Maps of Power

Polemis/Kaltsogianni 2019

Description

Theodorus Metochites Orationes (eds. Ioannis Polemis/Eleni Kaltsogianni, Berlin/Boston 2019).

Relations

Actors (6)
Name Class Begin End Relation Type Description
Damianos (1) Person It is very unlikely that he is the same person as Damijan, the Bishop of Prizren. The latter is attested in the collective charter of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin and Stefan Uroš IV Dušan for the Tower of Hrusija of the Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos (jepiskupomь prizrěnskymь Damijanomь). Before 1307 he together with the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin took the fields near the Church of Holy Mother of God at Trhalě not far from Trěboš in Polog from Žegrь and they set his houses on fire (I u Trěboši pri crьkvi svetyje bogorodice pri Trьhalě nivije crьkovno što bylo ōt věka. I uzeli jesu byli Položani, i iznašьlь je roditelь kraljevьstva mi sь jepiskopomь Damijanomь i sь iepiskopomь Iliōmь, i ōtjelь ōt Žegra, i kušte mu popalilь). He was still alive in 1307 according to the ktitorial inscription of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin, which is preserved in the apse of the Church Bogorodica Ljeviška in Prizren (Stefan Urošь kralь hristě bozě blagověrьnь kralь srьbskyh i pomorskihь prěvnukь svetago simeōna nemane i zetь cara grьčkago kirь andronika paleōloga ponovihь hramь svetie bogorodice lěviške ot samogo ōsnovanija i ja směreni popь prizrěnьsky damijanь trudyhь se vь lěto ѕ ѱ ei). Damianos is mentioned in the sermon of the Byzantine writer Theodoros Metochites, who undertook the task to arrange the marriage of the Byzantine princess Simonis with the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin. He was a Monk. He accompanied Dukaites around 1298 at the request of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš Milutin to Constantinople (κἀγὼ μὲν αὐτίκα τὸν καλὸν Δουκαίτην ἐς βασιλέα· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ οὕστινας οἶσθα, σὺν αὐτῷ πέμπομεν, Δαμιανόν τινα αὐτὸν οἶμαι ὄνομα μοναχὸν).
Desisthlabos Person It was speculated that he is to be identified with the future Serbian Archbishop Danilo (Daniel) II. There is no evidence for this suggestion. Mentioned in the sermon of the Byzantine writer Theodoros Metochites, who undertook the task to arrange the marriage of the Byzantine princess Simonis with the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin. He was sent in 1298/1299 as emissary by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin to the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos. He met Theodoros Metochites in Thessalonike (ἀλλὰ καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Τριβαλλὸς εἰς βασιλέα πρεσβεύων παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου φθάνει γε, ἡμᾶς ἔτ’ ἐν τῇ πόλει, Δεσίσθλαβος ἀνὴρ ὄνομα, ὃς δὴ πρῶτος, ἐμοῦ γ’ ἐξελθόντος ἐκ βασιλέως, αὐτόθι γίγνεται καὶ μέμνησαι πάντως).
Dukaites Person Probably identical with an adressee (PLP 5670) of a letter, which was written by Theodoros Hyrtakenos. Mentioned in the sermon of the Byzantine writer Theodoros Metochites, who undertook the task to arrange the marriage of the Byzantine princess Simonis with the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin. He accompanied Theodoros Metochites on his diplomatic mission and reported the news to the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II. (ἄλλως τε καὶ πρὸς εἰδότα ἴσως καὶ ἅπαντ’ ἀκριβῶς ἀκηκοότα τοῦ καλοῦ Δουκαίτου· πρότερον ἐπιδεδημηκότος αὐτόθι παρ’ ἡμῶν...κἀγὼ μὲν αὐτίκα τὸν καλὸν Δουκαίτην ἐς βασιλέα· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ οὕστινας οἶσθα, σὺν αὐτῷ πέμπομεν, Δαμιανόν τινα αὐτὸν οἶμαι ὄνομα μοναχὸν καὶ Τομπράιλον ἐκκλησιάρχην ἐνταῦθα τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις τετιμημένον τοῦ δεσπότου καὶ κατωνομασμένον· περί τε τοῦ παντὸς ἔργου κατεροῦντας ὡς ἤνυσταί τε καὶ πεπέρανται· καὶ καταλιπαρήσοντας ἐξ αὐτοῦ δεσπότου τὲ καὶ Τριβαλλάρχου, καὶ ἤδη παιδὸς φίλου τῷ βασιλεῖ, περὶ οὗ νῦν γε εἴρηται συνθήματος).
Eltimeres Person He was probably killed in 1305. He held the title of Despot. The question, who bestowed him with the title of despot, remains unresolved. He ruled almost independently in the region of Krounos (Krŭn) in Rhodope (κατὰ τὸν Κρουνὸν ἐξάρχοντα). He received this territory probably as dowry. He was the brother of the Bulgarian Tsar George Terter I. He was the son-in-law of the Bulgarian Tsar Smilets and his wife Smiltsena Palaiologina (γαμβρόν γε ὄντα Σμιλτζαίνης), since he married their daughter Maria (Marina). His nephew was Theodor Svetoslav. He was the father or the father-in-law of Ioannes Dragusinos (ΕΚΟΙΜΙΘΕΙ Ο ΔΟΥΛΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ Ο ΔΡΑΓΟΥΣΙΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΕΣΠΟΤΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΑΛΔΙΜΙΡΟΥ). He was apparently of Cuman origin. He acted as a loyal supporter of Smiltsena after the death of her husband. He offered her a place of refuge in the region of Krounos (Krŭn). The Bulgarian Tsar Theodor Svetoslav gained his trust after he donated the fortresses Diampolis (Jambol) and Lardaia to him. Eltimeres defeated and blinded sebastokrator Radoslav, the brother of the Bulgarian Tsar Smilets, who aspired to the Bulgarian throne with the aid of the Byzantines. He handed over Radoslav and the captured byzantine noblemen to the Bulgarian Tsar Theodor Svetoslav. He marched in 1304 with Theodor Svetoslav against the Byzantines, although his mother-in-law and a byzantine embassy tried to dissuade him with gifts and pronoia promises from joining the alliance with the Bulgarian Tsar. Another intercesssion of his mother-in-law ended with success. He switched the sides and fought with the Byzantines against the Bulgarian Tsar. The hostilities led to the reconcquest of the fortresses Diampolis and Lardaia and the capture of the territory of Krounos by the Bulgarian Tsar Theodor Svetoslav.
Georgios (5) Person Probably identical with the mesazon Georgios (PLP 4030), who is mentioned by the Byzantine historian Georgios Pachymeres. The mesazon participated in the peace negotiations between Byzantium and Serbia between 1267 and 1269 (καὶ ἤδη καὶ πρὸς Λιπαίνιον ἰόντων, πέμπεται μὲν πρέσβις ἐκεῖθεν ὁ καὶ μεσάζων ἐκείνων, Γεώργιος τοὔνομα, ᾧ δὴ καὶ λόχος ἀνδρῶν ἐνεδρεύσας προσεζημίου). He partook in the arrangment of the marriage project between the Byzantine princess Anna and the Serbian prince Stefan Uroš Milutin, which collapsed. Georgios (PLP 4030) was involved in several Serbian diplomatic envoys to Charles I Anjou, the King of Sicily. Mentioned in the sermon of the Byzantine writer Theodoros Metochites, who undertook the task to arrange the marriage of the Byzantine princess Simonis with the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin. Theodoros Metochites expressed his position and dignity on the court of the Serbian King with the words „καθάπαξ τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ τῶν σφόδρα, πιστῶς τε καὶ οἰκείως ἐχόντων“. He was the second commander of the Serbian army in the ranking (καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις, τιμῆς τε διὰ ταῦτ’ ἄρα πάντα ἀξιοῦται τὲ καὶ ἐπικέκληται, ἧστινος δὴ ταύτης, ἡγεμὼν ἐν τοῖς τοῦ γένους στρατεύμασι δεύτερος). He was the member of the Serbian advisory council (καὶ κοινωνούντων βουλῆς τε καὶ λόγων καὶ φροντισμάτων· καὶ πάσης σκέψεως· ἅτ’ εὔνους τὲ ὢν αὐτῷ, δὴ, καὶ σφόδρα· καὶ νοῦν ἔχων ἐφ’ ἑκάστοις αὐτῷ κοινωνεῖν· καὶ μεταχειρίζειν τὲ καὶ συμβάλλειν τῶν τε ἔργων καὶ τῶν λόγων). He was the father of the Monk (starec) Isaias according to the opinion of Miodrag A. Purković. Starec Isaias came to the court of the Serbian king in his younger years at his father’s wish. Purković argues for the identity of the commander Georgios and the father of starec Isaias exactly on the account of the closeness to the Serbian king (Rodi že se pri blagočastivěmь i hristoljubivemь samodrьžci vsee srьpskie zemle i podunavskie i pomorskie i arbanaškïe svetomь krali Uroši. Ōtь blagorodnu i blagōčastivu roditelju, ōtьca Geōrgïa matere že Kalïni...běše bo mnogoljubimь roditeli svoimi. i hotěhu jego prědati vь polatu carevi. onь že poslušavь stvori imь volju vь malo vreme). The Father of starec Isaias was married to Kalina. He became a monk with the name Gerasimos. His wife Kalina became a nun with the name Theōdosïa (i sihь prěimenovavь, ōtьca Gerasimь, matere že Theōdosïa). He fought against the byzantine emperor in a battle before 1298. He was captured and imprisoned by the Byzantines. The Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II and the Constantinopolitan elite knew him according to the report of Theodoros Metochites. He was of the initiators and a main proponent of the peace negotiations between the Serbians and Byzantines and the preparation of the marriage. (ἦν δ’ ἐν τούτοις μάλισθ’ ὁ λέγειν ἔχων καὶ πρῶτα φέρων, Γεώργιος· Γεώργιος οἶσθ’ ὃς πρότερον, ἐνειρκτο δέσμιος ἐκ μάχης τῷ βασιλεῖ· συνήθης τὲ ἐκεῖθεν μάλιστ’ ἐκ τῆς χρονίου καθείρξεως αὐτῷ τε βασιλεῖ γεγονὼς, καὶ ἡμῖν· καὶ τὰς παρούσας καταλλαγὰς καὶ συμβάσεις, ἐπὶ τῷ κήδει πρῶτος αὐτόθι προδείξας καὶ ἐνηργμένος· καὶ καθυπουργήσας εἰς τὰ μάλιστα· ὡς ἐντεῦθεν ἄρα, καὶ μάλισθ’ ὡς πεῖραν ἤδη τιν’ ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐσχηκὼς κρείττω, ἢ κατὰ τοὺς ἄλλους τῆς ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους, καὶ τῆς ἁπάσης ἡμῖν προξενεῖν ἀμέλει πρεσβείας ἀξιοῦσθαι. ἕστι δὲ κἀν τοῖς μάλισθ’ ὁ ἀνήρ, καθάπαξ τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ τῶν σφόδρα, πιστῶς τε καὶ οἰκείως ἐχόντων).
Tomprailos Person I. Đurić thinks that he could be the same person as the priest Dobro, who was sent along with the Sebast Grapsa by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin as an envoy to Charles II, the King of Naples in March 1302 (ut virum nobilem Sebasto Grapsam et presbiterum Dobronem, nuncios Excellentis principi domini Urosii). Mentioned in the sermon of the Byzantine writer Theodoros Metochites, who undertook the task to arrange the marriage of the Byzantine princess Simonis with the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin. He held the position of an Ekklesiarches. Janković believes that Tomprailos was in the service of the Archbishopric of Skopje. He accompanied Dukaites along with the monk Damianos around 1298 at the request of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš Milutin to Constantinople (κἀγὼ μὲν αὐτίκα τὸν καλὸν Δουκαίτην ἐς βασιλέα· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ οὕστινας οἶσθα, σὺν αὐτῷ πέμπομεν, Δαμιανόν τινα αὐτὸν οἶμαι ὄνομα μοναχὸν καὶ Τομπράιλον ἐκκλησιάρχην ἐνταῦθα τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις τετιμημένον τοῦ δεσπότου καὶ κατωνομασμένον· περί τε τοῦ παντὸς ἔργου κατεροῦντας ὡς ἤνυσταί τε καὶ πεπέρανται· καὶ καταλιπαρήσοντας ἐξ αὐτοῦ δεσπότου τὲ καὶ Τριβαλλάρχου, καὶ ἤδη παιδὸς φίλου τῷ βασιλεῖ, περὶ οὗ νῦν γε εἴρηται συνθήματος).