Slavomír
Encyclopedia
Slavomír or Sclagamar was a duke of Moravia
(871). He led a revolt against the Franks
who had annexed Moravia during the incarceration of his relative, Svatopluk I
.
. He seems to have been a discipline of Saints Cyril and Methodius
who had in 863 arrived in Moravia where they established an institution of higher education.
It is possible that Slavomír was one of the "high-ranking hostages" whom his relative, Rastislav
, the duke of Moravia turned over to the Franks in 864, because in that year Bishop Otgar of Eichstätt granted an estate near the Frankish–Moravian border to a certain Slav, Sleimar whose name may be a variant spelling of his name. It is conceivable that Louis the German
, the king of East Francia placed Slavomír-Sleimar under Bishop Otgar's supervision and granted him an estate as a prebend
while he served as a pledge for Rastislav's loyalty.
who appointed two Frankish lords, William
and Engilschalk
to rule over Moravia. Believing that Svatopluk was dead, the Moravians selected Slavimír to be their ruler. Since Slavimír had already been a priest, his election likely indicates that the Moravian ruling dynasty has run out of male heirs by that time.
With Slavimír in rebellion, Carloman decided to employ the common strategy of using one "barbarian" leader to wage war against another. For this purpose he released Svatopluk from prison, and sent him back to Moravia with a large Bavarian army to depose Slavimír. Once again in the battlefield, however, Svatopluk bolted from the Frankish ranks, joined forces with Slavomír, and defeated the army he had just left. Therefore Svatopluk became again the undisputed ruler of Moravia.
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
(871). He led a revolt against the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
who had annexed Moravia during the incarceration of his relative, Svatopluk I
Svatopluk I
Svatopluk I or Zwentibald I was the greatest ruler of Moravia that attained its maximum territorial expansion in his reign . His career had already started in the 860s, when he governed a principality, the location of which is still a matter of debate among historians, within Moravia under the...
.
Early life
Slavomír, according to the Annals of Fulda, was a member of the Moravian ruling dynastyHouse of Mojmír
The House of Mojmír is the modern name of the ruling dynasty of Great Moravia, the Moravian principality and the Principality of Nitra in the 9th and early 10th century....
. He seems to have been a discipline of Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they...
who had in 863 arrived in Moravia where they established an institution of higher education.
It is possible that Slavomír was one of the "high-ranking hostages" whom his relative, Rastislav
Rastislav
Rastislav or Rostislav was the second known ruler of Moravia . Although he started his reign as vassal to Louis the German, king of East Francia, he consolidated his rule to the extent that after 855 he was able to repel a series of Frankish attacks...
, the duke of Moravia turned over to the Franks in 864, because in that year Bishop Otgar of Eichstätt granted an estate near the Frankish–Moravian border to a certain Slav, Sleimar whose name may be a variant spelling of his name. It is conceivable that Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
, the king of East Francia placed Slavomír-Sleimar under Bishop Otgar's supervision and granted him an estate as a prebend
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
while he served as a pledge for Rastislav's loyalty.
Revolt against the Franks
Rastislav was arrested and handed over to the Franks by his own nephew, Svatopluk I in 869 or 870. However, Svatopluk himself was arrested in 870 on the order of the Louis the German's son, CarlomanCarloman of Bavaria
Carloman was the eldest son of Louis the German, king of East Francia , and Hemma, daughter of the count Welf...
who appointed two Frankish lords, William
William (marcha orientalis)
William was the margrave of the March of Pannonia in the mid ninth century until his death on campaign against the Moravians in 871. In his day, the march orientalis corresponded to a front along the Danube from the Traungau to Szombathely and the Rába river and including the Vienna basin...
and Engilschalk
Engelschalk I
Engelschalk I was the margrave of the March of Pannonia in the mid ninth century until his death on campaign against the Moravians in 871. In his day, the march orientalis corresponded to a front along the Danube from the Traungau to the Szombathely and Raba rivers and including the Vienna basin...
to rule over Moravia. Believing that Svatopluk was dead, the Moravians selected Slavimír to be their ruler. Since Slavimír had already been a priest, his election likely indicates that the Moravian ruling dynasty has run out of male heirs by that time.
With Slavimír in rebellion, Carloman decided to employ the common strategy of using one "barbarian" leader to wage war against another. For this purpose he released Svatopluk from prison, and sent him back to Moravia with a large Bavarian army to depose Slavimír. Once again in the battlefield, however, Svatopluk bolted from the Frankish ranks, joined forces with Slavomír, and defeated the army he had just left. Therefore Svatopluk became again the undisputed ruler of Moravia.
See also
- Great MoraviaGreat MoraviaGreat Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
- Louis the GermanLouis the GermanLouis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
- Saints Cyril and MethodiusSaints Cyril and MethodiusSaints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they...
- Svatopluk ISvatopluk ISvatopluk I or Zwentibald I was the greatest ruler of Moravia that attained its maximum territorial expansion in his reign . His career had already started in the 860s, when he governed a principality, the location of which is still a matter of debate among historians, within Moravia under the...