Maps of Power

Grozdanov 2007c

Properties

ID 123368
System Class Bibliography
Bibliography Inbook
Case Study Byzantino-Serbian Border Zones in Transition (1282–1355) , Historical Region of Macedonia TIB 16

Description

Cvetan Grozdanov, Istoriskite portreti vo Pološko (III), in: Živopisot na Ohridskata arhiepiskopija. Studii (ed. Cvetan Grozdanov, Skopje 2007) 161–177.

Relations

Actors (3)
Name Class Begin End Relation Type Description
Dragusinos Ioannes Person He died before 1340. He appears as istin’ny i vsesrьdčny bratь kraljev’stva mi in the chrysobull charter of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan concerning the Church of Saint George at Pološko. He is mentioned as ΑΥΤΑΔΕΛΦΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΙΨΙΛΟΤΑΤΟΥ ΚΡΑΛΙ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΘΕΝΤΟΥ ΗΜΩΝ in the inscription next to his portrait. Most of the scholars believe that he was the son of the Despot Eltimeres and the βασίλισσα Marina. The wording of the inscription next to the portrait of his wife implies that he could be the son-in-law of Eltimeres (ΔΕΗΣΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΔΟΥΛΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΝ... ΣΙΝΒΙΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΘΥΓΑΤΡΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΕΣΠΟΤΟΥ). He had a son (ΔΕΗΣΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΟΥΛΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΔΡΑΓ...ΤΟΥ ΥΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ Ο ΘΕΟΣ ΣΟΣΙ ΑΥΤΟΝ ΗΣ ΕΤ Η ΠΟΛΑ). He was buried in the Church of Saint George at Pološko (ΕΚΟΙΜΙΘΕΙ Ο ΔΟΥΛΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ Ο ΔΡΑΓΟΥΣΙΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΕΣΠΟΤΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΑΛΔΙΜΙΡΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΑΔΕΛΦΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΙΨΙΛΟΤΑΤΟΥ ΚΡΑΛΙ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΘΕΝΤΟΥ ΗΜΩΝ ΓΕΓΟΝΕΝ ΔΕ Ο ΝΑΟΣ ΟΥΤΟΣ ΗΣ ΜΝΙΜΟΣΙΝΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ Ο ΘΕΟΣ ΣΟΣΙ ΑΥΤΟΝ). He is depicted together with his wife below the portrait of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan in the northern section of the western façade of the church.
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.
Marina Person The wording of the greek inscription in the Church of Saint George at Pološko may support the assumption that she accepted the name Maria as a nun. Some authors think that her monk’s name was Marina. Mostly Bulgarian scholars tend to identify her with Marija († 7. 4. 1355) from the epitaph in the Church of Saint Demetrius in Skopje. She lived before 1343/1345 and maybe after it. She appears as βασίλισσα in the greek inscription. She was married to Despot Eltimeres (despotica). It is not clear, whether Ioannes Dragusinos was her son or son-in-law. She was the daughter of the Bulgarian Tsar Smilets. The marriage with Eltimeres took place before 1299. She emigrated to Serbia with her family after the death of her husband probably in 1305. She founded the Church of Saint George at Pološko as the burial place for Ioannes Dragusinos. She commissioned the fresco decoration of the church. Her portrait on the western facade near the entrance of the church is accompanied by a greek inscription (ΔΕΙΣΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΔΟΥΛΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΜΑΡΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ... ΤΗΣ ΒΑΣΕΙΛΙΣΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΝΟΜΑΣΘΕΙΣΗΣ ΜΑΡΙΝΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΤΙΤΟΡΙΣΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΝΑΟΥ). She is depicted as a nun wearing the model of the church. The Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan donated the Church of Saint George at Pološko with endowment at the request of Marina (Maria) to the Monastery of Hilandar (da jestь tazi crьkvь i s těmizi selami Bogorodice hilan’dar’ske do dьni i do věka u pomenь kraljevstva mi i bratu kraljevstva mi Dragušinu i u večnu pametь, s volomь i sь hotěnijemь kraljevstva mi despotice).