| Name |
Class |
Begin |
End |
Relation Type |
Description |
|
Bulkos
|
Person
|
|
|
|
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).
|
|
Gropas Andreas
|
Person
|
|
|
|
Mentioned in different documents and relics from 1371 to 1379. According to the ktitor inscription in the Church Mal sveti Kliment in Ōhrid from 1378 he was the μέγαλος ζούπανος of Ōhrid. The Historia della casa Musachia records, that Andreas Gropas was married with Kiranna, the daughter of Andreas II. Musachi (questo Signor Groppa predetto dʼOcrida hehbe per moglie la Signora Chiranna seconda figlia sua). The sepulchral inscription for Ostoja Rajaković from 1379 reports, that he was the father-in-law of Ostoja Rajaković (zetь župana Grōpe). ). His son-in-law was also Balša Balšić (Balsa suo genero). He had his own coins minted since 1371. So far 27 pieces of these coins have been preserved. One of the coins has the legend „po milosti Božiei velikь županь Gropa gospodinь Ohrid.‟ Six coins mention him as župan. His father-in-law and his son-in-law Balša helped him to liberate the city of Kastoria from the control of the king Markos/Marko Kraljević. According to the Historia della casa Musachia he ruled beside Ōhrid also in Debar (Signor Groppa Signor dʼOcrida overo Debria). Nikolaj D. Ovčarov proposed to read some monogramm attempts found in the Church of Sveta Sofija in Ōhrid as signatures of Andreas Gropa. This ascertainment could lead us to the assumption, that Andreas Gropas had his own chancery.
|
|
Grьgurь (2)
|
Person
|
|
|
|
The identification with Grьgurь, the governor of the region of Polog, and kaisar Grьgurь (Gurguras) is doubtful. Died before 16th July 1398. He appears as dominus in charter from the archives of the Ragusan republic. 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, Bulkos) and a sister (Theodora). He was married to Theodora (uxor quondam domini Gregorii Brancovich fratris sepedicti domini Volch). He and his brother Bulkos 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 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...SEVASTOKRATORA BRANKA).
|
|
Gurguras
|
Person
|
|
|
|
Gregorius Golubich is a central figure in the negotiations between Serbia and Dubrovnik between the years 1362 and 1365, but it is not clear, whether he is the same person as Kaisar Gurguras. Gregorius Golubich strived with his brother Ivan to conclude the peace treaty. Several accounts from the Dubrovnik archive give detail about him and his brother. On the 14th of June 1362 Gregorius and his brother became the citizens of Dubrovnik. Their deposits were under the guarantee of the city of Dubrovnik and obtained the legal position of inviolability in case of the war (Comes Ivan Golubich cum Gregorio fratre suo factus fuit civis Ragusii, et quod possit in omni tempore venire Ragusium, et ibi stare et habitare, et res et bona sua deponere et salvare libere sicut quilibet alius verus ciivis Ragusii. Et si casus ocurreret, quod propter guerram vel propter alium casum prefati comes Ivanus et frater eius Gregorius cum eorum familia, bonis atque rebus aufugerint de Raxia Ragusium, quod libere venire possint et inde recedere cum omnibus bonis suis ad omnem eorum voluntatem sine aliquot impedimento prout quilibet alius civis Ragusii facere possit. Et si aliquot tempore Guerra vel Discordia oriretur inter regnum Raxie et comune Ragusii, quod bona eorum deposita in Ragusio sint salva, et quod impedire non debeat nec intromitti modo aliquo, sed possit libere ipsa facere extrahere et extrahi facere de Ragusio ad omnem ipsorum voluntatem, sicut supra dictum est). In the time between 10th and 15th of July in the year 1362 the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V issued a safe conduct charter for the embassy from Dubrovnik. Grьgurь is mentioned there along with Logothete Dejan as the ambassador of the Serbian ruler (i kako mi ste poručali po logothetě carstva mi po Dejaně i po Grьgurě). On the 6th December 1365 came knez Gregorius Golubich, the deputy of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V, to Dubrovnik in order to collect the Tribute of Ston (Comes Gregorius Golubich, nuncius domini Imperatoris Sclavonie...anni proxime preteriti de mense octobris yperpyros duo mille...Pripchus Murisich et Radoe Posovcich, homines Senchi). Mentioned in the sources between the year 1347 and 1361. He held the title of Kaisar between 1347 and 1361. He received a letter from the pope Clement VI in March 1347. In this document he was asked by the pope to support the intention of the Serbian emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan to join the union with the Latin church (Gregorio Golubie cesari regni Racie). He is mentioned in the chrysobull charter of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan for the Monastery of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel near Prizren, which was issued after august 1347. He gave a moneylender with the name Dabiživ to the monastery. Dabiživ was obliged to donate yearly 18 foxes to the monastery (I sь milostiju i hotěnijemь carьstva mi priloži kesarь Grьgurь crьkvi carьstva mi Arhhaggelu Dabiživa kamatnika, da daje za godište 18 lisicь). He is attested in the forged document of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan for the town Kotor as a witness (i vsego sobora egō i vlastela i sobora carskago Gergura). He appears as a sponsor in the inventory of the crypt in the Church of Saint Nicholas in Bari. He endowed the church with various church vessels. On the 10th of May of the year 1353 the chapter in Bari released an approval for specific church vessels to be sold. The lamps on the list are probably endowments of Gurguras (...Lampas una magna de argento missa ecclesie per Cesarem Sclavonie...; Lampas una magna et suptilis deaurata cum multo labore missa per quemdam Sclav...librarum duarum et unciarum undecim; Lampas una cum catinellis de argento missa per Cesarem Sclavonie...apostolis...duodecim deauratis et cum licteris videlicet Cesar Gregorius me fecit fieri ponderis librarum sex et unciarum decem). According to the inventory from the 5th Februrary of the year 1361 Gurgaras donated to the church also an incense with his coat of arms, mitre with 1008 pearls, stole and maniple (Tumbulum unum de argento deaurato missum per Cesarem Sclavonie ad campanile cum xmaltis quattuor ad aquilas rubeas cum duobus...et cum duobus allis dragonibus et cum cannellis duplis de argento in quibus cannelis sunt...quinque in medio ponderis librarum quattuor et unciarum novem). Mauro Orbini mentions him as a person, which advised the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V (Li suoi primi consiglieri suorono Gregorio Cesar). The inscription above the entrance door to the Church of the Holy Mother of God Zachlumistisa mentions the circumstances of the endowment in the year 1361. The church was erected at the expense of the kaisar Gurguras. The painted decoration of the monastery was commisioned by Gregory, the Bishop of Devol (Ἀνηγέρθη ἐκ βάθρων ὁ θεῖος καὶ πάνσεπτος ναὸς τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου τῆς Ζαχλουμήστισας διʹ ἐξοδου τοῦ πανευτυχεστάτου καίσαρος Γούργουρα καὶ κτήτωρος ἀνιστορίθη δὲ παρὰ τοῦ πανιεροτάτου ἐπισκόπου Δεαβόλαιως καὶ πρωτοθρόνου κύρ Γρηγορίου καὶ κτῆτωρος ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας Στεφάνου τοῦ Οὐροσιοι μηνὶ αὐγούστῳ κεʹ. ͵ϛωξθ ἰνδ. ιδʹ).
|
|
Iakobos
|
Person
|
|
|
|
Mentioned in a written record from 1368 in а Tetraevangelion dated to the 13th century, which is kept in the National Museum in Ohrid under the signature number 75. He was the Hegumen of the Saint Clement Monastery in Ōhrid, 1368. He erected the Church of the Holy Mother of God Bolnička at Ōhrid. He donated the tetraevangelion in the name of the deceased Bishop of Slanitza Antonios to the Church of the Holy Mother of God Bolnička at Ōhrid (τὸ τοιοῦτον θεῖον ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον ἦν τοῦ πανιερωτάτου ἐπισκόπου Σλανίτζης ἤτοι Πέλλης κυροῦ Ἀντωνίου ὅστις ὅτε ἦλθεν καὶ ἶδε τὸν ναὸν τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου ὃν ἀνήγειρεν ἐκ βάθρων ὁ πανοσιώτατος καθηγούμενος τοῦ ἁγίου Κλήμεντος ἕταξε τοῦτο ἵνα ἀφιερῶσι τῷ τοιοῦτῳ θείῳ ναῷ, ἐπιδὴ καὶ ἐπίτροπον ἔταξε τοῦτον εἶναι αὐτοῦ ἔτι ζῶν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἔφθασεν ἀφιερῶσαι τοῦτο ἔτι ζῶν καθὼς καὶ ἕταξεν, ἐσυνέβη δὲ αὐτὸν ἀποδοῦναι τὸ κοινὸν χρέος ἐν τῇ ἐπισκοπῇ αὐτοῦ, μετὰ τὴν τούτου κοίμησιν ἀφιέρωσε τοῦτο κατὰ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ ὁ καθηγούμενος Ἰάκωβος...μήνι ἰαννουαρίῳ ἰνδικτιῶνος ϛʹ: † ἕτους ϛωοϛ †).
|
|
Isaakios Nikephoros
|
Person
|
|
|
|
A short notice of the capture of Berat in 1342/1343 by the sebastokrator of Serbia Isaakios Nikephoros is inserted in the colophon of the manuscript (Dionys. 216/3750) written by the scribe Iakobos, kept in the library of the monastery of Dionysiu (ἐπόνησα πρὸς ταῦτα τῷ ἑξακισχιλιοστῷ αὖθις ὀκτακοσιοστῷ πρὸς τοῖς πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑνὶ ἔτη ἰνδικτηώνος δὲ ἐνδεκάτης. Ἰστέον ὅτι τὸ παρὸν βιβλίον ἐγράφη ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ἔτω τῆς εἰς τὰ Βελλάγραδα εἰσελεύσεως τοῦ σεβαστοκράτωρος Σερβείας κῦρ Νικηφόρω τὸ Ἰσαακίω, χειρὶ δὲ Ἰακώβῳ ἱεροθύτῳ). Isaakios Nikephoros is with all probability identical with the ambassador Chiersacchio mentioned in a document from 25.05.1344 preserved in the archives of the city Dubrovnik (In consilio rogatorum captum fuit "de mittendo unum ambassiatorem Chiersacchio ad honorandum ipsum et presentandum et recommandandum mereatores in partibus illis conversantes". Item "de mittendo dona eidem Chiersacchio, cuidam alii baroni Suberto de yperferis CC"; et alia fuit de perperis CL que vicit".) The sebastokrator Kerьsakь also appears as a donator of the village of Rodokali with hamlets and all rights to the Church of Holy Mother of God Peribleptos in Ōhrid, which was confirmed by the Serbian king Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. (I kako prihodi vseōsvešteni jepiskopь Děvolьski kirь Gligori i uspomenu mi kako jestь priložilь prěljubovni vlastelinь kraljevstva mi sevastokratorь Kerьsakь selo Rodokali, i sь zaselьci i sь vsěmi pravinami sela toga crьkvi Periblepьtu, monastiru kralevstva mi i kraličinu. I kralevstvo mi zapisa i utvrьdi, jako da jestь tvrьdo i nerazorimo do věka i da jestь otь crьkve neotiemlemo do dni i do věka). The Serbian King names him in the same charter as the brother of his kingdom and as the Sebastokrator of the town Ōhrid. The Serbian king mentions his help in the conquest of the region (i sь Hristovomь pomoštiju i prědanijemь brata kraljevstva mi, sebastokratora grada Ōhrid). He is attested together with the archbishop Nikolaos as donor of the large mid-14th century icons of Christ Pantokrator and the Virgin Psychosostria destined for the templon of the Cathedral of St. Sophia at Ōhrid. An inscription is attached to the lower rim of the revetment of the Icon with Christ Pantokrator, which describes him as the sebastokrator Isaakios Dukas (ΥΜΝΟΝ ΕΠΙΝΙΚΟΝ ΩΣ ΘΕΩ ΦΕΡΕΙ ΑΥΤΟΣ Δ· ΕΝΥΛΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΧΟΙΚΟΣ ΤΥΓΧΑΝΩΝ ΔΟΥΚΑΣ ΙΣΑΑΚΙΟΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ ΙΛΑΣΤΗ ΕΙΚΟΝΑ ΗΡΥΣΟΥ ΑΡΓΥΡΟΥ ΤΕ ΤΕΧΝΟΥΡΓΗΜΕΝΗΝ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΔΕΧΟΙΟ ΠΑΜΜΕΔΟΝ ΘΕΟΥ [ΚΡΑΤΟΣ...ΕΙΣ] ΕΞΙΛΑΣΜΑ ΤΩΝ ΑΜΑΡΤΗΜΑΤΟΝ). It is not clear whether the sebastocrator Isaakios is the same person as the Caesar Dukas portrayed together with his prematurely deceased son Demetrios in the ruins of St. Panteleimon in Ōhrid, which is dated 1321 or 1331, shortly before the conquest of Ōhrid by the Serbian king Stefan Uroš IV Dušan.
|
|
Rajaković Ostoja
|
Person
|
|
|
|
He was a surodnikь of Markos/Marko Kraljević. The only information about the career of Ostoja Rajaković is known from the sepulchral inscription above the painted portrait composition in the arcosolium of the narthex in the Church of the Holy Mother of God Peribleptos in Ōhrid (Prěstavi se rabь bžii Ōstoja Rajaković po guslomь Ugarčikь. i surodnikь kralja Marka. zetь župana Grōpe. Lěto 1379 msca oktōmbria. i. ind. 3. Vasь že mlju bratija moja ljubimaja pročitajušte prostite raba, jako vy možete byti kako ja. a ja kako vy nikoliže). The hypothesis about his origin in Hercegovina from the family of Ugarčići is higly probable, although even the fact, that he was a Greek, cannot be excluded. With regard to the employed word gusle the presumption of Friedrich Ress is, that Ostoja Rajaković was a gusle player in the circle of Markos/Marko Kraljević. His opinion was not accepted in the literature.
|
|
Vladojevikь Mladěnь
|
Person
|
|
|
|
Mentioned in the charter of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan in favour of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel near Prizren from 1347/1348. His mother and his family are attested in the charter. He and his family erected the Church of Holy Saviour (Sveti Spas) in Prizren. The Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan donated the Church of Holy Saviour in Prizren with all its possessions to the Monastery of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel near Prizren. He offered Mladěnь the Church of Saint Andrew (or the church, which belonged to Andričь) in Ōhrid instead. The property exchange was confirmed in the charter of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan for the Monastery of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel near Prizren in accordance to the law: church for church, village for village, vineyard for vineyard and mill for mill (I simь ōbrazomь zaměnihь crьkvь Spasa u Mladěna Vladojevikja i u matere jego i u vsega rodьstva jego, rek’še h’titorьst’va ego, i za vse sela s ljud’mi i zemlomь i s vinogradi i sь vsěmi pravinami iže se nahoděše crьkve te, ili u gradu ili u župě ili indě gdě ljubo, nihь volomь i nihь hotěnijemь, a ne někoju nuždeju, zaměnihь i dahь zaměnu u Ohridě An’dričju crьkvь za crьkvь, sela za sela, vinograde za vinograde, mline za mline i što jestь imala crьkvь tazi ōt prěžde, vse mu da carьstvo mi, i zapisahь Mladěnu i jegově materi da si drьže vь město segazi u baštinu kako jestь drьžalь Spasa takozi da si drьži Andričju, a Mladěnь ni jegovь rodimь da vekje ne poište onezi baštine, ni crьkve Spasove iže jestь u Prizrěně).
|