenoi orRhynchinoi (Greek:Ῥυγχίνοι) were aSouth Slavic (Sklavenoi^[1]) tribe in the region of southernMacedonia in the 7th century. According to Traian Stoianovich, they were Slavic or Avaro-Slavic.^[2] The Rhynchinoi settled along the river Rhechinos (or Rhechios) betweenlake Bolbe and theStrymonic Gulf.^[3]

The tribe is attested in theMiracles of Saint Demetrius as having formed asklavinia near the city ofThessaloniki, under a king namedPerboundos in the third quarter of the seventh century. They were apparently a powerful tribe.^[4] After Perboundos was arrested and executed byByzantine authorities, the Rhynchines rose up and allied themselves with two other nearbysklaviniai, theSagudates and theDrugubites, and launched anunsuccessful siege of Thessalonica (in 676–678 AD).^[5]

The general assimilation of the tribe into the local population is also indicated by the fact that one of the few records of the chieftain Perbundos is that he was fluent inGreek, woreByzantine clothes and preferred to stay inThessalonica.^[3]

Scriptures from the Athonite monastery of Kastamonitou suggests that the Rhynchinoi were converted to Christianity under theIconoclast emperors.^[3]

In the 8th and 9th centuries the Rynchinoi and Sagudates moved eastwards intoChalkidiki.^[6]

Porphyrius Uspensky found a 17th-century manuscript atKastamonitou that mentioned the Richenoi and Sagudates having come from Bulgaria across Macedonia toMount Athos, at the time of theIconoclasm.^[7] Later 8th century records refer to the tribe as "Vlachorynchinoi" instead of Rhynchinoi, suggests mixing ofVlachs orRomance-speakers and the tribe, inMacedonia.^[2]

• Curta, Florin (2006).Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0-521-81539-0.

• 7th century in Europe
• Sclaveni
• Medieval Macedonia
• Slavic tribes in Macedonia

• CS1 errors: ISBN date
• Articles containing Greek-language text