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Blukasinos Demetrios
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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).
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Bulkos
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He was born around 1345. He died on the 6th October 1397 in the Ottoman prison. His body was transferred by his brother Nikolaos Radochnas (Monk Gerasim) to the Mount Athos. He appears as a gospodinь in the slavic sources and as a dominus in the latin sources. He administered the region of Kastoria and Ōhrid according the Byzantine historians Ducas and Laonikos Chalkokondyles (ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ Βοῦλκον τὸν τοῦ Πράγκου τοῦ Μλαδένεω υἱόν, Καστορίας τε καὶ Ὀχρίδος τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ ἡγεμόνος; καὶ τὴν ἄλλην τὴν εἶχε δοσμένη τοῦ ἀφεντὸς τοῦ Μπούλκου ὁποὺ ὥριζε τὴν Καστορία καὶ τὴν Ὄχριδα). Laonikos Chalkokondyles calls him wrongly Ἐλεάζαρος and relates about the lands by the Danube as his dwelling place (τὰ μέντοι περὶ τὸν Ἴστρον Βούλκῳ τῷ Ἐλεαζάρῳ τοῦ Πράγκου ἐπέτρεψε). He controlled the larger part of today’s Kosovo. His dominion reached the eastern parts of Raška, the Polimlje in Montenegro and since 1376/1377 Skopje in the east. After the death of Đurađ I Balšić (13th January 1378) he seized the town of Prizren, Peć and the area of Metohija. He minted his own coins and issued charters. He was the son of Prankos Mladenes (ja Grьgurь i bratь mi Vlьkь, synove velikago sevastokratora Bran’ka gospodina že gradu Ohridu). He had two brothers (Nikolaos Radochnas, Grьgurь) and a sister (Theodora). He was married Mara, the daughter of the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, since 1371. They had together three sons (Georgios Bulkos [Đurađ Branković] - ἦν γὰρ Γεώργιος, υἱὸς Βούλκου καὶ γαμβρὸς Λαζάρου, Prankos Bunko [Lazar Branković], Grьgurь [† 1408]). He and his brother Grьgurь gave Nikolaos Radochnas in 1365 the permission to donate the patrimonial church of Saint Archangel with three villages Trstenik, Bežanići, Tušilo and the selište Hudine to the Hilandar Monastery. He added between 1372 and 1396 the villages Banica, Vrьbovьcь, Štučince, Mučivarě near Trьstenik to the endowment of his brother for the Hilandar Monastery (Po sem’ že jaa blagočьsitivi Vlьkь, synь velikago sevastokratora Branьka raspaljaemь božьstvnyim želanïem velikuju věru i ljubovь iměje kь svetěi matery Hrista moego, priložihь domu ei čьstiomu monastiru bišerečen’nye lavry Hilandaru sela priležeštaa Trьsteniku: Banicu, Vrьbovьcь, Štučince, Mučivarě, sь vsěmi megjami i pravinami i sь ōttěsy selь těhь). He was a benefactor of the Kutlumus Monastery on the Mount Athos since 1370. He granted between 1376 and 1377 at the request of the Monk Gerasim, his brother, the Monastery of Saint George-Gorg near Skopje with all possessions to the Hilandar Monastery (Azь, rabь Hristu Vlьkь, vьspominaju vь sьvědenije vsemь, kako pride brat mi Gerasimь poslanijemь monastirьskimь Svetije Gori Athōna, Svetije Bogorodice Hilandarьskije igumnōmь i vsega sьbora hilandarьskoga, i prosiše mi keliju u Skopju, ponježe ne imahu priběžišta ni kelije u Skopiju. I videvь nihь usrьdije i prošenije, i dah monastirь Svetago Geōrьgija s metohōmь i sь seli i sь vsemi pravinami gde se nahodi metohь Svetago Geōrgija ili u gradu ili na dvoru što jestь Svetago Geōrgija, vse priložihь Hilandaru). He is mentioned as a addressee of the embassy sent by the Ragusan republic in 1380 regarding the release of two citizens of Dubrovnik. He confirmed on the 20th January 1387 the privileges and rights of the Ragusan republic concerning the representation of the citizens of town Dubrovnik in the court assembly. He asked in August 1388 the representatives of the Ragusan republic to clear the old debt and to pay the new Tribute of Ston to the Monks in Jerusalem. He participated in the battle of Kosovo along with his father-in-law Lazar and the Bosnian King Tvrtko I. in 1389. The folk epic poetry portrays him in a bad light as a traitor. The fact is that he withdrew his troops from the battlefield. Between 1389 and 1396 he confirmed the privileges of the Ragusan republic. The Ottomans captured in 1391/1392 Skopje. Bulkos was forced by them to become their vassal. He exempted the Hilandar Monastery from paying the tax to the Ottomans on 21th November 1392. The Venetian republic granted him on 9th April 1394 the citizenship. His Čelnik Smilь deposited gold and silver for Bulkos at Dubrovnik in January 1395. He was captured and imprisoned by the Ottomans not long after the battle of Nicopolis. He is portrayed on the western facade of the chapel of Saint George in the Church of the Holy Mother of God Peribleptos at Ōhrid. There is an inscription next to his image (VELIK...GNБ VLБKБ SNБ SEVASTOKRATORA BRANKA). He commisioned a slavic translation of the chronicle of Georgios Monachos (Hamartolos) in 1387 (Pisa se povelěnyjemь gospodina Vlьka).
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Komnene Eudokia
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The last mentioned date of her appearance in the sources is the year 1395. The sources refer to her as κυρὰ, δέσποινα, before 1395. She was the daughter of Alexios III Komnenos, who was the Emperor of Trapezunt and Theodora Komnene Kantakuzene. She was married to Tāj al-Dīn (Τατζιατίνης), the Emir of Jānīk, on 8th October 1379. Her second husband was Konstantinos Dragases (Konstantin Dragaš) or the Byzantine Emperor Ioannes V Palaiologos after 24th October 1386. Her grandson was the Byzantine Emperor Konstantinos XI Palaiologos. Michael Panaretos relates about her journey from Constantinople to the Monastery of Saint Phocas at Kordyle on 4th September 1395. On the following day she returned back to Trapezunt. Georgios Sphrantzes wrote as an argument for the marriage of the Byzantine Emperor Konstantinos XI Palaiologos with Mara Branković the fact, that also Eudokia had married a Turkish chieftain and bore him a child, before she became the wife of Konstantinos’ XI. grandfather. The problem in the account of Sphrantzes is that he does not mention if the husband of Eudokia was from the paternal or maternal side of Konstantinos. Raymond-Joseph Loenertz, Ivan Đurić, Radivoj Radić, Hristo Matanov, Mihailo Popović and Anthony Kaldellis suggest that her husband was Konstantinos Dragases, other scholars plead for the Byzantine Emperor Ioannes V Palaiologos, who appears as the husband of Eudokia in the historical work of Laonikos Chalkokondyles.
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Mladenes
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It is not entirely clear, if he is the same person as Mladen, the castellanus (head or governor) of the town Skopje bond by some kind of dependant relationship to Grgurь Kurjaković (Gregorii de Coriach), who was in a close relationship with the Serbian king Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. The castellanus Mladen appears on the notarial record from 1333 preserved in the Ragusan archive. Mladenes is mentioned in the sources from August 1319 to the period of the reign of the Serbian Ruler Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. He was župan (count) in the region of Trebinje, 1319. Attested as vojvoda (general) since 1323 (Mladeno voivode). He had the governence of the region around Ohrid and Prilep during the reign of the Serbian ruler Stefan Uroš IV Dušan according to the Byzantine historian Laonikos Chalkokondyles (τὰ δὲ περὶ Ὀχρίδα τε καὶ Πριλαπαίων χώραν οὕτω καλουμένην ἐπέτρεψε Μλαδένῃ εὐθύνειν, ἀνδρὶ οὐκ ἀγεννεῖ). He was an offspring of the Vukan family and the son of a certain Gjurgicь according to the Serbian rodoslovi (Zavidь že synь Vlkanōv rodi Gjur’gïcq: I Gjurgicь rōdi Mladena). His son was Branko Mladenović (Prankos Mladenes) and his daughter was Radoslava. He was the brother of Nikola. He addressed on 20th August 1319 a judical decision to the Ragusans. He ruled that Petarь, the son of the župan Toljenь, was guilty and had to pay to Hlapь Valetikь 40 Venetian grosso (Poklonenie knezu i kь ōpьkine ōtь župana Mladena. Uprelь estь Hlapь Valetikь Petra Tolenovika, da bega mu krivь bude, da pravьda mu e naša jukazala gde ti ga može seki, da svoe uzme, ili na nimь ili na negovehь ljudehь, de mu e pravьda naša ukazala da svoe uzme/Die XX augusti 1319 Clape Valetich de Raugia habuit quandam causam cum Petre filio iuban Tolen coram juban Mladen, qui jubanus Mladen judicavit ipsum Petro esse tortum dicto Clappe, et quod dictus Clappe possit se solvere supra dictum Petre et homines suos ubicumque poterit eos invenire, qui in lictera his apposita continetur. Qui Clape petit sibi apposita continetur. Qui Clape petit sibi solidos XL venetorum grossorum). He together with the Serbian King Stefan Uroš III Dečanski forced in 1323 Prodaša (Prodasse), Vladimir and Vitomir to compensate the Ragusans for plundering the valleys of Ombla (Rijeka Dubrovačka) and Malfi (Zaton) and for taking away cattle, clothes and other things from there. The charter of Stefan Uroš III Dečanski from 25th March 1326, in which the Serbian King granted trading rights to the Ragusans, was witnessed by vojvoda Mladenes, tepčija Vladoje and čelnik Gjurašь (A tu běše vojevoda Mladěn i tep’či Vladoje i čel’nikь Gjurašь). He is attested in the written record, which is part of the Serbian prologue from the 14th century (now State Historical Museum, Chludov collection Nr. 189) (Gospodinu mi kralju ōt rabotnika ti voevode Mladěna).
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Mladenes Prankos
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Died probably before 11th March 1365. The chrysobull charter of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V from 11th March 1365 refers to him as Sebastokrator (Romanь, synь sěvastokratora Bran’ka). He held the position of a Governor of Ōhrid between 1355 – 1365 (ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ Βοῦλκον τὸν τοῦ Πράγκου τοῦ Μλαδένεω υἱόν, Καστορίας τε καὶ Ὀχρίδος τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ ἡγεμόνος). His father was Mladen. His sister was Radoslava. He had three sons (Vuk Branković [Bulkos], Radonja [Nikolaos Radochnas], Grgur) and a daughter (Teodora). A psalter, which is now in the collection of the manuscripts in the library of the Romanian Academy of Sciences (Nr. 205), was written in 1346 by a certain Iōanь Bogoslav at the place called Borьčь (Borča) and designed for Branko Mladenović (Prankos Mladenes) (Izvolenijemь božijemь i vьplьštenijemь svetago duha i roždenijemь syna sii psaltirь napisa se pomoštiju božijeju i prěčistyje jego matere vь lěto .ѕōndʹ., jenьdikьto .g., sь potьštanijemь priležnymь i vsesrьdьčnymь jaže u ustavu božьstvьnyhь pisanii, napisa si psaltirь Branьko Mladěnovikь a rukoju mnogogrěšnaago, zavitaago vь sujetii žitiistěmь raba božija Iōana, a zavomь Bogoslava, vь měste rekoměmь Borьčь, vь dьni blagověrьnaago i bogočьtivaago i samodrьžьca vsěhь srьbьskyhь zemlь i pomorьskyhь kralja Stefana i syna mu kralja Uroša, vь to vrěme prěje gospodinь kralь Stěfanь gradь Kosturь, gradь Bělgradь, gradь Kaminu). Two pieces of embroidery, one of which is kept in the Hermitage and the other in the British Museum, belonged to Branko (Prankos Mladenes). The name of the owner and the motif of a lion near the name imply that it was once worn by Branko. His son Radonja/Roman (Nikolaos Radochnas) donated the patrimonial church of Saint Archangel with three villages Trstenik, Bežanići, Tušilo and the selište Hudine, which was granted by the Serbian Emperor to his father Branko, to the Hilandar Monastery. The Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V confirmed the endowment of Radonja/Roman (Nikolaos Radochnas) on 11th March 1365 in a chrysobull charter (I kako prihodi kь carьstvu mi v’sečьstni starьcь Svetije Gori Athona, Romanь, synь sěvastokratora Bran’ka, i uspomenu carьstvu mi kako se jestь zgovorilь svoimь bratōmь Grьguromь i Vlьkōmь, i kako da prilože ōdь svoje baštine crьkvi svetoi Bogorodici hilandarskoi, i za uspomenutije v’sčьsthenoga star’ca Romana svoōm bratiōmь darova mu carьstvo mi crьkovь baštinu a svetago arьhangela s trьmi seli: s Trьstěnikomь i z Běžaniki i s Tušilōmь i selištemь, što jestь dalo bilo carьstvo mi sěvastokratoru Bran’ku s Hudinami ō česa jestь žitěje u Bugare poběglь, a pod crьkovь svetu Bogorodicu hilandar’sku).
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Mpogdanos
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Mentioned in the sources between 1342 and 1371. He was a local ruler (governor) in Macedonia. He controlled the area of the Rhodopemountains according to the later byzantine historian Laonikos Chalkokondyles (Μπόγδανον τὸν τὴν Ῥοδόπην κατέχοντα). His brother was the Despot Jovan Oliver (Ioannes Liberos). He was sent by Stefan Uroš IV Dušan to the Byzantine Emperor Ioannes VI Kantakuzenos in order to greet him and to let him know that the Serbian king will soon arrive (πέμψαντες δὲ πρὸ αὐτῶν Μπογδάνον τὸν Λιβέρου ἀδελφὸν, ἠσπάζοντό τε βασιλέα καὶ ἐδήλουν, ὡς ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον ἀφιξόμενοι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον). The Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan entrusted the region between Serres and the river Vardar to him, because he was skilled warrior and a good man according to the later byzantine historian Laonikos Chalkokondyles (τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ Φερρῶν ἔστε ἐπὶ Ἀξιὸν ποταμὸν Μπογδάνῳ ἀνδρὶ ἀγαθῷ καὶ τὰ ἐς πόλεμον οὐκ ἀδοκίμῳ). After the battle at the river Marica he became a vassal of the Ottoman Sultan Murad I. (μετὰ ταῦτα Μπόγδανον τὸν ταύτῃ ἡγεμόνα ὑπαγόμενος, ὥστε οἱ ἕπεσθαι σὺν τῇ αὐτοῦ στρατιᾷ).
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