Stefan Nemanja
Encyclopedia
Stefan
Nemanja (Old Church Slavonic
: , , ˈstɛfan ˈnɛmaɲa ; ca
1113 – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince
(Veliki Župan
) of the Grand Principality of Serbia (Rascia) from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty
that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm (he is the founding father of the Nemanjić dynasty
).
He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture
and history
, being the founder of the powerful Serbian state that would evolve into the Serbian Empire
, and the national church
. He was the father of Stefan Nemanjić, the first King of Serbia, and of Saint Sava
, the first archbishop
of the Serbian Orthodox Church
.
After his death, Stefan Nemanja was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church under the name Saint Simeon the Myrrh-streaming (Свети Симеон Мироточиви) after numerous alleged miracles following his death. He is regarded the most remarkable Serb
according to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
.
, capital of Montenegro
. He was the youngest son of Zavida
, a Prince of Zahumlje
, who after a conflict with his brothers was sent to Ribnica where he had the title of Lord. Zavida (Beli Uroš) was most probably a son of Uroš I or Vukan I. As western Zeta was under Roman Catholic jurisdiction, Nemanja received a Catholic baptism.
After the defeat of Nemanja's kinsmen Đorđe of Duklja
and Desa Urošević and the exodus of that branch of the Vojislavljević family by the Byzantines, Zavida and his family went to the hereditary family estates of Rascia. Upon his arrival in Ras, the capital of Rascia, Nemanja was re-baptised in the Eastern Orthodox Church
, in the Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul which was an episcopal see.
(Župan
) of Ibar, Toplica, Rasina
and Reke" after receiving the česti (parts of the state) by Manuel I. Manuel had appointed the first-born Tihomir
as the supreme Grand Prince of the Serb lands, Stracimir
ruled West Morava, Miroslav
ruled Zahumlje
and Travunia
.
In 1163, Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
installed Nemanja's older brother Tihomir
as Grand Župan of Rascia in Desa's place, which disappointed Nemanja greatly, as he expected that he would get the throne. Nemanja met Emperor Manuel in Niš
in 1162, who gave him the region of Dubočica
to rule over and declared him independent. The Emperor gave him a Byzantine court title as it was important for the Emperor to have the borderlands of the Empire ruled by loyal leaders. Nemanja's Serb squadrons fought in the Imperial Army in 1164 in Srem
during the wars against the Kingdom of Hungary
. Nemanja ruled independently, as he built the Monastery of Saint Nicholas in Kuršumlija
and the Monastery of the Holy Mother of Christ near Kosanica
-Toplica, without the approval of his older brother, the Grand Župan of Rascia. His brothers invited him to a council at Ras, supposedly to resolve the situation, but instead they imprisoned him and held him in a nearby cave. The lands of Nemanja were seized but Nemanja's supporters conspired to the church that Tihomir had done all this because of a disapproval of church building and thus became targeted by the clergy, something that would help Nemanja greatly.
According to a myth, Saint George
himself freed him from the cave.
Between 1166 and 1168, Prince Nemanja rebelled against his older brother, the Grand Župan of Rascia
, deposed him and exiled him with his brothers, Miroslav
and Stracimir
. The Byzantine Emperor raised a mercenary
army for Tihomir, made up of Greeks
, Francs and Turks
, which was defeated by Nemanja at the Battle of Pantino
, south of Zvečan
. Tihomir drowned in the river of Sitnica
, and the other brothers surrendered to Nemanja, continuing to rule their previous lands. Nemanja assumed the title of Grand Župan
of all Serbia , and took the first name Stefan (from Greek
Stephanos meaning "crowned").
Nemanja married a Serbian noblewoman, Ana
, with whom he had three sons: Vukan, Stefan and Rastko
.
for freeing him from the cave in which he was imprisoned by his brothers. The same year, Nemanja had his third son - Rastko
. Nemanja attributed his rise to power to none other than Saint George.
In 1171, Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja sided with the Venetian Republic in a dispute with the Byzantine Empire
, with the aim of gaining full independence from Byzantine rule. The Venetians incited the Slavs of the eastern Adriatic littoral to rebel against Byzantine rule and Nemanja wished to join them, launching an offensive towards the coastal city of Kotor
. A German
fleet was formed to replace the Venetian navy, and it advanced eastwards in the September of 1171, capturing Ragusa
. Nemanja was ready to make a full-scale rebellion. Nemanja also made an alliance with the Kingdom of Hungary
, and, though the Hungarians, with the Duchy of Austria. Grand Prince Nemanja dispatched a force to the Morava valley
in 1172, to jeopardise communications and the traffic between Niš
and Belgrade
and to instigate a rebellion amongst the local Serbs at Ravno
. As a result, the Serb citizens of Ravno refused to allow passage to the King of Saxony Heinrich the Lion. The Serbs organised a surprise attack on the German camp; they then attacked their own neighbours and disturbed the peace in the local region. In 1172, Nemanja joined the anti-Byzantine coalition with the Kingdom of Hungary
, the Venetian Republic and the Holy Roman Empire
. The alliance, however, soon collapsed as Venice faced a mutiny and an outbreak of plague
that devastated her navy, while the King of Hungary
died and a new, pro-Byzantine, King ascended the throne, so the Rascian Grand Prince was left alone. The same year the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
launched an expedition against Rascia and defeated Nemanja's forces, so the Grand Župan met him in Niš to surrender. He came to the Emperor with his head and feet bare, bowed before him and gave him his own personal sword as a mark of surrender. Emperor Manuel had him imprisoned and brought him to the Imperial Capital of Constantinople
as a personal slave. In the Byzantine Empire's capital, Nemanja was tutored by and befriended Manuel. Nemanja vowed to never again attack Manuel, while the Emperor in return recognized Stefan Nemanja and his bloodline as the rightful Grand Župans of the Rascian lands. William
, archbishop of Tyre, who visited Constantinople in 1179, described the "rebellious Serbs" as "an uneducated people, lacking discipline, living in mountains and forests, unskilled in agriculture. They are rich in herds and flocks and unusually well supplied with milk, cheese, butter, meat, honey and wax".
Nemanja used the following decade to deal with the Bogomil heresy that was present in his realm, as well as strengthening Eastern Orthodox Christianity
. He declared the Bogomils heretics and punished them because of their religious beliefs, burning their books. He had their lands confiscated, burned some at the stake, and exiled others. By the end of his reign, Stefan Nemanja had completely rooted out the Bogomils. Stefan Nemanja forced his brothers, Stracimir of West Moravia
and Miroslav of Zachlumia
and Lim to accept his supreme rule in return for his forgiveness; he also made Tihomir's son Stefan Prvoslav give up his claim to the throne. His army was involved only in a single conflict at the request of his Byzantine liege; in Asia Minor
. In the meantime, Prince Stracimir built the Monastery of the Mother of Christ in his capital at Moravian Grac (today Čačak
), while Great Prince Miroslav raised the Monastery of Saint Peter on Lim. Miroslav also married the sister of Kulin Ban of Bosnia, creating an important bloodline link between the ruling dynasties of Serbia and Bosnia.
. The pope complained to Miroslav, demanding death to the perpetrators and giving back the sum taken. Miroslav refused, and expelled the Bishop of Ston. Because of this, Miroslav was excommunicated by the Papacy, but he was not troubled by this, and replaced the vacant church buildings in the vicinity of Ston.
In 1183, Stefan Nemanja formed alliances with King Bela III of Hungary
and invaded Byzantine soil. The main reason was the new usurper to the Imperial throne, Andronicus Comnenus
, who was not recognized; as well as the Massacre of the Latins
in Constantinople
. Nemanja was also assisted by his relative, Kulin Ban of Bosnia. The Byzantine forces in the eastern Serb borderlands were led by Alexios Brannes and Andronicus Lapardas. Inner fights occurred, as Brannes supported the new Emperor and Lapardas, opposing, deserted with his troops. Without difficulties the Hungaro-Serbian military pushed the Greeks out of the Valley of Morava, advanced all the way to Sofia
, raiding Belgrade
, Braničevo
, Ravno
, Niš
and Sophia itself. But the Hungarians soon withdrew from the war, leaving Nemanja's forces raiding across western Bulgaria
.
In 1184, the Great Prince of Zahumlje Miroslav went to retake the islands of Korčula
and Vis
. On 18 August 1184, Miroslav's fleet was devastated by the Ragusian navy at Poljice near Koločep
, and signed peace with the Republic of Ragusa
. He channelled the order to his brother, Prince Stracimir. In 1185, Prince Stracimir raided Korčula and Vis with the Doclean fleet. He joined the war against the Republic of Ragusa, but was forced to withdraw because Miroslav already made peace by the time Stracimir marshaled his forces. The same year the Byzantines launched a counter-attack on Serbia, but a Bulgarian uprising was raised in the Danubian
areas which made the offensive get called-off, so Stefan Nemanja utilized the situation and conquered the Timok Frontier
with Niš and sacked Svrljig
, Ravno and Koželj
. While Stefan Nemanja held Niš, it served as his capital and base of operations.
. Already in 1185, he annexed and victouriously entered the city of Kotor
- sparing it from any destruction - where he built himself a Chateu. Doclea, as a coastal land, had a dominant Catholic Christian
character spreading from the City of Bar
with a Roman Catholic Archbishopric and also from Kotor and Ragusa
. Rascia stood as an ethnicly purer, patriarchal, more conservative, with the national language and heritage staying at large and with an insignificant number of Romanized nomads, over Doclea — significantly populated by the autochthonous Romanized populace
and Arbanasses
next to Slavs and having almost all inscriptions written in Latin alphabet
. This ethnic mixture greatly affected its political life. Doclea was no longer in its high ages of glory. The time was ripe for a final decision between the two conflicting elements over the Serbian people - the West or East. When Stefan's forces reached Bar on their road, they besieged it. As a ransom, Nemanja demanded that the city pays him 800 perper
s. The City was defended by its patriotic Archbishop, Primate
Gregory (Grgur). He has been writing his Chronicle
since 1171, in which he presented a calling the return of former Doclean power and celebrated the fame and longevity of Dioclea's Latin Cities. Archbishop Grgur requested reinforcements from Doclea's ruling Prince Mihailo
, but Mihailo was being attacked by Nemanja's brothers Stracimir and Miroslav. In 1186, Stefan Nemanja appointed his oldest son Vukan as the ruler of the province of Zeta (Kingdom of Dioclea and Dalmatia
), and made his second son, Stefan II, the successor to the Grand Župan throne. To confirm his grip over Doclea, Nemanja harshly persecuted the local Greek nobility, charging them for molesting and torturing his people for centuries, and ultimately cursing the Greeks and exterminating them in Duklja through exiles.
On 27 September 1186, a peace treaty was negotiated in Ragusa. The Serbian side was represented by župan Nevdal and Družina Vidošević, while Ragusa's Prince Krvaš and Archbishop Tribun together with a Norman emissary from the Kingdom of Sicily
represented the Ragusian side. It was arranged that ever since there would be eternal peace between Serbia and the Republic of Ragusa. The Ragusan traders received free passage rights across the Serbian lands and were entitled to use Nemanja's fields and forests that surrounded the city. In turn, the Republic's border would be always open to the Zachlumians
and its Government had to pay taxes to the Serbian Lords.
, Friedrich Barbarossa's Capital of the Holy Roman Empire
, inviting him to stay during while Crusading to the Holy Land
with Count Berthold Andex of Istria
's Krain
who was at the same time Duke of Croatia and Slavonia. The Holy Roman Emperor disembarked on the Third Crusade
and arrived on 27 July 1189 to Niš
with 100,000 Crusaders, where Stefan Nemanja and Stracimir accepted and guested Emperor Friedrich. A marriage was arranged between Barthold Andex's daughter and Miroslav's son Toljen to strengthen Serbian-German relations. Nemanja's proposals to Barbarossa that he should abandon the Holy War and strike at the Byzantines with him met little approval. Friedrich needed Byzantine help to move his military might to Asia
. Friedrich's plans changed when a Byzantine force stopped him from reaching his next stop - Sophia. The Greeks also started raiding his Army, which infuriated the Emperor so much that he planned an offensive to Constantinople itself. Stefan Nemanja offered 20,000 men to support the Emperor's military campaign, while the Bulgarians offered more than twice that amount. Despite being in his early 70s, Stefan Nemanja followed the Crusaders with his Army to the border at Gate of Trajan
, when he moved to new conquests and dispatched envoys to Adrianopolis
to officialize the Alliance with Emperor Friedrich. While his envoys were negotiating with Berthold Andex, who was negoatiating in Friedrich's place, Nemanja took Pernik
, Zemen
, Velbužd, Žitomisk, Stobi
, Prizren
and rest of Kosovo
and Metohija
and even Skopje
. The alliance with the Crusaders was not forged, because Friedrich signed peace with the Byzantines on 14 February 1190 in Adrianopolis.
. Grgur left to Split seeking the local Archbishop for assistance, but found no one seated there. He would continue to travel and finish his famous Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja
upon his death in 1196. Stefan Nemanja introduced Orthodox Christianity in Zeta, putting a halt to the dominating Latin culture and language and Catholic religion as masses of the population were being forcibly converted to Eastern Orthodoxy and the Latin books were burnt and no longer written. Thankful to Nemanja's rapid actions, Bogumilism didn't breach to Zeta and lastly, Nemanja exiled the Greeks from this new land. In 1189, Prince Miroslav of Zahumlje created the omnibus of the Medieval Slavic litteratrue - the famous Miroslav Gospels. The work was so inspiring that Ban Kulin of Bosnia had his edict to the Republic of Ragusa written by the same scribes. Around this time, Nemanja's brother Stracimir died, so Stefan acquired his demesne - West Moravia.
In 1190, the new Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelus prepared a massive and experienced Army to strike against Nemanja. The same year, Stefan Nemanja finished his magnificent Virgin's Church in the Studenica monastery
out of the White Marble
as his dynasty's endowment. It became the Temple of the House of Nemanjić
. Also in 1190 Prince Miroslav died of old age, so Stefan Nemanja implaced his own son Rastko
as the new Prince of Zahumlje in Ston, who induced the religious spirit of the populace greatly.
In fall of 1191, this well-prepared Byzantine Army, led by the Emperor himself, clashed with Nemanja and his forces in South Moravia
. Stefan Nemanja suffered a terrifying defeat, which made him retreat to the mountains. The Byzantines raided all lands around the bank of the river and even burned down Stefan's Court in Kuršumlija
. Nemanja had the tactical advantage and began raiding the Byzantine armies, so Emperor Isaac decided to negotiate a final peace treaty. Stefan Nemanja had to give up a large part of his conquests, east of the river of Velika Morava
and recognize the Byzantine Emperor's supreme rule, while the Emperor recognized him as the rightful Grand Župan. To signify the final peace, Nemanja's son Stefan married the Byzantine Princess Eudokia Angelina
and received the title of Sebastokrator
- among the highest Byzantine Courtier titles, only given to the Emperor's family members. The Emperor only wanted to separate the Serbs from the Bulgarians, so he kept Niš and Ravno; while the Greek Lands of Zeta, Kosovo with Lipljan, Metohija to Prizren and the Arbanass
Pilot were kept by Stefan Nemanja.
In 1192 Rastko fled his Monastery in Ston to Mount Athos
in the Byzantine Empire where he accepted monastic vows and asserted the name Sava. This greatly saddened Nemanja. In Rastko's place, Miroslav's son Toljen became Prince of Zahumlje and founded a local dynasty. Rascia was in danger once more as Nemanja's former ally, King Bela of Hungary invaded his realm from the north. Nemanja's quick military activities pushed the Hungarians across the border northwards in 1193.
In 1195, Stefan Nemanja's brother-in-law Alexius III inherited the Eastern Roman Imperial throne. Nemanja, tired of ruling, expanded the power and lands of his son Vukan. He put Zeta with Trebinje
, Hvosno
and his capital of Toplica under Vukan's absolute rule.
On March 25, 1196, Stefan Nemanja summoned a Council in Ras, where he officially abdicated in favour of his second son, Stefan, to whom he bequeathed all his earthly possessions. This decision was not in accordance with the traditional right of primogeniture
, according to which Vukan, his first son, should inherited the throne. This was not accepted lightly by Vukan. Nemanja took monastic vows with his wife Ana in the Church of Saint Peter and Paul in Ras and adopted the monastic name of Simeon. His wife took the name Anastasia. Simeon subsequently retired to his Studenica monastery
and Anastasia retired to the Monastery of the Mother of Christ in Kuršumlija
. After numerous pleas by his son Sava (originally Rastko), Simeon left to the Mount Athos
, and joined his son in 1197 in the Vatopedi monastery. In 1199, the two rebuilt together the ruined Eastern Orthodox Monastery of Hilandar
given to the Serbian people by the Byzantine Emperor, which became the heart of Serbian spiritual culture. Simeon died in front of his son Sava, on 13 February 1199, in front of the icon of the Virgin Hodegetria
in his 86th year of life. He was buried in the grounds of Hilandar monastery. His last words were to request that Sava take his remains to Serbia, "when God permits it, after a certain period of time". Nemanja's son Sava wrote the Liturgy of Saint Simeon in Nemanja's honour.
According to a belief, a holy oil (myrrh) seeped from his tomb. This is how he gained the epithet the Myrrh-streaming. This miracle
is said to have not occurred in the past 300 years. His body is, however, even in modern times supposed to give off "a sweet smell, like violets". It is because of this and numerous miracles that occurred over his dead body that the Serbian Orthodox Church
canonised him in 1200, and declared his feast-day on . In 1206 his son Sava brought his remains to Rascia. The civil war between Nemanja's other sons Stefan and Vukan was tearing apart the Serb lands. It is over Simeon's deceased body that the two brothers made peace and returned to their demesne
s. Simeon was re-buried in 1207 in his personal foundation, the Studenica monastery, where holy oil again seeped, from his new grave. The cult of Saint Simeon that was founded maintained his heritage and the foundations of a firm national identity amongst the Serbs. The Cult still lives on in Studenica and among the monks of Mount Athos, cherishing his life, works and remains.
Stephanus Nemanja. Sometimes the spelling of his name is anglicised, to become Stephen Nemanya. In the latter part of his life, he became a monk and hence was referred to as Monk Simeon or Monk Symeon. After his death, he was canonised by the Orthodox Church
, and became St. Symeon the Myrrh-streaming. His son and successor, Stefan the First-Crowned
, called him The Gatherer of the Lost Pieces of the Land of his Grandfathers, and also their Rebuilder. His other son Sava, called him Our Lord and Autocrat, and ruler of the whole Serbian land.
. They had three sons and three daughters:
, that spanned from 1170-1300.
Stefan (honorific)
Stefan was a name adopted by all the Nemanjić rulers of medieval Serbia. The name Stefan is derived from Greek Stephanos, meaning "crowned with wreath "...
Nemanja (Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic or Old Church Slavic was the first literary Slavic language, first developed by the 9th century Byzantine Greek missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius who were credited with standardizing the language and using it for translating the Bible and other Ancient Greek...
: , , ˈstɛfan ˈnɛmaɲa ; ca
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1113 – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince
Grand Prince
The title grand prince or great prince ranked in honour below emperor and tsar and above a sovereign prince .Grand duke is the usual and established, though not literal, translation of these terms in English and Romance languages, which do not normally use separate words for a "prince" who reigns...
(Veliki Župan
Grand Zupan
Grand, Great or Chief Župan is the English rendering of a South Slavic title which relate etymologically to župan like a Russian Grand Prince to a Knyaz .- Bulgaria :A decorated silver cup with a...
) of the Grand Principality of Serbia (Rascia) from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty
House of Vukanovic
The House of Vukanović was a medieval Serbian dynasty that reigned over Rascia and Zachlumia between late-11th century and mid-13th century. The house itself directly descended from the House of Vojislavljević, which ruled over medieval Serb lands. The dynasty was succeeded by its direct...
that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm (he is the founding father of the Nemanjić dynasty
House of Nemanjic
The Nemanjić was the most important dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages, and one of the most important in Southeastern Europe. The royal house produced eleven Serbian monarchs between 1166 and 1371. It's progenitor was Stephen Nemanja, who descended from a cadet line of the Vukanović dynasty...
).
He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture
Serbian culture
Serbian culture refers to the culture of Serbia and of ethnic Serbs.The Serbian culture starts with that of the South Slavic peoples that lived in the Balkans. Early on, Serbs may have been influenced by the Paleo-Balkan peoples...
and history
History of Serbia
The history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
, being the founder of the powerful Serbian state that would evolve into the Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
, and the national church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
. He was the father of Stefan Nemanjić, the first King of Serbia, and of Saint Sava
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
, the first archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
.
After his death, Stefan Nemanja was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church under the name Saint Simeon the Myrrh-streaming (Свети Симеон Мироточиви) after numerous alleged miracles following his death. He is regarded the most remarkable Serb
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
according to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the most prominent academic institution in Serbia today...
.
Life
Nemanja was born around the year 1113 AD in Ribnica, Zeta, in the vicinity of present day PodgoricaPodgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
, capital of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. He was the youngest son of Zavida
Zavida
Zavida or Beli Uroš was a 12th-century Serbian royal member who briefly ruled as Župan of Zahumlje and later held the title "Lord of Ribnica"....
, a Prince of Zahumlje
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
, who after a conflict with his brothers was sent to Ribnica where he had the title of Lord. Zavida (Beli Uroš) was most probably a son of Uroš I or Vukan I. As western Zeta was under Roman Catholic jurisdiction, Nemanja received a Catholic baptism.
After the defeat of Nemanja's kinsmen Đorđe of Duklja
George of Duklja
George was a King of Duklja in 1113–1118 and again from 1125 to 1131.With his mother, Jaquinta, he opposed the rule of his cousin, Vladimir, and Raškan influence on Duklja. Jaquinta and George had Vladimir fatally poisoned in 1118 and George was crowned king that same year...
and Desa Urošević and the exodus of that branch of the Vojislavljević family by the Byzantines, Zavida and his family went to the hereditary family estates of Rascia. Upon his arrival in Ras, the capital of Rascia, Nemanja was re-baptised in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, in the Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul which was an episcopal see.
Prince
When he reached adulthood, Nemanja became "PrincePrince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
(Župan
Zupan
Żupan was a long garment, always lined, worn by almost all males of the noble social class in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, typical male attire from the beginning of the 16th to half of the 18th century, still surviving as a part of the Polishnational dress.- Derivation :The name żupan has...
) of Ibar, Toplica, Rasina
Rasina District
The Rasina District expands in the central part of the Republic of Serbia. It has a population of 240,463...
and Reke" after receiving the česti (parts of the state) by Manuel I. Manuel had appointed the first-born Tihomir
Tihomir of Serbia
Tihomir Zavidović or Tihomir of Serbia was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia fl. 1162-1171.-Life:He was the first born child of Zavida. After the death of his father, Tihomir is appointed supreme ruler as the Grand Prince of Serbia by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus,...
as the supreme Grand Prince of the Serb lands, Stracimir
Stracimir Zavidović
Stracimir Zavidović was a 12th-century Serbian Prince of West Morava in 1163-1166, an administrative division of the Medieval Serbian Principality....
ruled West Morava, Miroslav
Miroslav of Hum
Miroslav Zavidović or Miroslav of Hum was a 12th-century Great Prince of Zachlumia from 1162 to 1190, an administrative division of the medieval Serbian Principality covering Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia....
ruled Zahumlje
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
and Travunia
Travunia
Travunia was a medieval region, administrative unit and principality, which was part of Medieval Serbia , and in its last years, the Bosnian Kingdom . The county became hereditary in a number of noble houses, often kin to the ruling dynasty. The region came under Ottoman rule in 1482...
.
In 1163, Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
installed Nemanja's older brother Tihomir
Tihomir of Serbia
Tihomir Zavidović or Tihomir of Serbia was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia fl. 1162-1171.-Life:He was the first born child of Zavida. After the death of his father, Tihomir is appointed supreme ruler as the Grand Prince of Serbia by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus,...
as Grand Župan of Rascia in Desa's place, which disappointed Nemanja greatly, as he expected that he would get the throne. Nemanja met Emperor Manuel in Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
in 1162, who gave him the region of Dubočica
Leskovac
Leskovac is a city and municipality in southern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Jablanica District of Serbia...
to rule over and declared him independent. The Emperor gave him a Byzantine court title as it was important for the Emperor to have the borderlands of the Empire ruled by loyal leaders. Nemanja's Serb squadrons fought in the Imperial Army in 1164 in Srem
Srem
Śrem is a town on the Warta river in central Poland. It has been situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999; from 1975 to 1998 it was part of the Poznań Voivodeship...
during the wars against the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. Nemanja ruled independently, as he built the Monastery of Saint Nicholas in Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija is a town and municipality located in the south of Serbia, nearby the rivers Toplica, Kosanica and Banjska, on the southeast of mountain Kopaonik, and northwest of Radan Mountain...
and the Monastery of the Holy Mother of Christ near Kosanica
Kosanica
The Kosanica is the river in southern Serbia. The river is 34 km long and gives its name to the area it flows through, which constitutes with the south part of Kuršumlija municipality in south Serbia....
-Toplica, without the approval of his older brother, the Grand Župan of Rascia. His brothers invited him to a council at Ras, supposedly to resolve the situation, but instead they imprisoned him and held him in a nearby cave. The lands of Nemanja were seized but Nemanja's supporters conspired to the church that Tihomir had done all this because of a disapproval of church building and thus became targeted by the clergy, something that would help Nemanja greatly.
According to a myth, Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
himself freed him from the cave.
Between 1166 and 1168, Prince Nemanja rebelled against his older brother, the Grand Župan of Rascia
Rascia
Rascia was a medieval region that served as the principal province of the Serbian realm. It was an administrative division under the direct rule of the monarch and sometimes as an appanage. The term has been used to refer to various Serbian states throughout the Middle Ages...
, deposed him and exiled him with his brothers, Miroslav
Miroslav of Hum
Miroslav Zavidović or Miroslav of Hum was a 12th-century Great Prince of Zachlumia from 1162 to 1190, an administrative division of the medieval Serbian Principality covering Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia....
and Stracimir
Stracimir Zavidović
Stracimir Zavidović was a 12th-century Serbian Prince of West Morava in 1163-1166, an administrative division of the Medieval Serbian Principality....
. The Byzantine Emperor raised a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
army for Tihomir, made up of Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Francs and Turks
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
, which was defeated by Nemanja at the Battle of Pantino
Battle of Pantino
The Battle of Pantino was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Serbian Principality in 1167. It resulted in the crowning of Stefan Nemanja.-Background:...
, south of Zvečan
Zvecan
Zvečan is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo and Metohija. The municipality covers an area of , and...
. Tihomir drowned in the river of Sitnica
Sitnica
The Sitnica , is a long river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar River at Kosovska Mitrovica, and it's the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo's borders.- History :...
, and the other brothers surrendered to Nemanja, continuing to rule their previous lands. Nemanja assumed the title of Grand Župan
Grand Zupan
Grand, Great or Chief Župan is the English rendering of a South Slavic title which relate etymologically to župan like a Russian Grand Prince to a Knyaz .- Bulgaria :A decorated silver cup with a...
of all Serbia , and took the first name Stefan (from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
Stephanos meaning "crowned").
Nemanja married a Serbian noblewoman, Ana
Saint Anastasija
Ana Nemanjić, also known as Saint Anastasija was the princess consort of the Serbian Principality as the wife of Stefan Nemanja . She was of noble descent. Ana took monastic vows in 1196 and was baptized Anastasia, after Anastasia of Sirmium. Her feast day is June 22 .Her origins have never been...
, with whom he had three sons: Vukan, Stefan and Rastko
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
.
Grand Prince
Stefan Nemanja built the church of Đurđevi Stupovi (Pillars of St. George) in Ras in 1171. According to the legend, this was to thank Saint GeorgeSaint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
for freeing him from the cave in which he was imprisoned by his brothers. The same year, Nemanja had his third son - Rastko
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
. Nemanja attributed his rise to power to none other than Saint George.
In 1171, Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja sided with the Venetian Republic in a dispute with the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, with the aim of gaining full independence from Byzantine rule. The Venetians incited the Slavs of the eastern Adriatic littoral to rebel against Byzantine rule and Nemanja wished to join them, launching an offensive towards the coastal city of Kotor
Kotor
Kotor is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of the municipality....
. A German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
fleet was formed to replace the Venetian navy, and it advanced eastwards in the September of 1171, capturing Ragusa
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
. Nemanja was ready to make a full-scale rebellion. Nemanja also made an alliance with the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, and, though the Hungarians, with the Duchy of Austria. Grand Prince Nemanja dispatched a force to the Morava valley
Velika Morava
The Great Morava is the final section of the Morava , a major river system in Serbia.- Length :...
in 1172, to jeopardise communications and the traffic between Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and to instigate a rebellion amongst the local Serbs at Ravno
Cuprija
Ćuprija is a town and administrative district in Serbia, at 43.93° North, 21.38° East...
. As a result, the Serb citizens of Ravno refused to allow passage to the King of Saxony Heinrich the Lion. The Serbs organised a surprise attack on the German camp; they then attacked their own neighbours and disturbed the peace in the local region. In 1172, Nemanja joined the anti-Byzantine coalition with the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, the Venetian Republic and the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. The alliance, however, soon collapsed as Venice faced a mutiny and an outbreak of plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
that devastated her navy, while the King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
died and a new, pro-Byzantine, King ascended the throne, so the Rascian Grand Prince was left alone. The same year the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
launched an expedition against Rascia and defeated Nemanja's forces, so the Grand Župan met him in Niš to surrender. He came to the Emperor with his head and feet bare, bowed before him and gave him his own personal sword as a mark of surrender. Emperor Manuel had him imprisoned and brought him to the Imperial Capital of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
as a personal slave. In the Byzantine Empire's capital, Nemanja was tutored by and befriended Manuel. Nemanja vowed to never again attack Manuel, while the Emperor in return recognized Stefan Nemanja and his bloodline as the rightful Grand Župans of the Rascian lands. William
William of Tyre
William of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
, archbishop of Tyre, who visited Constantinople in 1179, described the "rebellious Serbs" as "an uneducated people, lacking discipline, living in mountains and forests, unskilled in agriculture. They are rich in herds and flocks and unusually well supplied with milk, cheese, butter, meat, honey and wax".
Nemanja used the following decade to deal with the Bogomil heresy that was present in his realm, as well as strengthening Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
. He declared the Bogomils heretics and punished them because of their religious beliefs, burning their books. He had their lands confiscated, burned some at the stake, and exiled others. By the end of his reign, Stefan Nemanja had completely rooted out the Bogomils. Stefan Nemanja forced his brothers, Stracimir of West Moravia
Zapadna Morava
West Morava , is a river in central Serbia, a 308 km-long longer headstream of the Great Morava, which it forms with the South Morava.- Origin :...
and Miroslav of Zachlumia
Zachlumia
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
and Lim to accept his supreme rule in return for his forgiveness; he also made Tihomir's son Stefan Prvoslav give up his claim to the throne. His army was involved only in a single conflict at the request of his Byzantine liege; in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. In the meantime, Prince Stracimir built the Monastery of the Mother of Christ in his capital at Moravian Grac (today Čačak
Cacak
Čačak is a city in central Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Moravica District of Serbia. Čačak is also the main industrial, cultural and sport center of the district...
), while Great Prince Miroslav raised the Monastery of Saint Peter on Lim. Miroslav also married the sister of Kulin Ban of Bosnia, creating an important bloodline link between the ruling dynasties of Serbia and Bosnia.
Death of the Emperor
Following the death of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos in 1180, Stefan Nemanja no longer considered he owed any allegiance to the Byzantines since he viewed his vows as being to the Emperor, not the Empire, so he took advantage of the Empire's weakened state. Prince Miroslav put under his protection the Narentine Kačić family, the pirates that had robbed and murdered Rainer (Arnerius), the archbishop of SplitSplit (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
. The pope complained to Miroslav, demanding death to the perpetrators and giving back the sum taken. Miroslav refused, and expelled the Bishop of Ston. Because of this, Miroslav was excommunicated by the Papacy, but he was not troubled by this, and replaced the vacant church buildings in the vicinity of Ston.
In 1183, Stefan Nemanja formed alliances with King Bela III of Hungary
Béla III of Hungary
Béla III was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was educated in the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I who was planning to ensure his succession in the Byzantine Empire till the birth of his own son...
and invaded Byzantine soil. The main reason was the new usurper to the Imperial throne, Andronicus Comnenus
Andronikos I Komnenos
Andronikos I Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1183 to 1185). He was the son of Isaac Komnenos and grandson of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.-Early years:...
, who was not recognized; as well as the Massacre of the Latins
Massacre of the Latins
The Massacre of the Latins occurred in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, in May 1182. It was a large-scale massacre of the Roman Catholic or "Latin" merchants and their families, who at that time dominated the city's maritime trade and financial sector...
in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. Nemanja was also assisted by his relative, Kulin Ban of Bosnia. The Byzantine forces in the eastern Serb borderlands were led by Alexios Brannes and Andronicus Lapardas. Inner fights occurred, as Brannes supported the new Emperor and Lapardas, opposing, deserted with his troops. Without difficulties the Hungaro-Serbian military pushed the Greeks out of the Valley of Morava, advanced all the way to Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, raiding Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Braničevo
Branicevo
Braničevo can refer to:* Braničevo , a geographical region in Serbia.* Braničevo District, a district in Serbia.* Braničevo , a village in Serbia, in the Golubac municipality....
, Ravno
Ravno
Ravno is a town and the seat of its municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity. Ravno was a municipality until 1963, when it became a part of the Trebinje municipality...
, Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
and Sophia itself. But the Hungarians soon withdrew from the war, leaving Nemanja's forces raiding across western Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
In 1184, the Great Prince of Zahumlje Miroslav went to retake the islands of Korčula
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...
and Vis
Vis (island)
Vis is the most outerly lying larger Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, and is part of the Central Dalmatian group of islands, with an area of 90.26 km² and a population of 3,617 . Of all the inhabited Croatian islands, it is the farthest from the coast...
. On 18 August 1184, Miroslav's fleet was devastated by the Ragusian navy at Poljice near Koločep
Kolocep
The island of Koločep is one of the three inhabited Elaphiti Islands situated near the city of Dubrovnik. Koločep is the southernmost inhabited island in Croatia and is locally known as Kalamota.-Location and access:...
, and signed peace with the Republic of Ragusa
Republic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia , that existed from 1358 to 1808...
. He channelled the order to his brother, Prince Stracimir. In 1185, Prince Stracimir raided Korčula and Vis with the Doclean fleet. He joined the war against the Republic of Ragusa, but was forced to withdraw because Miroslav already made peace by the time Stracimir marshaled his forces. The same year the Byzantines launched a counter-attack on Serbia, but a Bulgarian uprising was raised in the Danubian
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
areas which made the offensive get called-off, so Stefan Nemanja utilized the situation and conquered the Timok Frontier
Timočka Krajina
Timočka Krajina is a geographical region located in Serbia. It is situated in eastern Serbia around the Timok River. The population of Timočka Krajina is 284,112 .-Name:...
with Niš and sacked Svrljig
Svrljig
Svrljig is a town and municipality located in the Nišava District of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a population of 7,543 inhabitants, while the municipality has 14,224.-Geography:...
, Ravno and Koželj
Koželj
Koželj is a village in the municipality of Knjaževac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 181 people....
. While Stefan Nemanja held Niš, it served as his capital and base of operations.
Campaign of Doclea
In 1186, Stefan Nemanja launched a campaign to invade and annex the area of his birth - DocleaDuklja
Doclea or Duklja was a medieval state with hereditary lands roughly encompassing the territories of present-day southeastern Montenegro, from Kotor on the west to the river Bojana on the east and to the sources of Zeta and Morača rivers on the north....
. Already in 1185, he annexed and victouriously entered the city of Kotor
Kotor
Kotor is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of the municipality....
- sparing it from any destruction - where he built himself a Chateu. Doclea, as a coastal land, had a dominant Catholic Christian
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
character spreading from the City of Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
with a Roman Catholic Archbishopric and also from Kotor and Ragusa
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
. Rascia stood as an ethnicly purer, patriarchal, more conservative, with the national language and heritage staying at large and with an insignificant number of Romanized nomads, over Doclea — significantly populated by the autochthonous Romanized populace
Latins
"Latins" refers to different groups of people and the meaning of the word changes for where and when it is used.The original Latins were an Italian tribe inhabiting central and south-central Italy. Through conquest by their most populous city-state, Rome, the original Latins culturally "Romanized"...
and Arbanasses
Arbëreshë (disambiguation)
Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th century. Today it is used for different groups of Albanian origin, including:*Arbëreshë, a population group of Italy...
next to Slavs and having almost all inscriptions written in Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
. This ethnic mixture greatly affected its political life. Doclea was no longer in its high ages of glory. The time was ripe for a final decision between the two conflicting elements over the Serbian people - the West or East. When Stefan's forces reached Bar on their road, they besieged it. As a ransom, Nemanja demanded that the city pays him 800 perper
Perper
The perper was name of three geographically close currencies:* Hyperpyron - the original Byzantine coin* Ragusan perper - the currency of the historical Republic of Ragusa* Serbian perper - Serbian currency under Tsar Dusan...
s. The City was defended by its patriotic Archbishop, Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
Gregory (Grgur). He has been writing his Chronicle
Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja
The Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja is a medieval chronicle originally written by a Catholic monk of the Cistercian order by the name of Roger for the Croatian Ban Paul Šubić because an order form by Ban Šubić and a quote of Catholic monk have been discovered...
since 1171, in which he presented a calling the return of former Doclean power and celebrated the fame and longevity of Dioclea's Latin Cities. Archbishop Grgur requested reinforcements from Doclea's ruling Prince Mihailo
Mihailo III of Duklja
Mihailo III Vojislav was the ruler of Duklja, from 1162 to 1186.Duklja had previously been ruled by the Ruler of Rascia Desa from 1148-1162....
, but Mihailo was being attacked by Nemanja's brothers Stracimir and Miroslav. In 1186, Stefan Nemanja appointed his oldest son Vukan as the ruler of the province of Zeta (Kingdom of Dioclea and Dalmatia
Duklja
Doclea or Duklja was a medieval state with hereditary lands roughly encompassing the territories of present-day southeastern Montenegro, from Kotor on the west to the river Bojana on the east and to the sources of Zeta and Morača rivers on the north....
), and made his second son, Stefan II, the successor to the Grand Župan throne. To confirm his grip over Doclea, Nemanja harshly persecuted the local Greek nobility, charging them for molesting and torturing his people for centuries, and ultimately cursing the Greeks and exterminating them in Duklja through exiles.
On 27 September 1186, a peace treaty was negotiated in Ragusa. The Serbian side was represented by župan Nevdal and Družina Vidošević, while Ragusa's Prince Krvaš and Archbishop Tribun together with a Norman emissary from the Kingdom of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
represented the Ragusian side. It was arranged that ever since there would be eternal peace between Serbia and the Republic of Ragusa. The Ragusan traders received free passage rights across the Serbian lands and were entitled to use Nemanja's fields and forests that surrounded the city. In turn, the Republic's border would be always open to the Zachlumians
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
and its Government had to pay taxes to the Serbian Lords.
Third Crusade
In 1188 Stefan Nemanja sent an envoy to NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Friedrich Barbarossa's Capital of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, inviting him to stay during while Crusading to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
with Count Berthold Andex of Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
's Krain
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
who was at the same time Duke of Croatia and Slavonia. The Holy Roman Emperor disembarked on the Third Crusade
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
and arrived on 27 July 1189 to Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
with 100,000 Crusaders, where Stefan Nemanja and Stracimir accepted and guested Emperor Friedrich. A marriage was arranged between Barthold Andex's daughter and Miroslav's son Toljen to strengthen Serbian-German relations. Nemanja's proposals to Barbarossa that he should abandon the Holy War and strike at the Byzantines with him met little approval. Friedrich needed Byzantine help to move his military might to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Friedrich's plans changed when a Byzantine force stopped him from reaching his next stop - Sophia. The Greeks also started raiding his Army, which infuriated the Emperor so much that he planned an offensive to Constantinople itself. Stefan Nemanja offered 20,000 men to support the Emperor's military campaign, while the Bulgarians offered more than twice that amount. Despite being in his early 70s, Stefan Nemanja followed the Crusaders with his Army to the border at Gate of Trajan
Gate of Trajan
The Gate of Trajan or Trajan's Gate is a historic mountain pass near Ihtiman, Bulgaria. It was named so after Roman Emperor Trajan, on whose order a fortress by the name of Stipon was constructed on the hill over the pass, as a symbolic border between the provinces of Thrace and Macedonia.The pass...
, when he moved to new conquests and dispatched envoys to Adrianopolis
Adrianópolis
Adrianópolis is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
to officialize the Alliance with Emperor Friedrich. While his envoys were negotiating with Berthold Andex, who was negoatiating in Friedrich's place, Nemanja took Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
, Zemen
Zemen
Zemen is a town in Pernik Province, western Bulgaria. Located near the Pchelina Reservoir on the banks of the Struma River, it is the administrative centre of a municipality....
, Velbužd, Žitomisk, Stobi
Stobi
Stobi was an ancient town of Paeonia, later conquered by Macedon, and later turned into the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris . It is located on the main road that leads from the Danube to the Aegean Sea and is considered by many to be the most famous archaeological site in the...
, Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
and rest of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Metohija
Metohija
Metohija , is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo.It encompasses three of the seven districts of Kosovo, namely the historical :* District of Peć * District of Đakovica * District of Prizren...
and even Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
. The alliance with the Crusaders was not forged, because Friedrich signed peace with the Byzantines on 14 February 1190 in Adrianopolis.
Death of Mihailo of Duklja
In 1189, Duklja's Prince Mihailo died, leaving the future rulers of his demesne indisputable. Realizing that their time has passed, his wife Desislava went with the remaining still loyal Doclean nobility in her two ships seeking shelter in the Republic of Ragusa. She was accompanied by Grgur who was just exiled from the Bar Archbishopric by Nemanja's order. She would then gift the two ships to the Republic and retire to OmišOmiš
Omiš is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is where the emerald-green Cetina River meets the Adriatic Sea...
. Grgur left to Split seeking the local Archbishop for assistance, but found no one seated there. He would continue to travel and finish his famous Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja
Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja
The Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja is a medieval chronicle originally written by a Catholic monk of the Cistercian order by the name of Roger for the Croatian Ban Paul Šubić because an order form by Ban Šubić and a quote of Catholic monk have been discovered...
upon his death in 1196. Stefan Nemanja introduced Orthodox Christianity in Zeta, putting a halt to the dominating Latin culture and language and Catholic religion as masses of the population were being forcibly converted to Eastern Orthodoxy and the Latin books were burnt and no longer written. Thankful to Nemanja's rapid actions, Bogumilism didn't breach to Zeta and lastly, Nemanja exiled the Greeks from this new land. In 1189, Prince Miroslav of Zahumlje created the omnibus of the Medieval Slavic litteratrue - the famous Miroslav Gospels. The work was so inspiring that Ban Kulin of Bosnia had his edict to the Republic of Ragusa written by the same scribes. Around this time, Nemanja's brother Stracimir died, so Stefan acquired his demesne - West Moravia.
Conflict with Byzantines and successions
Studenica monastery
The Studenica monastery is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery situated 39 km southwest of Kraljevo, in central Serbia. It is one of the largest and richest Serb Orthodox monasteries....
out of the White Marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
as his dynasty's endowment. It became the Temple of the House of Nemanjić
House of Nemanjic
The Nemanjić was the most important dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages, and one of the most important in Southeastern Europe. The royal house produced eleven Serbian monarchs between 1166 and 1371. It's progenitor was Stephen Nemanja, who descended from a cadet line of the Vukanović dynasty...
. Also in 1190 Prince Miroslav died of old age, so Stefan Nemanja implaced his own son Rastko
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
as the new Prince of Zahumlje in Ston, who induced the religious spirit of the populace greatly.
In fall of 1191, this well-prepared Byzantine Army, led by the Emperor himself, clashed with Nemanja and his forces in South Moravia
Južna Morava
South Morava or in the past Bulgarian Morava is a river in the Republic of Macedonia and Serbia which represents the shorter headwater of Great Morava...
. Stefan Nemanja suffered a terrifying defeat, which made him retreat to the mountains. The Byzantines raided all lands around the bank of the river and even burned down Stefan's Court in Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija is a town and municipality located in the south of Serbia, nearby the rivers Toplica, Kosanica and Banjska, on the southeast of mountain Kopaonik, and northwest of Radan Mountain...
. Nemanja had the tactical advantage and began raiding the Byzantine armies, so Emperor Isaac decided to negotiate a final peace treaty. Stefan Nemanja had to give up a large part of his conquests, east of the river of Velika Morava
Velika Morava
The Great Morava is the final section of the Morava , a major river system in Serbia.- Length :...
and recognize the Byzantine Emperor's supreme rule, while the Emperor recognized him as the rightful Grand Župan. To signify the final peace, Nemanja's son Stefan married the Byzantine Princess Eudokia Angelina
Eudokia Angelina
Eudokia Angelina was the queen consort of Stephen II Nemanjić of Serbia from 1196 to 1198. She later became the mistress of Alexios V Doukas, the future Emperor...
and received the title of Sebastokrator
Sebastokrator
Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence. The word is a compound of "sebastos" Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used...
- among the highest Byzantine Courtier titles, only given to the Emperor's family members. The Emperor only wanted to separate the Serbs from the Bulgarians, so he kept Niš and Ravno; while the Greek Lands of Zeta, Kosovo with Lipljan, Metohija to Prizren and the Arbanass
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
Pilot were kept by Stefan Nemanja.
In 1192 Rastko fled his Monastery in Ston to Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
in the Byzantine Empire where he accepted monastic vows and asserted the name Sava. This greatly saddened Nemanja. In Rastko's place, Miroslav's son Toljen became Prince of Zahumlje and founded a local dynasty. Rascia was in danger once more as Nemanja's former ally, King Bela of Hungary invaded his realm from the north. Nemanja's quick military activities pushed the Hungarians across the border northwards in 1193.
In 1195, Stefan Nemanja's brother-in-law Alexius III inherited the Eastern Roman Imperial throne. Nemanja, tired of ruling, expanded the power and lands of his son Vukan. He put Zeta with Trebinje
Trebinje
Trebinje is the southernmost municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity and is located in southeastern Herzegovina, some from the Adriatic Sea....
, Hvosno
Metohija
Metohija , is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo.It encompasses three of the seven districts of Kosovo, namely the historical :* District of Peć * District of Đakovica * District of Prizren...
and his capital of Toplica under Vukan's absolute rule.
Abdication, later life and death
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
, according to which Vukan, his first son, should inherited the throne. This was not accepted lightly by Vukan. Nemanja took monastic vows with his wife Ana in the Church of Saint Peter and Paul in Ras and adopted the monastic name of Simeon. His wife took the name Anastasia. Simeon subsequently retired to his Studenica monastery
Studenica monastery
The Studenica monastery is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery situated 39 km southwest of Kraljevo, in central Serbia. It is one of the largest and richest Serb Orthodox monasteries....
and Anastasia retired to the Monastery of the Mother of Christ in Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija is a town and municipality located in the south of Serbia, nearby the rivers Toplica, Kosanica and Banjska, on the southeast of mountain Kopaonik, and northwest of Radan Mountain...
. After numerous pleas by his son Sava (originally Rastko), Simeon left to the Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
, and joined his son in 1197 in the Vatopedi monastery. In 1199, the two rebuilt together the ruined Eastern Orthodox Monastery of Hilandar
Hilandar
Hilandar Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. It was founded in 1198 by the first Serbian Archbishop Saint Sava and his father, Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja of the medieval Serbian principality of Raška...
given to the Serbian people by the Byzantine Emperor, which became the heart of Serbian spiritual culture. Simeon died in front of his son Sava, on 13 February 1199, in front of the icon of the Virgin Hodegetria
Hodegetria
A Hodegetria — or Virgin Hodegetria — is an iconographic depiction of the Theotokos holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to Him as the source of salvation for mankind...
in his 86th year of life. He was buried in the grounds of Hilandar monastery. His last words were to request that Sava take his remains to Serbia, "when God permits it, after a certain period of time". Nemanja's son Sava wrote the Liturgy of Saint Simeon in Nemanja's honour.
According to a belief, a holy oil (myrrh) seeped from his tomb. This is how he gained the epithet the Myrrh-streaming. This miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
is said to have not occurred in the past 300 years. His body is, however, even in modern times supposed to give off "a sweet smell, like violets". It is because of this and numerous miracles that occurred over his dead body that the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
canonised him in 1200, and declared his feast-day on . In 1206 his son Sava brought his remains to Rascia. The civil war between Nemanja's other sons Stefan and Vukan was tearing apart the Serb lands. It is over Simeon's deceased body that the two brothers made peace and returned to their demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
s. Simeon was re-buried in 1207 in his personal foundation, the Studenica monastery, where holy oil again seeped, from his new grave. The cult of Saint Simeon that was founded maintained his heritage and the foundations of a firm national identity amongst the Serbs. The Cult still lives on in Studenica and among the monks of Mount Athos, cherishing his life, works and remains.
Name and title
Various names have been used to refer to Stefan Nemanja, including Stefan I and the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Stephanus Nemanja. Sometimes the spelling of his name is anglicised, to become Stephen Nemanya. In the latter part of his life, he became a monk and hence was referred to as Monk Simeon or Monk Symeon. After his death, he was canonised by the Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, and became St. Symeon the Myrrh-streaming. His son and successor, Stefan the First-Crowned
Stephen II of Serbia
Stefan II Nemanjić or Stephen the First-Crowned was Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196, and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228...
, called him The Gatherer of the Lost Pieces of the Land of his Grandfathers, and also their Rebuilder. His other son Sava, called him Our Lord and Autocrat, and ruler of the whole Serbian land.
Family
Nemanja was married to a Serb noblewoman by the name of AnaSaint Anastasija
Ana Nemanjić, also known as Saint Anastasija was the princess consort of the Serbian Principality as the wife of Stefan Nemanja . She was of noble descent. Ana took monastic vows in 1196 and was baptized Anastasia, after Anastasia of Sirmium. Her feast day is June 22 .Her origins have never been...
. They had three sons and three daughters:
- Stefan Nemanjić - Nemanja's successor, first King of All Serbian lands, 1196–1228
- Rastko Nemanjić (Saint Sava) (1171–1236) - The first archbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
and saint of the Serbian Orthodox Church. - Vukan Nemanjić - Prince of DocleaDukljaDoclea or Duklja was a medieval state with hereditary lands roughly encompassing the territories of present-day southeastern Montenegro, from Kotor on the west to the river Bojana on the east and to the sources of Zeta and Morača rivers on the north....
and briefly Grand Prince of RasciaRasciaRascia was a medieval region that served as the principal province of the Serbian realm. It was an administrative division under the direct rule of the monarch and sometimes as an appanage. The term has been used to refer to various Serbian states throughout the Middle Ages...
. - Jefimija - married Manuel Angelus Ducas Regent of Thesaloniki (+1241).
- unknown daughter - married an unknown member of the AsenAsen dynastyThe Asen dynasty ruled a medieval Bulgarian state, called in modern historiography the Second Bulgarian Empire, between 1187 and 1280.The Asen dynasty and the Second Bulgarian Empire rose as the leaders of a rebellion against the Byzantine Empire at the turn of the year 1185/1186 caused by the...
family, gave birth to the Bulgarian TsarTsarTsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Constantine Tih AsenConstantine Tikh of BulgariaConstantine I , which includes the shortened form of the name of his father as a patronymic), ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1257 to 1277....
(reigned 1257–1277).
Foundations
Stefan Nemanja founded, restored and reconstructed several monasteries. He also established the Rascian architectural styleRascian architecture
Rascian architecture is a medieval Serbian ecclesiastical architectural style that spanned from 1170-1300, starting during the rule of Stefan Nemanja Rascian architecture is a medieval Serbian ecclesiastical architectural style that spanned from 1170-1300, starting during the rule of Stefan...
, that spanned from 1170-1300.
- Monastery of Saint NicholasSaint NicholasSaint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
, in KuršumlijaKuršumlijaKuršumlija is a town and municipality located in the south of Serbia, nearby the rivers Toplica, Kosanica and Banjska, on the southeast of mountain Kopaonik, and northwest of Radan Mountain... - Monastery of Saint Mother of Christ, between KosanicaKosanicaThe Kosanica is the river in southern Serbia. The river is 34 km long and gives its name to the area it flows through, which constitutes with the south part of Kuršumlija municipality in south Serbia....
and Toplica - Monastery Temple of George's Columns (Đurđevi Stupovi), in 1171 in Ras
- Monastery Temple of the Immaculate Holy Virgin the BenefactorStudenica monasteryThe Studenica monastery is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery situated 39 km southwest of Kraljevo, in central Serbia. It is one of the largest and richest Serb Orthodox monasteries....
(Studenica), in 1190 in Ibar - Church of Saint Mother of Christ, at Bistrica-Lim
- Monastery of Saint NicholasSaint NicholasSaint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
, in Kaznovići/KončuljKončuljKončulj is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 1306 people....
on the Ibar - Nunnery of Mother of Christ, in Ras
Reconstructions
- Hilandar monasteryHilandarHilandar Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. It was founded in 1198 by the first Serbian Archbishop Saint Sava and his father, Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja of the medieval Serbian principality of Raška...
on Mount AthosMount AthosMount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
, in 1199 - Monastery of Saint Archangel Michael, in SkopjeSkopjeSkopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
- Monastery of Saint Pantheleimon, in NišNišNiš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
Donations
- Church of Lord, Holy Grave and Christ's Arrisal, in Jerusalem
- Church of Saint John the Forerunner, in Jerusalem
- Church of Saint Theodosios, in the Desert of BethlehemBethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
- Church Saint Apostole Peter and Paul, in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
- Church of Saint NicholasSaint NicholasSaint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
, in BariBariBari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas... - Monastery/Church of the Virgin of Evergethide, in ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
- Monastery/Church of Saint Demetrios, in Thessalonika
See also
- History of SerbiaHistory of SerbiaThe history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
; List of Serbian monarchs - History of MontenegroHistory of MontenegroThe History of Montenegro begins in the early Middle Ages, into the former Roman province of Dalmatia that forms present-day Montenegro.-Illyria:...
; List of rulers of Montenegro - History of HerzegovinaHistory of HerzegovinaThe History of Herzegovina ranges from the first Slavic migrations to the region to the most recent Bosnian War.-Pre-Slavic history:See Illyrians...
Sources
- John V.A. Fine. (1991). The early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the 6th to the Late 12th Century. The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08149-7
- John V.A. Fine. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08260-4
- Judah, Tim (1997). The Serbs: History, Myth & the Destruction of Yugoslavia, Yale University Press.
- Kindersley, Anne (1976). The Mountains of Serbia: Travels through Inland Yugoslavia, John Murray (Publishers) Ltd.
- Mandic, O. Dominic (1970). Croats and Serbs: Two old and different Nations. Translated by Vicko Rendic and Jacques Perret. Available at: www.magma.ca/~rendic.
- Pavlowitch, Stevan K. (2002). Serbia: the History behind the Name, Hurst & Company.
- The Serbian Unity Congress.
- Servia/Serbia, Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
(1907) - Veselinović, Andrija & Ljušić, Radoš (2001). Српске династије, Platoneum.
- CD Chilandar by Studio A, Aetos, Library of Serb Patriarchate and Chilandar monastery, Belgrade, 1998
- Ćorović, VladimirVladimir CorovicVladimir Ćorović was a 20th-century Serbian historian, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts . He is best known for his many acclaimed works on the history of Serbs and Yugoslavia.-Early:...
, Istorija srpskog naroda, Book I, (In Serbian) Electric Book, Rastko Electronic Book, Antikvarneknjige (Cyrillic)- Treci Period, I, Stevan Nemanja
External links
- Serb Land of Montenegro - Serbian Medieval History - The Sacronist Nemanjic Dynasty
- Serbian Unity Congress - Rulers of the Land
- Foundation for Medieval Genealogy - Serbia History of the Serbs - Third Period - Stephen Nemanya, by Vladimir ĆorovićVladimir CorovicVladimir Ćorović was a 20th-century Serbian historian, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts . He is best known for his many acclaimed works on the history of Serbs and Yugoslavia.-Early:...
The Holy bloodline of Stefan Nemanja by Željko Fajfrić The Holy bloodline of the Nemanjics - Stephen Nemanya The Nemanjics - Stephen Nemanya