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The Diocese of Pannonia (Latin: Dioecesis Pannoniarum, lit. "Diocese of the Pannonias"), from 379 known as the Diocese of Illyricum, was a diocese of the Late Roman Empire. The seat of the vicarius (governor of the diocese) was Sirmium.
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It was originally part of the praetorian prefecture of Italy, and later part of the praetorian prefecture of Illyricum. After the latter's partition in 379, it was again joined to the Prefecture of Italy as the Diocese of Illyricum.
The Diocese of Pannonia was one of the two dioceses in the eastern quarters of the Tetrarchy not belonging to the cultural Greek half of the empire (the other was Dacia), and was transferred to the Western Empire at the death of Theodosius I in 395. In 425 Galla Placidia gave the diocese of Illyricum to Eastern Emperor Theodosius II. Its ultimate fate is uncertain. Pannonia was lost to the Huns in the 440s, although Dalmatia was retained by the Western Empire until ca. 480. The Ostrogoth king of Italy Theodoric the Great conquered Pannonia in the early 6th century, possibly reestablishing the diocese.
The Diocese of Pannonia included the Roman provinces of Pannonia Prima, Pannonia Valeria, Pannonia Savia, Pannonia Secunda, Noricum Mediterraneum, Noricum Ripensis and Dalmatia.
In the 9th century, Diocese of Pannonia was also a name of the ecclesiastical territory of the Christian church whose archbishop was Saint Methodius. [1]