Maps of Power

Bogevska-Capuano 2015

Properties

ID 117635
System Class Bibliography
Bibliography Book
Case Study Byzantino-Serbian Border Zones in Transition (1282–1355) , Historical Region of Macedonia TIB 16

Description

Saška Bogevska-Capuano, Les églises rupestres de la région des lacs d'Ohrid et de Prespa milieu du XIIIe - milieu du XVIe siècle (Bibliothèque de l'école des hautes études sciences religieuses 166, Turnhout 2015).

Relations

Actors (9)
Name Class Begin End Relation Type Description
Amerales Person Mentioned in the dedicatory inscription found on the western wall of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad from 1368–1369. He appears as a ὁ πανευγενέστατος Ἀμηράλις ὑιος αὐτοῦ in the inscription next to his portrait. He was the son of the kaisar Nobakos and Kale. His sister was Maria. His father kaisar Nobakos sponsored the renovation and decoration of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad in the year 1368–1369 (Άνηγέρθη ἐκ βάθρου καὶ κόπού καὶ μόχθοῦ ὁ θεϊος κὲ πάνσεπτος ναώς ουτος της υπεραγίας δεσπίνης ἡμων Θεοτόκου καὶ ἀνηστορίθην παρὰ του αὐφθέντου αὐτοῦ πὰνευτυχεστάτου κέσαρος Νοβάκου ἠγουμενέβῶντὸς δὲ Ἰωνὰ μοναχοῦ. Αὐφθεντεύβοντος πανυψηλοτάτου κραλήου τοῦ Βεληκασίνου. Άρχαηερατεύωντος δὲ τῆς ἀγιωτάτης ἀρχιεπησκοπῆς τῆς Πρότης Ἰουστινηανης, ετους ͵ςωοζʹ). The family portrait of Nobakos has been preserved on the western external façade. He and his sister are painted to the left of the virgin, who is the central figure of the ktitorial composition. He is portrayed as a small boy.
Blukasinos Demetrios Person The name Demetrios is attested in the memorial book (pomenik), which has been preserved at Protaton in Karyes on Mount Athos (Protaton 340 [113], 1v: Ἔτι δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ μακαρίας μνήμης καὶ ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τῶν ἀειμνήστων δούλων τοῦ Θεοῦ Δημητρίου κράλη καὶ Ἰωάννου δεσπότου καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀναιρεθέντων ὀρθοδόξων χριστιανῶν). He died on 29th June 1371 during the battle against the Ottomans at Černomen/Marica. He held the dignity of Despot from January 1364 to September 1365 according to G. Ostrogorsky (Sь že Vlьkašin spodobi se ōt njego čьsti despotatskago sana, potom že i věnčavajetь jego). He worked as a royal wine-pourer (οἰνοχόος) of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. He held the position of Župan in Prilep, 1350/1351 (pri županě Vlьkašinu...vь dьnь blagověrnago cara našego Stefana i syna mu Uroša i carice Elene...kьga se ōtvrže Berь). He witnessed the apparently falsified charter issued by the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V in 1355 for the inhabitants of the town of Kotor as he held the position of čelnik (e zeonich Vucasin). In January 1366 ugodni vlastelin Novakь Mrasorovikь addressed the request to the Serbian Despot Ioan Uglješa (Ioannes Unklesis) and also the Serbian King Demetrios Blukasinos to approve his donation of the village Koprivljane to the Monastery Hagios Panteleemon on the Holy Mount Athos. Both of them confirmed the endowment of Novakь Mrasorovikь to the Monastery Hagios Panteleemon on the Holy Mount Athos in a separate chrysobull charter (kralь Vlьkašinь blagōvěrni Srьblemь i Grьkomь). In November 1366 he is mentioned as king in the archives of the Ragusan republic. He is attested in the Ragusan archives with name and the title of king for the first time in April 1367 (domino regi Rassie Volchassino). He was probably a co-ruler of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V. between 1365 and 1368/1369. This is proven by the fact that his portrait is next to Stefan Uroš V. on the northern wall of the narthex in the Church of Saint Nicholas in Psača, they appear together on coins and they both accept embassies from the Ragusan republic. The situation changed in 1368/1369. The ktitorial inscription of Nobakos, apparently identical with Novakь Mrasorovikь, in the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad mentions that the decoration of the church was painted during the reign of the highest king Demetrios Blukasinos (Άνηγέρθη ἐκ βάθρου καὶ κόπού καὶ μόχθοῦ ὁ θεϊος κὲ πάνσεπτος ναώς ουτος της υπεραγίας δεσπίνης ἡμων Θεοτόκου καὶ ἀνηστορίθην παρὰ του αὐφθέντου αὐτοῦ πὰνευτυχεστάτου κέσαρος Νοβάκου ἠγουμενέβῶντὸς δὲ Ἰωνὰ μοναχοῦ. Αὐφθεντεύβοντος πανυψηλοτάτου κραλήου τοῦ Βεληκασίνου. Άρχαηερατεύωντος δὲ τῆς ἀγιωτάτης ἀρχιεπησκοπῆς τῆς Πρότης Ἰουστινηανης, ετους ͵ςωοζʹ). It seems, that Demetrios Blukasinos took all the power immediately after the victory over the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V and his coalition at the Kosovo field in 1369. The proof that he ruled without Stefan Uroš V is the charter for the Ragusan republic issued on 5th April 1370, which he signed alone by himself (gospodina zem’li srьbьskoi i Grьkōmь i zapad’nimь stranamь...vь Hrista Bōga blagověrni i hristōljubïvi Vlьkašinь kralь). The Koporinjski and Pećki letopis (chronicle) recorded that the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V. was expelled by Demetrios Blukasinos and his brother Ioannes Unklesis before the battle near the river Marica. A fragment of choros from 1365–1371 originally placed in the Saint Demetrius Monastery near the village Sušica (the so-called Marko’s Monastery), now in collection of the museums in Skopje, Sofia, Istanbul a Belgrade, with installed medallions bearing the name Vlьkašinь and the title of a king, confirm the suggestion, that he governed as a sole ruler. The priestmonk Mihailo wrote the Apostol manuscript from 1365–1371 at Lešnica in the region of Polog for the priest Miho in Debreše during the reign of the King Demetrios Blukasinos (Pisase sija kniga mnogogrěšnogo rukoju ieromonaha Mihaila popu Mihě iz Debreše Nikolinu synu…Azь ōbrěmeneni i ōkajanьni pisahь vь dьni Vlьkašina kralja, kьdi drьžaše Grьgurь Pologь, a pisavši beše iz Lešnice, nierei mnih’). His father was Margnaua (Orbini)/ Margna (Luccari), who was a poor nobleman from Livno in Hum. His brother was Ioannes Unklesis (Ioan Uglješa) and his sister Helene. The husband of his sister was Nikolaos Radochnas (Νικόλαος ῾Ραδόχνας, Nikola Radonja). He was married to Lena. They had together four sons (Marko, the King, Andrěašь, Dmitьrь, Ivanišь) and one daughter (Olivera). The Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan took his father and the family of Mrnjavcević to the Serbian court. The domains of Demetrios Blukasinos were in the southern Serbia, Kosovo and in the northwestern parts of historical Macedonia with strongholds in Prilep and Skopje. Since 1345/1346/1347 the Saint Demetrius Monastery near the village Sušica (the so-called Marko’s Monastery) was built under the patronage of Demetrios Blukasinos and his sons (Izvōlenïemь ōtca i voplьšenïem sina i sьšestviemь svetago duha ōbnovi se i popisa si svety i božestavni hramь svetago velikōmučenika Hristova pobědōnosca i myrotočьca Dimitrija sь usrьdïemь i potštanïemь blagověrnago kralja Vlkašina sь blagověrniei kralice Eleny i sь prěvazljublenym eju i prьvorodnimь sinomь blagověrnimь kraljemь Markomь i Andreašemь i Ivanïšemь i Dimïtrom vь lěto ·ѕ·ō·p·e· si že monastirь nače se zdati lěto ·ѕ·ō·n·g· vь dni blagověrnago cara Stefana i hristoljubivago kralja Vlьkašina a sьvrši se vь dьni blagověrnago i hristoljubivago kralja Marka). His fresco portrait is above the south gate of the monastery and flanks with the portrait of his son Marko the bust of Saint Demetrius. The Historia della casa Musachia records, that Andrea II Musachi defeated the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan or Demetrios Blukasinos at the Pelister Mountain. After 1361 Demetrios Blukasinos was very influential on the Serbian court, because the Ragusans often wrote letters to him. He deposited a treasury in Ragusa (denarii quondam regis Volchassini), which was withdrawn by his sons totally not until 1399. In summer 1371 Demetrios Blukasinos marched to Zeta, where he assisted his relative Đurađ Balšić in his war against Nikola Altomanović. Demetrios Blukasinos waited in Skadar for the naval support from the Ragusan republic. Despot John Uglješa informed his brother by letter about the invasion of the Turks to Europe. Demetrios Blukasinos and his brother commanded the Serbian forces, which fought against the Ottoman army commanded by the Beglerbeg Lala Şahin Pasha and Evrenos near the village Černomen on 26th September 1371. His portrait and its accompanying inscription (Vь hrista boga blagověrni kralь Vlьkašin) has been preserved on the southern part of the entrance to the Monastery of Saint Archangel Michael at Prilep. The inscription in the chapel of the Panagia Eleousa on the shore of Lake (Great) Prespa, which mentions the three patrons of the church, gives detail about the date of the repainting (1410) and the name of the ruler, who was Demetrios Vlukasinos. The possibility of a later local ruler with the same name cannot be excluded, but a more probable version is that the construction of the church was realised during the rule of Demetrios Vlukasinos (Ανηγέρθει καὶ ἀνιστωρίθει ὁ Θείος καὶ πάνσεπτος ναὸς τὴς Ὑπεραγίας Δεσποίνης ἠμῶν Θεοτόκου καὶ Ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας διὰ σὶνδρομὶς κόπου τε καὶ ἐξόδου τοῦ τιμίὅτατου εν ἰερομονάχοις κῦρου Σάβα καὶ κῦρου Ἰακόβου καὶ Βαρλαὰμ τῶν κτητόρων. Αὐθέντης ὁ Βλουκασίνος. Ἐπἷ ἒτους ϛπιη).
Eudokia (1) Person She together with her son and Mpoeikos sponsored in 1344/1345 the painted decoration of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad (Δέησης του δουλου του Θεοῦ Μπώεῖκου καὶ Εὐδῶκείας, τῆς εὐγενὲστάτης καὶ τὸν τέκνὸν αὐτης. Ανὴστωρϊθὲν τὸ βίμα παρ αὐτῶν. Έτους ͵ς ω ν γʹ).
Ionas Person He was the Abbot of the Monastery at the Prespa lake at that time, when Kaisar Nobakos sponsored the renovation and decoration of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad (Άνηγέρθη ἐκ βάθρου καὶ κόπού καὶ μόχθοῦ ὁ θεϊος κὲ πάνσεπτος ναώς ουτος της υπεραγίας δεσπίνης ἡμων Θεοτόκου καὶ ἀνηστορίθην παρὰ του αὐφθέντου αὐτοῦ πὰνευτυχεστάτου κέσαρος Νοβάκου ἠγουμενέβῶντὸς δὲ Ἰωνὰ μοναχοῦ. Αὐφθεντεύβοντος πανυψηλοτάτου κραλήου τοῦ Βεληκασίνου. Άρχαηερατεύωντος δὲ τῆς ἀγιωτάτης ἀρχιεπησκοπῆς τῆς Πρότης Ἰουστινηανης, ετους ͵ςωοζ).
Kale (2) Person Mentioned in the dedicatory inscription found on the western wall of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad from 1368–1369. She appears as a πανευγενεστάτη κεσαρισα κυρία Καλῆ in the inscription next to her portray. She was a κεσαρισα.She was married to Nobakos. Her children were Amirales and Maria. Her husband kaisar Nobakos sponsored the renovation and decoration of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad in the year 1368–1369 (Άνηγέρθη ἐκ βάθρου καὶ κόπού καὶ μόχθοῦ ὁ θεϊος κὲ πάνσεπτος ναώς ουτος της υπεραγίας δεσπίνης ἡμων Θεοτόκου καὶ ἀνηστορίθην παρὰ του αὐφθέντου αὐτοῦ πὰνευτυχεστάτου κέσαρος Νοβάκου ἠγουμενέβῶντὸς δὲ Ἰωνὰ μοναχοῦ. Αὐφθεντεύβοντος πανυψηλοτάτου κραλήου τοῦ Βεληκασίνου. Άρχαηερατεύωντος δὲ τῆς ἀγιωτάτης ἀρχιεπησκοπῆς τῆς Πρότης Ἰουστινηανης, ετους ͵ςωοζʹ). The family portrait of Nobakos has been preserved on the western external façade. She and her husband are painted to the right of the virgin. She is portrayed as a young woman.
Maria (3) Person Mentioned in the dedicatory inscription found on the western wall of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad from 1368–1369. She appears as a πανευγενεστάτη κυρία Μαρια θυγάτηρ αυτου in the inscription next to her portrait. She was the daughter of the kaisar Nobakos and Kale. Her brother was Amerales. Her father kaisar Nobakos sponsored the renovation and decoration of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad in the year 1368–1369 (Άνηγέρθη ἐκ βάθρου καὶ κόπού καὶ μόχθοῦ ὁ θεϊος κὲ πάνσεπτος ναώς ουτος της υπεραγίας δεσπίνης ἡμων Θεοτόκου καὶ ἀνηστορίθην παρὰ του αὐφθέντου αὐτοῦ πὰνευτυχεστάτου κέσαρος Νοβάκου ἠγουμενέβῶντὸς δὲ Ἰωνὰ μοναχοῦ. Αὐφθεντεύβοντος πανυψηλοτάτου κραλήου τοῦ Βεληκασίνου. Άρχαηερατεύωντος δὲ τῆς ἀγιωτάτης ἀρχιεπησκοπῆς τῆς Πρότης Ἰουστινηανης, ετους ͵ςωοζʹ). The family portrait of Nobakos has been preserved on the western external façade. She and her brother are painted to the left of the virgin, who is the central figure of the ktitorial composition. She is portrayed as a young woman.
Mpoeikos Person He together with Eudokia and her son sponsored in 1344/1345 the painted decoration of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad (Δέησης του δουλου του Θεοῦ Μπώεῖκου καὶ Εὐδῶκείας, τῆς εὐγενὲστάτης καὶ τὸν τέκνὸν αὐτης. Ανὴστωρϊθὲν τὸ βίμα παρ αὐτῶν. Έτους ͵ς ω ν γʹ).
Nikolaos (1) Person Mentioned in the sources after 1345. He was Archbishop of Ōhrid after 1345, definitely in 1346 and 1347, and probably till 1350. He donated the Church of Saint Nicholas in Ljuboino near Prespa to the Treskavec Monastery. The Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan confirmed the gift in the second charter for the Treskavec Monastery after 1345 (Metohь u Prěspě u Ljuboině, Svety Nikola, što Pridade Nikola arhijepiskupь, sь vsěmi pravinami). He attented the sabor in Skopje on 16th April 1346, where he witnessed the coronation of Stefan Uroš IV Dušan as Emperor of the Greeks and the Serbs by the Serbian Patriarch He is mentioned in the chrysobull charter of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan from 1346/1347 concerning the founding of the Zletovo episcopate. According to the chrysobull charter the Serbian Emperor asked several high-ranking clerics, among them also Nikola, for permission to found the bishopric of Zletovo (i sь arhïepiskopomь ōhridьskymь Nikolomь). He is portrayed on the south wall of the Church of Saint Nikola Bolnički in Ōhrid with the Serbian ruler’s family. He is depicted within another composition in the Church of Saint Sophia in Ōhrid, where he is painted next to Jovan Oliver and his family in the chapel of the despot, which was erected between the years 1347 and 1350.
Nobakos Person Probably identical with Novakь Mrasorovikь. In January 1366 ugodni vlastelin Novakь Mrasorovikь addressed the request to the Serbian Despot Ioan Uglješa (Ioannes Unklesis) and also the Serbian King Vukašin (Demetrios Blukasinos) to approve his donation of the village Koprivljane to the Monastery Hagios Panteleemon on the Holy Mount Athos. Both of them confirmed the endowment of Novakь Mrasorovikь to the Monastery Hagios Panteleemon on the Holy Mount Athos in a separate chrysobull charter. Nobakos is mentioned in the dedicatory inscription found on the western wall of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad from 1368–1369. He appears as πανευτυχέστατος in the dedicatory inscription. He was kaisar. He was married to Kale. He had a son Amirales and a daughter named Maria. He sponsored the renovation and decoration of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad in the year 1368–1369. The dedicatory inscription on the western wall relates about the ktetor Nobakos, who built the church from the ground, which is apparently not true, because Mpoeikos together with Eudokia and her son sponsored already in 1344/1345 the first painted decoration of the church (Άνηγέρθη ἐκ βάθρου καὶ κόπού καὶ μόχθοῦ ὁ θεϊος κὲ πάνσεπτος ναώς ουτος της υπεραγίας δεσπίνης ἡμων Θεοτόκου καὶ ἀνηστορίθην παρὰ του αὐφθέντου αὐτοῦ πὰνευτυχεστάτου κέσαρος Νοβάκου ἠγουμενέβῶντὸς δὲ Ἰωνὰ μοναχοῦ. Αὐφθεντεύβοντος πανυψηλοτάτου κραλήου τοῦ Βεληκασίνου. Άρχαηερατεύωντος δὲ τῆς ἀγιωτάτης ἀρχιεπησκοπῆς τῆς Πρότης Ἰουστινηανης, ετους ͵ςωοζʹ). The family portrait of Nobakos has been preserved on the western external façade. Nobakos is portrayed with a halo.
Places (3)
Name Class Begin End Description
Belgostes Place The Church of Saint Constantine and Helena in Ohrid owned several properties near Belgostes (Velgošti). The church had a vineyard beneath Belgostes. The vineyard was from the east adjacent to the property of the priest Paulos and from the west to the possession, which belonged to the Church of the Saint John the Theologian in Ohrid (καὶ ἔτερον ἀμπέλιον κάτωθεν τῆς Βελγόστης, πλησίον ἐξ ἀνατολῶν ἱερέως Παύλου τοῦ νομιοδότου, ἐκ δυσμῶν πλησίον τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ θεολόγου). The church owned also a garden near Belgostes. The garden bordered from the east side a road and was located in the vicinity of three properties (ἕτερον περιβόλιν εἰς τοὺς Βελλιγόστας, ἐξ ἀνατολῶν πλησίον τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ ἐκ δυσμῶν τοῦ Νικολήτζα καὶ τοῦ ἱερέως Θεοδώρου καὶ ἐκ βορρᾶ τῶν παίδων τοῦ Τζαούσι). A piece of land beneath Belgostes in the possession of the church was bound by a road in the east and by a path in the south (ἕτερον χωράφιον κάτωθεν τῆς Βελιγόστης, πλησίον ἐξ ἀνατολῶν τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ ἐκ νότου πλησίον μονοπατίου). The church held in possesion also another piece of land under Belgostes (ἕτερον χωράφιον κάτωθεν τῆς Βελιγόστης). The village of Velgošti/Velgošta is registered in the Defter for the Kaza Ohrid between the years 1536 and 1539 and in the year 1583.
Pestzoi Place The Church of Saint Constantine and Helena in Ohrid possessed a plot of vineyard near Pestzoi (Peštani). This land was from the east adjacent to the property of the priest Stephanos and from the west to the possession of the Church of the Virgin Hodegetria (ἔτι δὲ κομματια αμπελον· εις τοὺς Πέτζους πλησίον ἐξ ἀνατολῶν τοῦ ἱἐρέος Στεφανοῦ ἐκ δυσμῶν της Ὁδηγήτριας). The village of Peštani is registered in the Defter for the Nahija Ohrid between the years 1536 and 1539 and in the year 1583.
Radohožda Place The Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan confirmed the donation of the village Radohožda with hamlets, hunting grounds, summer pastures and all rights to the Church of the Holy Mother of God Peribleptos in Ohrid (Selo Radohožda zaselci i s lovištami i s planinami i sь vsěmi pravinami). The village of Radohožda is registered in the Defters for the Nahija Ohrid from the year 1536 to 1539 and under the year 1583.
Sources (2)
Name Class Description
Greek donor inscription on the west wall of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad Source Kaisar Nobakos sponsored the renovation and decoration of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad in 1368/1369, which is displayed in the inscription on the west wall of the church.
Supplicant inscription on the band under the apse conch of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad Source The Supplicant inscription on the band under the apse conch of the Virgin Maryʼs Church in Mali Grad contains information about the painted decoration of the church, which was sponsored by Mpoeikos, Eudokia and her son in 1344-1345.