Historia Salonitana i Historia Salonitana maior – Gunjačin pristup - Matijević-Sokol, Mirjana (Array, 2010)
Most of the historical works by Stjepan Gunjača refer to two medieval writings, known as Historia Salonitana written by Thomas the Archdeacon from Split dated to the 13th century and Historia Salonitana maior. With regard to the importance of the writings themselves for the Croatian medieval history, considerations which Stjepan Gunjača brought forward on the interrelationship between the two writings and which he strongly supported marked the Croatian medieval studies of the first part of the second half of the 20th century. Although most historians before Gunjača considered Historia Salonitana maior to be a later work and a compilation that contains some parts of the Historia Salonitana and the original material, respectively the conclusions of the church councils in Salonitana and Split in the 6th, 10th and 12th centuries as well as some charters from the 12th century and the epitaph of King Zvonimir, Gunjača, motivated by Baradin’s thoughts, held the opinion that Historia Salonitana maior was the original template by Thomas and that Historia Salonitana was the final compilation. He opposed N. Klaić’s view regarding the reading of the words: urborum or serborum in the records of the Split council in the 10th century and spoke up for the version of urborum. He also analyzed Thomas’s catalogue of the archbishops of Split, which contains numerous historical information and which he had great trust in. Based on historical sources and Thomas’s quotations, he solved topographic questions and proposed interventions in the genealogy of Croatian national rulers by introducing “new” kings, Trpimir and Muncimir, based on one falsified charter. Some of Gunjača’s opinions are nowadays accepted and some are entirely rejected such as e.g. the one on Historia Salonitana maior as Thomas’s template and the one on the “new” kings Trpimir and Muncimir. Regardless of the rejection of some of his thesis today, Stjepan Gunjača’s approach to the Historia Salonitana and the Historia Salonitana maior was inspiring to younger generations who later decided on Gunjača’s view or in favour of e.g. Nada Klaić’s concepts by using scientific argumentation.