Maps of Power

Jelena (3)

Helena

Properties

ID	132066
System Class	Person
Case Study	Byzantino-Serbian Border Zones in Transition (1282–1355) , Historical Region of Macedonia TIB 16
Sex	Female

Description

Mentioned in the colophone (170b) of the festal Menaion, which has been preserved in the Chludov collection of the manuscripts at the State Historical Museum in Moscow under the signature 164. The manuscript was written between the years 1371 and 1394. She was the daughter of Radoslabos Chlapenos and Eirene Prelumpissa. She was married to King Markos. The marriage to Đurađ I Balšić is preserved in the later work of Mauro Orbini. Markos divorced her and then lived with Thodora, who was the daughter or wife of a certain Grьgurь, probably Grьgurь Branković. After the romance with Thodora ended, Markos gave Thodora to Radoslabos Chlapenos and remarried Jelena according to dijak Dobre, who wrote about it in a note in the festal Menaion (Pysa se sija knyga u Porěči, u selě zovom Kalugerecь vь dьni blagověrnago kralja Mar’ka, jegda ōdade Thodoru Grьgurovu ženu Hlapenu, a uze ženu svoju prьvověn’čan’nu Jelenu, Hlapenovu dьštere). Markos divorced her again because of her bad behaviour according to Mauro Orbini. She then resided in town of Kastoria. Đurađ I Balšić, who wanted to seize Kastoria, persuaded Jelena into marriage. After Đurađ I Balšić divorced his first wife, Jelena ceded the town of Kastoria to him and became his wife.

literature

Adžievski 1994 — 256-257 , Dinić-Knežević 1974 — 142 , Dinić-Knežević 2005 — 61 , Grujić 1935a — 188 , Jireček 1911-1918 — II, 105 , Katić 1967 — 277 , Kašanin 1990 — 304 , Mihajlovski 2005 — 192 , Mihaljčić 1989a — 198 , Mirković 1924/1925 — 28 , Orbini 1601 — 290 , Pop-Atanasov/Velev/Jakimovska-Tošiḱ 1997 — 86 , Popov 1872 — 346 , Popović 1988 — 20 , Soulis 1984 — 103. 222, n. 147 , Stojanović 1902-1926 — I, Nr. 189 (58-59) , Tichomirov 1969 — 294 , Tomin 2005 — 211-219 , Ugrinova-Skalovska 1975 — 27 , Šuica 1995 — 172 , Šuica 2009a — 360

Relations

Actors (2)

Name	Class	Begin	End	Relation Type	Description
Chlapenos Radoslabos	Person			ParentOf(ChildOf)	Identical with Radoslav’ (Povikь?)? It is doubtful, that he is the same person as the župan Hlapen, who governed Konavle and the region of Trebinje. He died before 1385. He was a commandant of the Serbian military troops in Macedonia, 1350. He controlled a large area in Macedonia in the border region, 1357–1362. He was a relative of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. He married Eirene Prelumpissa in 1358 (ὅθεν καὶ γυναῖκα λαμβάνει τὴν τοῦ Πρελούμπου ἐκείνου γαμετήν). He was the father of Helena. According to a manuscript note she was married to Marko Mrnjavčević (vь dьni blagověrnago kralja Mar’ka, jegda ōdade Thodoru Grьgurovu ženu Hlapenu, a uze ženu svoju prьvověn’čan’nu Jelenu, Hlapenovu dьštere). His second daughter was the wife of Nikolaos Baldubinos Pagases [Νικόλαος Βαλδουβῖνος Παγάσης/Nikola Bagaš] (ἀπὸ τοῦ πενθεροῦ μου Ῥαδοσλάβου τοῦ Χλαπένου). The third daughter called Maria Angelina Radosthlaba married Alexios Angelos Philantropenos. Mauro Orbini, a Ragusan chronicler from 16th century, who used older sources, mentions also a son of him called Stefan-Dukas (I maschi si chiamauno Duca & Stefano). He defected in 1350 along with Tolisthlabos from the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan to the Byzantine Emperor Ioannes VI Kantakuzenos (ἧκον δὲ καὶ αὐτόμολοι δύο ἐξ αὐτῶν· ὧν ἅτερος τῶν μάλιστα ἦν ἐπιφανῶν, κατὰ γένος προσήκων Κράλῃ, Χλάπαινος ὠνομασμένος, στρατιάν τε ἔχων ὑφ’ ἑαυτὸν οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον καὶ πολλὴν περιουσίαν· ὁ λοιπὸς δὲ οὐ τῶν πάνυ περιδόξων ἦν, πλὴν κἀκεῖνος ἀρχάς τε πόλεων ἐγκεχειρισμένος καὶ στρατοπέδων ἡγεμονίας, ὄνομα Τολίσθλαβος). After a while he switched sides again and joined most likely the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. He captured Beroia before 1359, probably in 1351 (Οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ Χλάπενος, εἷς ὢν τῶν Σερβικῶν σατραπῶν καὶ τινα φρούρια ἐκ τῶν Ῥωμαï κῶν ὁρίων εἰληφώς, ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ τὴν μεγαλόδοξον πόλιν Βέῤῥοιαν, μεγάλως ἐπὶ τοὶς κατορθώμασιν ἐσέμνυνεν). He witnessed the apparently falsified charter issued by the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V in 1355 for the inhabitants of the town of Kotor (Radosav Chlapene). He acted as a protector of the inheritance right of his wife and his stepson Toma Preljubović (Θωμᾶς Πρέλουμπος). Therefore he seized the Thessalian town Damasis in 1359/1360 (Τῇ Βλαχίᾳ δὲ φθάσας μετὰ τῶν στρατευμάτων καὶ φρούριον ἓν πολιορκία εἰληφώς, Δάμασιν καλούμενον, εἰς συμβάσεις μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Συμεὼν χωροῦσι, καὶ τὸ φρούριον τούτῳ παραχωρεῖ). He gave up the town of Damasis to Simeon Uroš (Συμεὼν Παλαιολόγος) on condition of arranging the marriage between Maria Angelina Komnene Palaiologina, the daughter of Simeon, and Toma Preljubović (Θωμᾶς Πρέλουμπος). He founded the Mesonesiotissa Monastery near Kastoria (καὶ ἂν κατὰ διαδοχὴν καὶ κληρονομίαν ἔλαβον ἀπὸ τοῦ πενθεροῦ μου Ῥαδοσλάβου τοῦ Χλαπένου σεβασμίαν καὶ ἱερὰν μονὴν, τὴν παρ’ ἐκείνου ἀνεγερθεῖσαν ἐκ βάθρων αὐτῶν τῇ ὑπερευλογημένῃ ἡμῶν δεσποίνῃ καὶ θεομήτορι, τὴν οὕτω πως καλουμένην Μεσονησιώτισσαν). Apparently his ring was found on a medieval necropolis of the Vodoča Monastery near Strumica. It bears an invocation (Izvolite raba Božija Hlapena).
Markos	Person			Spouse	The fragmentary preserved inscription above the entrance on the south wall of the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Drenovo, which is dated to 1356 or later, refers to a painter Dimitr’, who worked on the decoration of the church Drenovo after the death of the Serbian Emperor Stefan (probably Uroš IV Dušan) at the same time as the dominion was controlled by Nikola (Nikola Stanjevikь?) and Marko (Markos, the King?) (sьzda se hram’ si v’ lě.. ѕ i ō.....i azь Dimitr’ zugraf priloh’ vь hramь sei...lě..z i d i pisah’ pri drž’avě Nikole i Markě po smrьti svetorodnago cara Stefana). The hypothesis about the identity of Marko from the inscription and Markos was refuted by Evgenij P. Naumov. He died on 17th May 1395. He appears in the sources as mladi kralj. He was the co–ruler of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V, 27.9.1371–2. (4.) 12. 1371, since 2. (4). 12. 1371 formal king of the Serbian Empire. He was the son of the Serbian King Demetrios Blukasinos and Lena. His siblings were Andrěašь, Dmitьrь, Ivanišь and Olivera. He was married to Jelena, the daughter of Radoslabos Chlapenos. He divorced her and lived then with Thodora, who was the daughter of a certain Grьgurь, probably Grьgurь Branković. After the romance with Thodora ended, Markos gave Thodora to Radoslabos Chlapenos and remarried Jelena according to dijak Dobre, who wrote about it in a note in the festal Menaion (Pysa se sija knyga u Porěči, u selě zovom Kalugerecь vь dьni blagověrnago kralja Mar’ka, jegda ōdade Thodoru Grьgurovu ženu Hlapenu, a uze ženu svoju prьvověn’čan’nu Jelenu, Hlapenovu dьštere). Markos divorced her again because of her bad behaviour according to Mauro Orbini. The later Greek chronicler Makarios Melissenos relates that Andronikos IV Palaiologos, the son of the Byzantine Emperor Ioannes V Palaiologos, together with his father-in-law Markos, who ruled over the Bulgarian land, sought help at the court of the Ottoman Sultan (καὶ τοῦ πενθεροῦ αὐτοῦ Μάρκου τοῦ τῆς Βουλγαρίας ἔτι μέρος δεσπόζοντος). In July 1361 he was in Dubrovnik as an emissary. The Ragusans gave him back his silver deposit under the condition that he will not trade with it and with the 25 pounds of silver, which belonged to Lena, his mother (Prima pars est de restituendo Marco ambaxiatori argentum suum cum hac conditione, quod non possit emere mercationes cum ipso nisi de libris XXV argenti uxoris Volcassini). Demetrios Blukasinos intended to marry Markos to the daughter of the Croatian nobleman Gregor Pavlović Šubić. Demetrios Blukasinos contacted therefore the Bosnian King Tvrtko at whose court the woman lived as a protégé. The plan of Demetrios Blukasinos failed because of the opposition of Pope Urban V, who did not allow to marry the catholic princess to schismatic Markos. Pope Urban V expressed his point of view to Tvrtko in a letter from April 1370 (quodque tu eandem puellam tradere nuptui filio mangnifici viri Regis Rascie scismatico absque dictorum parentum voluntate procuras, in anime ipsius puelle periculum, eorundem parentum iniuriam et offensam fidei christiane). Markos is attested along with his mother Lena and his brother Andrěašь in the charter of the Serbian King Demetrios Blukasinos for the Ragusan Republic, which was issued on 5th April 1370 (i po vʼse dni veselešti mi se vь zemʼli kraljevstva mi sь prěvьzljubljenʼnomь kraljestva mi kralicomь kyra Lěnom i sь prěvьzʼljubʼljenʼnimi synovi kraljevstva mi Markomь i Anьdrějašemь). The Church of Saint Sunday (Sveta Nedela) in Prizren was renovated under the patronage of Markos in 1370/1371. He is attested as a young king in the ktirorial inscription (izvōljenjemь ōtca i vьplьštenijemь sina i blagodětiju svetago duha. sii svety i božьstvny hramь prěčьstïe vladičice naše bogordice. vьhoda ne sьzda se ï popisa. Pōvělěnïemь ï sь ōtkupōmь gospodina mladago krala marka lěto ·ѕ·ō·o·th· indiktiōn th). Ioannes Unklesis mentioned Markos in the charter for the Monastery Lavra on the Holy Mount Athos from April 1371 as his anepsei. Markos and Demetrios Blukasinos planned a campaign against Nikola Altomanović in the spring 1371. They camped near Skutari, on the territory of their ally Đurađ I Balšić, in July 1371 and were ready to attack Onogošt in the land of Altomanović (Li çintili homini et lo comun di Ragusa reçevi una littera, la qual lor mandasti tu Andrea Pastrovich, dando lor a savere, ca Jura cum misser lo re Volchassin et cum Marco suo fio, cum lor hoste son suta Scutari, et va sovra çuppan Nicola o in Anagast). The attack never took place, because the Ottomans threatened Ioannes Unklesis. Demetrios Blukasinos rushed to help his brother. After Ioannes Unklesis and Demetrios Blukasinos were killed at the battle of Marica on 26th September 1371, Markos became the co–ruler of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V. When the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V. died on 2th (or 4th) December 1371, Markos became the formal king of the Serbian Empire, but his rule was never accepted by the local Serbian aristocrats. Subsequently, the Serbian local aristocrats took advantage of the militarily weakened position of Markos and gradually seized large parts of his lands. Lazar took very early Priština and Novo Brdo, in 1372 Đurađ I Balšić occupied Prizren, later Kastoria, Bulkos (Vlkь Brankovikь) controlled since 1376/1377 the Skopje area and Konstantinos Dragases with his brother Ioannes expanded also their territory at the expense of Markos. Markos ruled since then over the area of Pelagonia and had his stronghold in Prilep. Markos minted his own coins. Markos renovated also the Church of the Saint Archangels in Prilep around 1372. The main entrance to the church is flanked by the painted portrait of Demetrios Blukasinos and Markos, who is depicted in the white sakkos. The portrait of Markos bears an inscription (Vь hrista boga věrenь kralь Marko). Markos became the vassal of the Ottoman sultan following the meeting at Serres in winter 1393/1394. Markos rebuilt the Saint Demetrius Monastery near the village Sušica (the so-called Marko’s Monastery) between 1376/1377 and 1381 (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). The lunette of the south door of the monastery church is decorated with his portrait. Markos is shown holding a horn in his right hand and a scroll with the inscription Azь vь Hrista Boga blagověrьni kralь Markos sьzdahь i popisahь sy božestvni hramь. He together with his brother Markos marched in 1389 with the troops of the Ottoman Sultan Murad I against the army of the Serbian Prince Lazaros (Lazar Hrebeljanović) and Bulkos (Vuk Branković) according to the Tronoški rodoslov from the 18th century (Amuratь že ōbrativь voinstvō skoe na deržavu lazarevu, predvodimь markomь i andreemь). He together with Konstantinos Dragases as Ottoman vassals marched on the side of the Sultan Bayazid I. against the Wallachian army led by Mircea the Elder. He perished in the battle of Rovine on 17th May 1395. Markos is the hero of the Serbian epic poetry.