Titles of the rulers of medieval Serbia

The titles of the rulers of medieval Serbia are the titles of the rulers of Serbia in the 9th — 15th centuries.

In the early period of Serbian history before the XI century, Serbian titles are known from Byzantine sources, who called foreign rulers the ancient term “ archon ”. In the XI century since the beginning of the reign of Stefan Nemani , the title of the appears. From the 12th century, the title of king began to be used, which in the XIV century was replaced by the title of king . The last rulers of medieval Serbia were called princes and despots . The title included the transfer of subordinate lands, the list of which was constantly changing.

Content

Ranks of rulers

From the documentary information about the titles of the first Serbian rulers almost nothing is known. Byzantine sources called them the general term “ archon ” ^[comm. ^1] . In historiography they are called princes. In the Law of Saint Sava (1220), the Serbian words prince, ruler and bolyar were used in the place of the Greek word “archon” ^[1] . In the XI-XII centuries, the Serbian rulers wore the Slavic title of the ( churches- sv . Veli Zhoupan ) ^[comm. ^2] . This term is first mentioned in the peace treaty with Dubrovnik of September 27, 1186, which was drawn up in Latin with Nemani’s Cyrillic signature: “I, the great Zhupan, swore and signed . ” The title is also mentioned in the Khilandar literacy of Stefan Nemani. This title until 1217 was worn by the future king Stephen the First-Crowned ^[comm. ^3] . This title is found in the agreements with Dubrovnik of 1214 and 1217, in the treaty of 1205 there is a signature “Mr. Stefan” ( church-s. Mr. Stephan ) ^[2] .

"In Christ of God the Blessed King Vukashin"
(Medallion of the XIV century)

In 1217, Stephen of Pervovenchanny received from the Pope Honorius III the royal crown, henceforth the Serbian rulers began to be called kings ^[comm. ^4] . This title is reflected in treaties with Dubrovnik and in the letter of the Жiči monastery in 1220. The letter was a signature: " By God's grace, Stefan is the crowned first king of all Serbian lands . ” Signed in the Dubrovnik agreement: " Stephen the King and with God the Serbian autocrat . " The title “first-crowned king” was used by his sons. Thus, Stephen Radoslaw, in an agreement with Dubrovnik of February 4, 1234, called himself: “Stephen, Christ God has a faithful king ... grandson of St. Simeon Nemani and son of the first-crowned king of blessed staying Stephen." The title of king in Serbia lasted until 1346. ^[3]

In 1346 Stephen Dushan was crowned king . This title was worn by two of his successors: Stefan Uros V (from 1355) and Simeon Sines , the ruler of Epirus and Thessaly (from 1356). After the death of Uros in 1371, the Serbian rulers began to be called princes ( Serbian knes , churches- sl . Knn ), or grand dukes . This title was worn by Lazar Khrebeljanovich and Stefan Lazarevich until 1402. Lazarus, claiming the legacy of the Nemanjic, also used the name of Stephen , which was previously carried by kings and kings from this dynasty, and the title "autocratic lord." The agreement with Dubrovnik of January 9, 1387 begins with a sentence: “ I, in Christ of God pious and autocratic by the grace of God, Prince Lazarus . ” In August 1402, Stefan Lazarevich received from the Byzantine co-ruler John VII Palaeologus the title of despot . In the letters of his signature usually looked like this: " By the grace of God, the ruler of all Serbia is despot Stephen . " The title of despot was used before the conquest of Serbia by the Turks in 1459 ^[4] .

Land Enumeration

Diploma Dusan with the title in the signature

Beginning with Stephen the First, the name “Serbian kings” or “kings of all Serbian lands” ( church- krall kral sripski, kral kra vsıє srpsk zumlıєє ) was fixed to the rulers . So, in a letter written between 1222 and 1228, the title of ruler sounded like: “ Stephen, by the grace of God, the crowned king and autocrat of all the Serbian and Pomeranian lands . ” The signatures of Stefan Radoslav and Stefan Vladislav I used the ancient name of the country - Raska . Soon this name fell out of the titles of rulers in Serbia, however, it remained in Western documents: Dubrovnik, Venice, Hungary and the Catholic Church (like Rascia or Raxia in Latin).

From the time of Neman, Pomorie or Pomeranian lands were present in the title of rulers. This reflected the historical connection of the state of Nemanjic with the ancient Dukle . In the title of king Dusan, who included the land of Byzantium in his power , the Greek lands were present. So, in the royal charter, compiled between 1343 and 1345, his title sounds like " Stephen at Christ God’s faithful king of all Serbian and Pomeranian lands and the limits of the Greek and Bulgarian ”. In a diploma addressed to Dubrovnik of October 15, 1345, Dusan calls himself the ruler of a large part of the Bulgarian kingdom and almost all Romania . Beginning in 1346, he called himself “the king of the Serbs and Greeks” ( churches, the late Tsar Sriblım and Grkom ) ^[5] .

The nomenclature of land in titles was not constant. Thus, the title of King Vladislav contained an indication of the ruler Dukla ( church. Diokliti ), Travuniya ( church. Trovouni ), Zakhumya ( church. Zakhlmi ) and Dalmatia ( church. Dalmatia ). King Milutin in the title was present Danube lands . And after the Croatian ban Mladen II Subic included in his title land Hum , Milutin became the "king of Croatia". In the title of some of the letters of Dushan, there were Western countries ( churches, and Western lands ) and other lands, including Bulgaria (from 1343 or 1354) ^[6] .

Notes

Comments

↑ For example, in the story about the Serbian settlement on the Balkan Peninsula and the ancient Serbian princes, it is said: “Then, when this Archon Serb died, he resorted to [help] basil, his son inherited rules, then his grandson, and so on - archons from his family ... In the reign of this Vlastimir Presiyam, the archon of Bulgaria, he went to war against the Serbs, wanting to subdue them ... "See About the Serbs and the country where they live now (Unopened) . // vostlit.info. The appeal date is December 3, 2015.
↑ For example, the Byzantine historian John Kinnam noted that "Bosnia is not subject to Serbs' archijupan " ( Greek See Meineke, A. Ioannis Cinnami epitome rerum ab Ioanne et Alexio Comnenis gestarum. - Bonnae, 1836. - p. 103. Byzantium izvor . - T. IV. - p. 28.
↑ The title is found in a letter to Pope Innocent III of 1199, written in Latin: “Stephen ... the great zupan of all Serbia” ( lat. Stephanus… magnus iuppanus totius Servye ). See page 27 for the title of Vladarsk in the middle of the century.
↑ The term “king” in Slavic texts first appears in the life of St. Methodius , the teacher of Slovene. See page 27 for the title of Vladarsk in the middle of the century.

Sources

Ј Radoјchiћ , N. The Lord at the Law of Grad Nomocanon of St.. Sava. - Belgrade: Glas Srpske Academy of Science, 1949. - P. 1-14.
↑ Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - pp. 23-27.
↑ Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - p. 28.
↑ Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - pp. 28-30.
↑ Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - p. 33.
↑ Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - P. 33—34.

Literature

Sharqi, Wed. Titles of rulers in medieval Serbia = Vladarska title at the middle-of-the-century Srbini. - 2012. - P. 33—34.

[1] For example, in the story about the Serbian settlement on the Balkan Peninsula and the ancient Serbian princes, it is said: “Then, when this Archon Serb died, he resorted to [help] basil, his son inherited rules, then his grandson, and so on - archons from his family ... In the reign of this Vlastimir Presiyam, the archon of Bulgaria, he went to war against the Serbs, wanting to subdue them ... "See About the Serbs and the country where they live now (Unopened) . // vostlit.info. The appeal date is December 3, 2015.

[3] For example, the Byzantine historian John Kinnam noted that "Bosnia is not subject to Serbs' archijupan " ( Greek See Meineke, A. Ioannis Cinnami epitome rerum ab Ioanne et Alexio Comnenis gestarum. - Bonnae, 1836. - p. 103. Byzantium izvor . - T. IV. - p. 28.

[4] The title is found in a letter to Pope Innocent III of 1199, written in Latin: “Stephen ... the great zupan of all Serbia” ( lat. Stephanus… magnus iuppanus totius Servye ). See page 27 for the title of Vladarsk in the middle of the century.

[6] The term “king” in Slavic texts first appears in the life of St. Methodius , the teacher of Slovene. See page 27 for the title of Vladarsk in the middle of the century.

[2] Ј Radoјchiћ , N. The Lord at the Law of Grad Nomocanon of St.. Sava. - Belgrade: Glas Srpske Academy of Science, 1949. - P. 1-14.

[5] Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - pp. 23-27.

[7] Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - p. 28.

[8] Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - pp. 28-30.

[9] Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - p. 33.

[10] Sharkeyћ, Wed. Vladarsk title at middle age Srbini. - 2012. - P. 33—34.