Maps of Power

Bulgarians

Properties

ID 236
System Class Group
Case Study Byzantino-Serbian Border Zones in Transition (1282–1355) , Historical Region of Macedonia TIB 16

Relations

Actors (15)
Name Class Begin End Relation Type Description
Armpenos Person Nobleman Mentioned in 1343 by the Byzantine historian Ioannes Kantakuzenos. He came from Chlerenos (Florina). He was a subservient of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. The Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan entrusted him with the task to negotiate with the inhabitants of Beroia about the surrender of their town. Armpenos contacted the Byzantine Emperor Ioannes VI Kantakuzenos and persuaded the assembly of Beroia’s citizens to join the emperor.
Asanes Manuel Person κῦρ/Kirь Probably identical with a certain Asan, who was according to the anonymous pamphlet written after 1344, a member of a secret organisation (Ἀσὰν κρατοῦντος ἀνεψιὸς πρῶτος, ἐκ Βυζαντίου, μύρων ἀπόζων, αὐτάδελφος τούτου Βιζύηθεν, τῶν φιλικῶν οἴκων ἐπίτροπος ἅγρυπνος, θεῖός τε τούτων Πομφόλυξ Ἀσὰν). He is mentioned in the sources between 1343 and 1345. He appears as κῦρ in the sales contract of Konstantinos and Athanasios Georgilas . He was the son of Ioannes III Mytzes Asanes and Eirene Asanina Komnene Palaiologina. His brothers were Michael Palaiologos Komnenos Asanes, Andronikos Palaiologos Komnenos Asanes, Isaakios Palaiologos Asanes and Konstantinos Palaiologos Asanes. His sisters were Theodora Palaiologina Asanina and Maria. He was the uncle of the empress Eirene Kantakuzenos, the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Ioannes VI Kantakuzenos. He owned some houses at Serres in the vicinity of the estates, which were sold by Konstantinos and Athanasios Georgilas to the Monastery of Saint John Prodromos near Serres in 1343 (μέχρι καὶ τῶν οἰκημάτων τοῦ περιποθήτου θείου τοῦ βασιλέως αὐθέντου ἡμῶν κὺρ Μανουὴλ τοῦ Ἀσάν). During the siege of Serres in 1345 he was the leader of the party, which succeeded in delivering the city to the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan (Φεραῖοι, τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας ἀποστάντες, προσχωρήσουσιν ἑκόντες Τριβαλοῖς, τοῦ Κράλη αὐτοῖς ὑποσχομένου τῆς πόλεως ἀποδείξειν ἄρχοντας, ἂν τοιαῦτα τοὺς πολίτας πείθωσιν· ὧν ἦν κεφάλαιον Ἀσάνης ὁ Μανουὴλ, θεῖος πρὸς πατρὸς Εἰρήνῃ τῇ βασιλίδι).
Asanь Tutko Person Nobleman Mentioned in the two variants of the chrysobull charter confirming the donations of Hrelja to the Hilandar Monastery in the area of Štip and Strumica issued by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan and in the charter of the Serbian Despot Jovan and Konstantin Dragaš and their mother Evdokija for the the Monastery Hagios Panteleemon on Mount Athos from 1376/1377. He was a pronoiarios. He possessed along with Tutko Asanь the settlement site Štuka and a parcel of land. In the second variant of the inauthentic chrysobull charter is the land held by Laskarь Siderofai and Tutko Asanь described only as neighbouring the village Sekirnik (Selište Štuka i komatь zemlje što su drьžali pronijarije grьčьscïi Tut’ko, Asanь, Laskarь Siderofai, konь Sekir’nika do potoka i više puta i podь putь i niže krьsta/ i zemlju što su drьžali pronijarije grьčьsci Tutko, Asanь, Laskarь Siderofai, konь Sěkir’nika do potoka i više puta i podь putь i niže krьsta). A land near Strumica, the church of the priest Simona Prьkja and an area in its vicinity, which belonged to Laskarь Siderofai and Tutko Asanь, were the subject of a land dispute between the Hilandar Monastery and the Monastery Hagios Panteleemon on the Holy Mount Athos. An arbitration-comitee was summoned at the behest of the Serbian Despot Konstantin Dragaš to resolve the conflict. Danilь, Bishop of Vodoča and Strumica, Grigorije, the Bishop of Banьska, and Stanko, the Pristav of the governor of Strumica, deliminated the boundary between both litigants in the presence of witnesses (o zemli konь Strumice i crkvi popa Simona Prьkje i zemli Laskara Siderofaga i Tutkově). According to the charter of the bishops a gathering of noblemen and people witnessed in the time of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan that the land of Tutko Asanь and Laskarь Siderofai did not extend as far as the village of Mokrievo and Mokrani (Tokožde i za zemlju Laskara Siderofaga i Tutkovu – ně bila u grьčkje d’ni s Makrijevom ni s Mokrani, i pri cari Stefaně znamo: uze gusa konje careve i ljudi izbiše, i posla carь da plati okolina priselicu, i izide okolina vsa, vlastele i hora, i rekoše prěd gospodinom caremь Stepanom: ničija od nasь zemlja ně, tьkmo Hilandarska, i dalь ju je Hrelia kjesarь Hilandaru, i imaju siju u hrisvuli cara Stepana). In 1376/77 the mother of the Serbian Despots Jovan and Konstantin Dragaš, Evdokija, donated together with her sons the village of Mokrievo with boundaries, summer pasture, mountain, vineyards, fruit trees, watermill, vegetable gardens, field, meadow, hunting grounds, river and fords and the land of Tutko and Siderofaiev to the Monastery Hagios Panteleemon on Mount Athos (Selo Makrijevo sinoromь, sь planinomь, zь brьdomь, sь vinogradi, s voštьjemь, sь vodeničьjemь, sь kipurijami, sь poljemь, sь lugomь, sь lovišti, sь rekomь, zь brodovi, i zemlju Tutkovu i zemlju Sideropsajevu).
Bladimer Person σεβαστός/Sevastь Mentioned in the prayer inscription on the southern pilaster in front of the apse of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Melnik from 1274/1275. He appears as a sebastos in the inscription. His brother was the sebastos Frangos. He commisioned probably the fresco decoration of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Melnik (δέησις τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θεοῦ σεβαστοῦ τοῦ Βλαδιμήρου αὐταδέλφου σεβαστοῦ τοῦ Φράγγου).
Dejanь Person σεβαστός/Sevastь The identification with the duke (vojvoda) Dejanь Manijaakь (Deianus Maniiachus), known from the charter of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan concerning the town Ston, which was issued on the 22th January 1333, is doubtful. It was also suggested that he is the same person as Dejanь Dragaš. He is mentioned in the fragmentary inscription from the Church of Saint Nicholas in the village Kalotina, which was made during the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Alexander. He is also attested in the ktitorial composition from the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in Kučevište, which bears an identifying inscription. The wall paintings in Kučevište can be dated between 1331 and 1334. He appears as sevastь in the dedicatory inscription from Kalotina. He held the position of voivoda (duke). His wife was Vladislava. The names of their sons were Iōanь and Dmitarь?. He together with his wife Vladislava erected the Church of Saint Nicholas in the village Kalotina. His effort is praised in the dedicatory inscription in the naos of the church. He and his wife are portrayed on the southern wall of the narthex in the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the village Kučevište. On the right side of his painting an inscription is bearing his name and his function (voivoda Deanь). He and his noble family apparently changed sides and supported the Serbian king Stefan Uroš IV. Dušan.
Dmitrь (3) Person κτήτωρ/Κτίτωρ/Ktitorь Probably identical with the duke Dmitrь. He is attested for the first time as milostnikь (guarantee of the legal procedure) in the charter of the Serbian Despot Konstantin Dragaš for the Hilandar Monastery concerning the Monastery of Saint Archangel Michael in Lesnovo from 15th August 1381. He is also mentioned in the charter of the Serbian Despot Konstantin Dragaš for the Hilandar Monastery from the year 1388 and the confirmation charter of the Serbian Despot Konstantin Dragaš for the Church of Ascension in the Štip from 26th March 1388, which has been preserved in the Monastery Hagios Panteleemon on the Holy Mount Athos. The expression „istini i vьsesrьdьčni surodnikь i brat gospodstva mi vojevoda Dmitrь“ used in both charters was perceived by Matanov as a description of blood relationship between Konstantin Dragaš and Dmitrь. Matanov assumes that Dmitrь was the son of Dejan (Dragaš) and Konstantin was his brother. Dmirь got three villages (Kozjak, Rurak and Krivi Dol) as his inherited property from the Serbian Despot Konstantin Dragaš for his loyal service (I sela iže jestь iznašьlь brat gospodstva mi vojevoda Dmitrь, iže mu jestь darovalo gospodstvo mi za jegovo pravověrno porabotanie). Dmitrь bought before 1388 an estate in the town of Štip and erected the Church of Ascension on this place (I město ježe jestь iznašьlь bratь gospodstva mi Dmitrь vojevoda i kupilь u Štipu gradu sь v’sěmi pravinami města togo, ideže i sьzidalь otь osnovania crьkvь Vьznesenia Gospoda Boga i spasa naša Iisusa Hrista). Dmitrь endowed the Church of Ascension in Štip with the three villages and other properties and asked the Serbian Despot Konstantin Dragaš to legalise his donation. The Serbian Despot confirmed his endowment in front of witnesses. Probably in the same year Dmitrь petitioned the Serbian Despot again. He donated the Church of Ascencion in Štip with the possessions and rights to the Hilandar Monastery. Konstantin Dragaš allowed and confirmed the transaction of Dmitrь in a separate charter). Mentioned in the supplicant inscription on the facade above the southern door of the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in Kučevište. The inscription can be dated between 1331 and 1334. His parents were Dejanь and Vladislava. His brother was Iō(v)anь. He appears in the supplicant inscription on the facade above the southern door of the church of the Presentation of the Virgin in Kučevište (Primi gdi moleniie rabe svoie Vladislave i čěda eie Iōvana i Dmitra bg da ihь pomene v carstva svoemь).
Doja Person κτητόρισσα/Ktitorica Mentioned in the inscription next to the portrait of a woman on the south wall of the Church of Saint John the Theologian at the Zemen Monastery. The depiction is part of the ktitorial composition. The wall painting of Doja can be dated around 1360. She was the spouse of Dejanь? She was the mother of Vitomirь and Stajo. She was a sponsor of the Church of Saint John the Theologian at the Zemen Monastery. She is portrayed on the southern wall of the naos in the church next to her husband. On the right side of the painting of Doja is an inscription (i podružie ego doja i čǫda imь).
Dragusinos Ioannes Person Nobleman 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.
Eirene Person Nobleman She lived before 28 July 1362. Her father was probably Michael Palaiologos Komnenos Asanes. She was buried in the Church of Saint Elijah at Dojran. A marble slab in the narthex of the church dedicated to her bears three inscriptions. The monogram is written in Greek and describes the slab as her tombstone (Τάφος Εἰρῄνης θυγατρός Μιχαήλ Κριβαβατζιτζ?). The slavic inscription contains the details concerning the death of Eirene (měseca julě ki dьnь prěstavi se raba božija erina kьki mahaila krьvavčiikě? ѕ ō o ie). The last Greek inscription in four dodecasyllables gives an account of her old and noble descent (Σὺ δ’ εἰπὲ, λίθε τίνα κρατεὶς νεκρόν κόρην τρίφεραν τοῦ Μιχαὴλ πάλαι γόνῳ τρισευκλεῦ μεγίστῃ ἐκ βασιλέων ἐρρεύσεν εἰς τὴν ἀλλὰ παπαῖ τῆς τύχης).
Eltimeres Person despot/Δεσπότης 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.
Frangos Person σεβαστός/Sevastь Mentioned in the prayer inscription on the southern pilaster in front of the apse of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Melnik from 1274/1275. He appears as sebastos in the inscription. His brother was the Sebastos Bladimer. His brother commisioned probably the fresco decoration of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Melnik (δέησις τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θεοῦ σεβαστοῦ τοῦ Βλαδιμήρου αὐταδέλφου σεβαστοῦ τοῦ Φράγγου).
Iō(v)anь (1) Person κτήτωρ/Κτίτωρ/Ktitorь Attested on the painting from the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in Kučevište, which bears an identifying inscription. The wall paintings in Kučevište can be dated between 1331 and 1334. Mentioned also in the supplicant inscription on the facade above the southern door of the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in Kučevište. His parents were Dejanь and Vladislava. His brother was Dmitarь. He is portrayed as a young man on the northern wall of the narthex in the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the village Kučevište. His identity is confirmed by an inscription bearing his name (Iōanь). On the facade above the southern door of the church there is supplicant inscription of Vladislava and her sons (Primi gdi moleniie rabe svoie Vladislave i čěda eie Iōvana i Dmitra bg da ihь pomene v carstva svoemь).
Marina Person Nobleman 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).
Raiko Person οἰκεῖος Maybe identical with the nephew of Momčilo, who was let in to the town of Peritheorion with 50 soldiers by its inhabitants in 1345. Mentioned in the prostagma charter of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan, which was issued between September and December 1345. He appears as οἰκεῖος of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan in the prostagma charter. He held the position of kephale (governor) of Trilision and Brontu, 1345. Rajko was asked by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan to not collect the toll from the 25 nomismata intented for Kyprianos, the Bishop of Pheremai. Rajko should also bring the prostagma, which was issued on this occasion between September and December 1345, to Kyprianos.
Vladislava (1) Person σεβαστή/Sevasьtica Mentioned in the fragmentary inscription from the Church of Saint Nicholas in the village Kalotina, which was made during the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Alexander. Attested also in the ktitorial composition from the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in Kučevište, which bears an identifying inscription. The wall paintings in Kučevište can be dated between 1331 and 1334. She appears as sevasьtica in the inscription from the Church of Saint Nicholas. She was married to the duke (voivoda) Dejanь. The names of their sons were Iōanь and Dmitarь?. She together with her husband Dejanь erected the Church of Saint Nicholas in the village Kalotina. Their effort is praised in the dedicatory inscription in the naos of the church. She and her husband are portrayed next to the Serbian King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan and her wife Jelena on the southern wall of the narthex in the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the village Kučevište. Her identity is confirmed by an inscription bearing her name (voivodica Vladislava). Her noble family apparently changed sides and supported the Serbian king Stefan Uroš IV. Dušan. On the facade above the south door of the church there is supplicant inscription of Vladislava and her sons (Primi gdi moleniie rabe svoie Vladislave i čěda eie Iōvana i Dmitra bg da ihь pomene v carstva svoemь).