Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Stephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia (from 8 September 1331) and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks
(from 16 April 1346) until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe
, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time. He enacted the constitution of the Serbian Empire
in Dušan's Code
, one of, if not the most important work of medieval Serbia. Dušan promoted the Serbian Church from an Archbishopric to a Patriarchate
, finished the construction of the Visoki Dečani-monastery (UNESCO item
), and founded the Saint Archangels Monastery
, among others. Under his rule Serbia reached its territorial, economical, political and cultural peak.
His death in 1355 is seen as the end of resistance towards the advancing Ottoman Empire
, and the subsequent fall of the Eastern Orthodox Church
in the region. His Crown is presently kept at the Cetinje Monastery
, in Montenegro
.
, to have him blinded. Uroš III was never totally blinded, however. After 1317, Uroš III wrote to Danilo, the Bishop of Hum, asking him to intervene with his father. Danilo then wrote to Archbishop Nicodemus of Serbia
, who spoke with Milutin and persuaded him to recall his son. In 1320 Uroš III was permitted to return to Serbia, and was given the appanage
of 'Budimlje' (modern Berane
). His half-brother and heir to the crown, Stephen Constantine
had the title King of Zeta. Uroš II became ill and died on October 29, 1321, and Constantine was crowned King.
Civil war erupted when Constantine refused to submit to Uroš III, who then invaded Zeta, and in the ensuing battle, Constantine was killed. After the victory, on January 6, 1322, the Serbian Archbishop Nicodemus crowned Uroš King and Dušan Young King. As Dušan was intended heir, he would govern Zeta, as Constantine and his predecessors had done. In the meantime, Uroš III's cousin Stephen Vladislav II mobilized local support from Rudnik
, Stephen Dragutin's former appanage. Vladislav called himself King, and was supported by the Hungarians, consolidating control over his lands and preparing for battle with Uroš III. As the case was with their fathers, Serbia was divided by two independent rulers; in 1322 and 1323 Ragusan merchants freely visited both lands.
In 1323, war broke out between the cousins. In the fall Vladislav still held Rudnik, but by the end of 1323, it was being held by Uroš' forces; Vladislav appeared to have fled north. Vladislav was defeated in battle in late 1324, and fled to Hungary, leaving the Serbian throne to Uroš III as undisputed King of All Serbian and Maritime lands".
. He was born in ca. 1308, in Serbia, but with his fathers exile in 1314, the family lives in Constantinople
until 1320, when his father is pardoned and allowed to return. In Constantinople he learned Greek
, gained an understanding of Byzantine life and culture, and became acquainted with the Byzantine Empire
. He was, on the whole, more a soldier than a diplomat; in his youth he fought exceptionally in two battles; in 1329 he defeated the Bosnian
ban
Stephen II Kotromanić, and in 1330 the Bulgaria
n emperor Michael III Shishman in the Battle of Velbazhd. Uroš III appointed his nephew Ivan Stephen
(through Anna Neda
) at the throne of Bulgaria in August 1330.
Right after the battle of Velbazhd, Uroš III had the chance to attack the Byzantines, but he chose not to, resulting in the alienation of many nobles, who sought to expand to the south. By January or February 1331, Dušan was quarreling with his father, perhaps pressured by the nobility. According to contemporary pro-Dušan sources, evil advisors turned Uroš III against his son; he decided to seize and exclude Dušan of his inheritance. Uroš III sent an army into Zeta against his son, the army ravaged Skadar, but Dušan had crossed the Bojana
. A brief period of anarchy in parts of Serbia took place, before the father and son concluded peace in April 1331. Three months later, Uroš III ordered Dušan to meet him. Dušan feared for his life and his advisors persuaded him to resist, so Dušan marched from Skadar to Nerodimlje, where he besieged his father. Uroš III fled, and Dušan captured the treasury and family. He then pursuited his father, catching up with him at Petrić
. On 21 August 1331, Uroš III surrendered, and on the advice or insistence of Dušan's advisors, he was imprisoned. Dušan is crowned King of All Serbian and Maritime lands in the first week of September.
The civil war had prevented Serbia from aiding Ivan Stephen and Anna Neda in Bulgaria, who were deposed in March 1331, taking refuge in the mountains. Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
feared for the danger of Serbia as the situation there had settled, and immediately sought peace with Dušan. As Dušan wanted to move against richer Byzantium, the two concluded peace and an alliance in December 1331, accepting Ivan Alexander as ruler. It was sealed with the marriage of Dušan and Helena
, the sister of Ivan Alexander. Bulgaria became a vassal of the Serbian Empire.
In the first years of his reign, Dušan started to fight against the Byzantine Empire
(1334), and warfare continued with interruptions of various duration until his death in 1355. Twice he became involved in larger conflicts with the Hungarians, but these clashes were mostly defensive. Dusan's armies were defeated by Louis the Great's 80,000 strong royal armies in Mačva
, therefore Dušan had lost the control over his former territories: vojvodine of Macsó (Mačva) and the principality of Travunia
in 1349. After this setback, he focused his attention on the internal affairs of his country, writing, in 1349, the first statute book of the Serbs.
Dušan was successful against Louis' vassals; he defeated the armies of the Croatian ban and the forces of southern Hungarian voivodes. He was at peace with the Bulgaria
ns, who even helped him on several occasions, and he is said to have visited Ivan Alexander at his capital. Dušan exploited the civil war
in the Byzantine Empire between regent Anna of Savoy
for the minor Emperor John V Palaiologos
and his father's general John Kantakouzenos
. Dušan and Ivan Alexander picked opposite sides in the conflict, but remained at peace with each other, taking advantage of the Byzantine civil war to secure gains for themselves.
Dušan's systematic offensive began in 1342 and in the end he conquered all Byzantine territories in the western Balkans as far as Kavala
, except for the Peloponnesus and Thessaloniki
, which he could not conquer because he had too small of a fleet. There has been speculation that Dušan's ultimate goal was no less than to conquer Constantinople and replace the declining Byzantine Empire with a united Orthodox Greco-Serbian Empire under his control. In May 1344, his commander Preljub was stopped at Stephaniana by a Turkic force
of 3,100. The battle was won by the Turks, but it was not able to thwart the Serbian conquest of Macedonia.
In 1343, he added "of Romans (Greeks)" to his self-styled title "King of Serbia, Albania and the coast". In 1345 he began calling himself tsar, equivalent of Emperor, this is attested in charters to two athonite monasteries, one from November and one from January 1346, and around Christmas 1345 at a council meeting in Serres
, he proclaimed himself "Tsar of the Serbs and Romans" (Romans is equivalent to Greeks in Serbian documents).
), he convoked a huge assembly at Skopje
, attended by the Serbian Archbishop Joanikije II, the Archbishop of Ochrid Nikolaj I, the Bulgarian Patriarch Simeon and various religious leaders of Mount Athos
. The assembly and clerics agreed on, and then ceremonially performed the raising of the autocephalous Serbian Archbishopric to the status of Patriarchate
. The Archbishop from now on is titled Patriarch of Serbia, although one document called him Patriarch of Serbs and Greeks, with the seat at the monastery of Peć
. The new Patriarch Joanikije II now solemnly crowned Dušan as "Emperor
and autocrat of Serbs
and Romans" (Greek
).
Dušan had his son crowned King of Serbs and Greeks, giving him nominal rule over the Serbian lands, and although Dušan was governing the whole state, he had special responsibility for the "Roman", i.e. Greek lands.
A further increase in the Byzantinization of the Serbian court followed, particularly in court ceremonial and titles. As Emperor, Dušan could grant titles only possible as an Emperor. In the years that followed, Dušan's half-brother Symeon Uroš and brother-in-law Jovan Asen became despotes
. Jovan Oliver
already had the despot title, granted to him by Andronikos III. His brother-in-law Dejan Dragaš
and Branko
is granted the title of sebastocrator. The military commanders (voivodes) Preljub
and Vojihna
receive the title of caesar. The raising of the Serbian Patriarch resulted in the same spirit, bishoprics became metropolitans, as for example the Metropolitanate of Skopje.
The Patriarchate took over sovereignty on Mt. Athos
and the Greek archbishoprics under the rule of the Constantinople Patriarchate
(The Ohrid Archbishopric
remained autocephalous). For those acts he was excommunicated by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
in 1350.
whom they brought into Europe
for the first time. The first conflict between the Serbs and the Turks on Balkan soil, at Stephaniana
in 1344, ended unfavourably for the Serbs. In 1348 Dušan conquered Epirus
, Acarnania
and Thessaly
. He appointed Simeon Uroš
as despotes of Epirus and Thessaly. He put Vojihna
as caesar of Drama
.
Once Dušan had conquered Epirus and Thessaly, he sought to obtain Constantinople
. In order to acquire the city, he needed a fleet. The fleets of the southern Serbian Dalmatian towns were not capable of such task, thus he opened negotiations with Venice, with which he maintained fairly good relation. However, as Venice feared a reduction of privileges in the Empire if the Serbs became the masters of Constantinople over the weakened Byzantines, they found excuses to avoid a military alliance. While Dušan sought Venetian aid against Byzantium, the Venetians sought Serbian support in the struggle against the Hungarians over Dalmatia, however, when sensing that the Serbian aid would result in a Venetian obligation to Serbia, Venice politely turned down Dušan's offers of help.
While Dušan launched the Bosnian campaign (absence of Serbian troops in Macedonia and Thessaly), Cantacuzenus tried to regain parts the lost lands. In his support, the Constantinopolitan patriarch Kallistos excommunicated Dušan in order to discourage the Greek population in Dušan's Greek provinces from supporting the Serbian administration and thereby assist Cantacuzenus campaign. The excommunication did not stop Dušan's relations with Mount Athos
, which still adressed him as Emperor, though rather as Emperor of Serbs than Emperor of Serbs and Greeks.
Cantacuzenus raised a small army, the best he could, and took the Chalcidic peninsula, next he took Veria
and Voden. Veria was the richest town in the Botia region, in order to maintain it, Dušan had earlier replaced many Greeks with Serbs, including a Serb garrison. However, the remaining locals were able to open the gates for Cantacuzenus in 1350. Voden resisted Cantacuzenus, but was taken by assault. Cantacuzenus then marched towards Thessaly, but was stopped at Servia by Caesar Preljub and his army of 500 men. The Byzantine force retired to Veria, and the aiding Turk contingent went off plundering, reaching as far as Skopje.
The Byzantine campaign reached Dušan in Hum, he quickly reassembled his forces from Bosnia and Hum and marched for Thessaly.
, which was annexed by the Hungarian protégé and Bosnian Ban Stephen II Kotromanić in 1326. In 1329, Ban Stephen II launched an attack on Lord Vitomir who held Travunia
and Konavle
, the Bosnian Army was defeated at Pribojska Banja by Dušan when he was still Young King. The Ban soon took over Nevesinje
and the rest of Bosnia. Petar Toljenović, the Lord of seaside Hum and a distant relative of Dušan, sparked a rebellion against the new ruler but was soon captured and died in prison.
In 1350, Dušan attacked Bosnia, wishing to regain the previously lost land of Hum and stop the raids on his tributaries at Konavle. Venice had tried to reach a settlement between the two, but had failed. In October he invaded Hum, with an army said to be of 80,000 men, and he seems to have successfully occupied part of the disputed Hum territory. According to Orbini
, he had secretly been in contact with various Bosnian nobles, offering them bribes for support. Many nobles, chiefly of Hum, were ready to betray the Ban, such as the Nikolić family which was kin to the Nemanjić dynasty. The Bosnian Ban avoided any major confrontation and did not meet Dušan in battle, instead he retired to the mountains and made small hit-and-run actions. Most of Bosnia's fortresses held out, but some nobles submitted to Dušan. The Serbs ravaged much of the countryside: with one army they reached Duvno and Cetina
, with another reaching Krka on which lay Knin
(modern Croatia
), and another taking Imotski
and Novi, where they left garrisons and entered Hum. From this position of strength, Dušan tried to negotiate peace with the Ban, sealing it by the marriage of Dušan's son Uroš with Stephen's daughter Elizabeth who would receive Hum as her dowry - restoring it to Serbia. The Ban was not willing to consider this proposal.
Dušan may have launched the campaign also in order to aid his sister, Jelena, who married Mladen III Subic of Omis, Klis and Skradin, in 1347. Mladen died from the plague in 1348, and Jelena sought to maintain the rule of the cities for herself and her son. She was challenged by Hungary and Venice, so the Serbian army dispatchments in western Hum and Croatia may have been for her, as operations in this region were unlikely to help Dušan conquer Hum.
If Dušan was to aid Jelena, and as we know, conquer Hum, this was stopped when trouble started in the East.
Dušan had grand intentions but they were all cut short by his premature death. While mounting a crusade against the Turks, he fell ill (possibly poisoned) and died of a fever at Devoll
on 20 December 1355. He was buried in his foundation
, the Monastery of the Holy Archangels
near Prizren
.
His empire slowly crumbled, and as his son and successor Uroš V could not maintain the Empire, several regional feudal families increased their power, although nominally acknowledging Uroš V as Emperor. Symeon Uroš had after the death of Dušan proclaimed himself Emperor, and ruled a large area of Thessaly and Epirus.
Today his remains are in the Church of Saint Mark in Belgrade
. He was succeeded by his son Stefan Uroš V, who had been associated in power as king since 1346.
He is the only ruler from the Nemanjić Dynasty
who has not been canonised
as a saint
.
His greatest endowment is monastery dedicated to archangels Michael and Gabriel, located near the town of Prizren
. This is the place where Tsar Dušan was originally buried. Dušan gave many possessions to this monastery, including the forest of Prizren which was supposed to be a special part of the monastery where all the precious goods and relics should be stored. Also, the mosaic on the flor of the monastery was made beautifully. Great admiration to this monastery was showed by Dušan's heir Stefan Uroš V.
Dušan's son, Stephen Uroš V, talked about his father with great respect.
Stephen Uroš V did not try to make peace with patriarch of Constantinople, which means that he saw his father's action positively. Such initiative came from despot Uglješa in 1368. The jurisdiction of Constantinople was restored. The final initiative for peace between churches came from Prince Lazar in 1375. Few sources show that Serbian church, at some moment, accepted view of Constantinople about illegality of Dušan's crowning and making of patriarchate. In next decades of Serbian state there is no evidence about existing of the Dušan's cult. In official ideology of later times there is no glorification of Emperor, he even was not mentioned, but his authority was always respected. Dušan's charter to Dubrovnik served as a example to all the later trades made between the two sides, and the regulations made by the charter were considered inviolable. The wise Ragusians said to their guests that they are staying in the city to which Emperor Dušan came by the same door.
Later folk tradition had various attitudes to Dušan, mostly negative, mostly made under the influence of the church.
With the raising of the Serbian Archbishopric to a Patriarchate, serious changes in the organization of the church followed. Joanikije II became Patriarch. Bishoprics (Eparchies) were raised to Metropolitanates, and new territories of the Ochrid Archbishopric and Ecumenical Constantinople were added to the jurisdiction of the Serbian church. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
had Dušan excommunicated in 1350, although this did not affect the religious organization.
Under Serbian jurisdiction came one of the foremost centers of spirituality - Mount Athos
. As of November 1345, Athonite monks accept his supreme rule, and Dušan guaranteed autonomy, also giving a row of economic privileges, with tremendous gifts and endowments. The monks of Chilandar (the cradle of the Serbian church, founded by Saint Sava
, his ancestor) came at the front of the ecclesiastical community.
In his codex, Dušan accentuates his role as a protector of Christianity and points out the independence of the church. From the codex we can also see care that the parishes are equally arranged both in cities and villages. He was also taking care of few churches and monasteries from Bari
to the west, to Jerusalem to the east.
Besides Orthodox Christians, there were many Catholics in the Empire, mostly in the coastal cities, Kotor
, Lješ etc. In the court of Dušan there were also Catholics (servants from Kotor
and Dubrovnik
, mercenaries, guests etc.). In the central parts, Saxons were in areas active in mining and trading. Catholics had the full right of faith, except for converting non-Catholics.
There are no historical record that traders of catholic faith complained about discrimination based on religion. Dušan was also in contact with the Pope, he negotiated about formal acceptance of papal primacy, his two goals were: stopping Hungarian attacks in the north, and, with the help of the Pope, assemble and organize a crusade against the Turks (Muslims). The Pope sent an envoy led by Peter Tome to the Serbian court, however, according to Philippe de Mézières
, their negotiations were followed by much unpleasantness, and the mission did not give the expected results.
Some historians consider that the goal of Emperor Dušan was to establish a new, Serbian-Greek Empire, replacing the Byzantine Empire. Ćirković
considered his initial ideology as that of the previous Bulgarian emperors, who had envisioned co-rulership. However, starting in 1347, relations with John VI Kantakouzenos
worsened, Dušan allied himself with rival John V Palaiologos
.
Dušan was the first Serbian monarch who wrote most of his letters in Greek
, also signing with the Imperial red ink. He was the first to publish prostagma, a kind of Byzantine document, characteristic for Byzantine rulers. In his royal title, Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks, his claim as Eastern Roman (Byzantine) successor is clear. He also gave Byzantine court titles to his nobility, something that would continue into the 16th century.
In works of Nicephorus Gregoras
there are recordings that Tsar Dushan sent his royal servants to Ottoman sultan, offering one of his daughters to sultan's sons. Orhan I
accepted the offer, but his servants were intercept along the way, and with that their diplomatic relations were over. Shortly, Turkish presence on the Balkan was more appreciable.
A mark of Dušan's rulership was a bulkin work on law. A large amount of charters was published, and some great works on law subject were translated to Serbian. To conception of that time, emperor Dušan had the right to make laws of general, universal character. Dušan tried to explain his code in one of in his charter, where he explains that the sense is spiritual and that the goals are for the after-life, and that the code is going to help his people to save themselves. First part of the code was proclaimed on 21. May 1349. in Skopje
, and I contained of 155 clauses, while the second part came in 1354. with 66 clauses. Makers of the code are not known, but they are probably members of the court which were related to law. The original manuscript of the code did not remain. Dušan's code
contains of various subjects and it is made in order to spans in all aspect of life, but to certain subject more attention was given. Serbia had long law tradition, and some parts were well regulated. The old laws were not removed, but they were not exactly repeated. Those laws represented the highest authority. The first 38 appointments are related to the church and they deal with active problems, while the next 25 appointments are related to the nobles Absence of appointments related to civil law is explained because that area was done in works of Saint Sava
's Nomokamon and in Corpus Juris Civilis
. Dušan's code originally dealt with criminal law.
Byzantine law had the greatest influence on Dušan's codex. That is greatly seen through concept of lawfulness, which was mostly taken direcktly from Byzantine law.
The code was in use even after the death of Emperor. It is sure that it was in use under the rulership of his son, Stefan Uroš V, and it is not known was it in use in the last decades of medieval Serbia. With the final fall of Serbia under Turkish dominion, the code could not be used any more, with exception of some partly autonomic areas under the Republic of Venice, like Grbalj and Paštrovići
.
as cavalry and Spaniards as infantry. He also had personal mercenary
guards, mainly German knight
s. A German knight named Palman
became the commander of the Serbian "Alemannic Guard
" in 1331 upon crossing Serbia
to Jerusalem; he became leader of all mercenaries in the Serbian Army
. The main strength of the Serbian army was the armoured knight feared for their ferocious charge and fighting skills.
His epithet Silni (Силни) is translated into the Mighty, but also the Great, the Powerful or the Strong.
to Serbs. His state was a rival to the regional powers of Byzantium and Hungary, and it encompassed a large territory, which would also be his empire's greatest weakness. By nature a soldier and a conqueror, Dušan also proved to be very able but nonetheless feared ruler. His empire however, slowly crumbled at the hands of his son, as regional aristocrats distanced from the central rule.
The aim of restoring Serbia as an Empire it once was, was one of the greatest ideals of Serbs, living both in the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian lands. In 1526, Jovan Nenad, in the style of Dušan, proclaimed himself Emperor, when ruling a short-lived state of Serbian provinces under the crown of Hungary.
The Realm of the Slavs, written by Ragusian historian Mavro Orbin (l. ca. 1550-1614), saw Emperor Dušan's actions and works positively. The book served as the primary source about early history of South Slavs
at the time and most of the western historians drew their information on the Slavs from it. Early Serbian historians, even though they wrote according to the sources, were influenced by the ideas of the time they lived in. They made efforts to harmonize with two different traditions: one from brevets and public documents and other from genealogies and narrative writings. Of early historians, most information came from Jovan Rajić
(1726–1801), who wrote fifty pages about Dušan's life. Rajić's work had great influence on Serbian culture of that time, and for decades it was the main source of information about Serbian history.
After the restoration of Serbia in the 19th century, continuity with the Serbian Middle Ages was accentuated, particularly of its greatest moment - during Emperor Dušan. A political agenda, as with a restoration of his Empire, would find its place in the political programmes of the Principality of Serbia, notably the Načertanije
by Ilija Garašanin
.
Reconstructions:
By his first wife, Helena of Bulgaria
, Stefan Uroš IV had at least one child, Stefan Uroš V of Serbia who succeeded him as emperor of the Serbian Empire.
Some historians speculate that the couple had a further child, a daughter. J. Fine in his book The Late Medieval Balkans, A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest (1994) suggested that his daughter might be "Irene", the wife of Gregorios Preljub (Serbian governor of Thessaly
who died in late 1355 or early 1356), mother of Thomas II Preljubović
(Ruler of Epirus
from 1367 to 1384). In a theory, she married Radoslav Hlapen
, Governor of Voden and Veria
and Lord of Kastoria
, after her first husband's death in 1360. This hypothesis is not widely accepted.
By Alexander Soloviev
Emperor of Serbia
The Emperor of Serbia or Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks was the imperial title used during the Serbian Empire , by only two monarchs; Stefan Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty and Stefan Uroš V the Weak.-History:...
(from 16 April 1346) until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a relatively recent political designation for the states of the Balkans. Writers such as Maria Todorova and Vesna Goldsworthy have suggested the use of the term Southeastern Europe to replace the word Balkans for the region, to minimize potential...
, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time. He enacted the constitution of 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...
in Dušan's Code
Dušan's Code
Dušan's Code was enacted by Tsar Dušan in two state congresses: in May 21, 1349 in Skopje and amended in 1354 in Serres. It regulated all social spheres, so it can be considered a medieval Serbian constitution. The Code included 201 articles. The original manuscript is not preserved, but around...
, one of, if not the most important work of medieval Serbia. Dušan promoted the Serbian Church from an Archbishopric to a Patriarchate
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...
, finished the construction of the Visoki Dečani-monastery (UNESCO item
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo is a World Heritage Site consisting of four Serbian Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries which represent the fusion of the eastern Orthodox Byzantine and the western Romanesque ecclesiastical architecture to form the Palaiologian Renaissance style...
), and founded the Saint Archangels Monastery
Saint Archangels Monastery
The Saint Archangels Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Prizren, in southern Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia, and built between 1343 and 1352, on the site of the earlier church, part of the Višegrad fortress complex...
, among others. Under his rule Serbia reached its territorial, economical, political and cultural peak.
His death in 1355 is seen as the end of resistance towards the advancing Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and the subsequent fall of 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 region. His Crown is presently kept at the Cetinje Monastery
Cetinje Monastery
The Cetinje Monastery is the most famous Serb Orthodox monastery in Montenegro. It is located in Cetinje and is the seat of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and its name derives from Saint Peter of Cetinje...
, in 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...
.
Serbian crown
In 1314, the initial heir Stephen Uroš III (Dušan's father) quarreled with his father Stephen Uroš II Milutin, who ended up sending Uroš III to ConstantinopleConstantinople
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:...
, to have him blinded. Uroš III was never totally blinded, however. After 1317, Uroš III wrote to Danilo, the Bishop of Hum, asking him to intervene with his father. Danilo then wrote to Archbishop Nicodemus of Serbia
Saint Nikodim I
Nikodim I of Peć was the 10th Metropolitan of Peć and Archbishop of Serbs from 1316 to 1324, he died in the year 1325. He is a Serbian saint and the Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day on May 11/24.-Life:...
, who spoke with Milutin and persuaded him to recall his son. In 1320 Uroš III was permitted to return to Serbia, and was given the appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
of 'Budimlje' (modern Berane
Berane
Berane , formerly Ivangrad, is a town in north-eastern Montenegro. It has a population of 11,776 .Berane is the centre of municipality and one of the centres of Polimlje area, named after the Lim River, on which Berane is situated.-History:During the medieval period the Montenegrin land of Berane...
). His half-brother and heir to the crown, Stephen Constantine
Stefan Konstantin
Stephen Constantine was the King of Serbia briefly for a year 1321–1322. He initially held the appanage of Zeta . He was the only pretender to the Serbian thone, after his father had exiled his younger brother and initial heir Stefan Uroš III...
had the title King of Zeta. Uroš II became ill and died on October 29, 1321, and Constantine was crowned King.
Civil war erupted when Constantine refused to submit to Uroš III, who then invaded Zeta, and in the ensuing battle, Constantine was killed. After the victory, on January 6, 1322, the Serbian Archbishop Nicodemus crowned Uroš King and Dušan Young King. As Dušan was intended heir, he would govern Zeta, as Constantine and his predecessors had done. In the meantime, Uroš III's cousin Stephen Vladislav II mobilized local support from Rudnik
Rudnik
Rudnik is a mountain in central Serbia, near the town of Gornji Milanovac. Its highest peak Cvijićev vrh, named after geologist and biologist Jovan Cvijić, has an altitude of 1132 meters above sea level...
, Stephen Dragutin's former appanage. Vladislav called himself King, and was supported by the Hungarians, consolidating control over his lands and preparing for battle with Uroš III. As the case was with their fathers, Serbia was divided by two independent rulers; in 1322 and 1323 Ragusan merchants freely visited both lands.
In 1323, war broke out between the cousins. In the fall Vladislav still held Rudnik, but by the end of 1323, it was being held by Uroš' forces; Vladislav appeared to have fled north. Vladislav was defeated in battle in late 1324, and fled to Hungary, leaving the Serbian throne to Uroš III as undisputed King of All Serbian and Maritime lands".
Personal traits
Contemporary writers described Dušan as unusually tall and strong for his age, "the tallest man of his time", very handsome, and one of the rare leaders full of dynamism, quick intelligence and strength. He had "a kingly presence". According to the contemporary depictions of him, he had dark hair and brown eyes, in adult age he grew beard and longer hair.Youth and usurpation
Uroš IV Dušan was the eldest son of King Uroš III of Dečani and Theodora Smilets, the daughter of emperor Smilets of BulgariaSmilets of Bulgaria
Smilets reigned as emperor of Bulgaria from 1292 to 1298. The date of his birth is unknown.Although Smilec is credited with being descended "from the noblest family of the Bulgarians", his antecedents are completely unknown...
. He was born in ca. 1308, in Serbia, but with his fathers exile in 1314, the family lives 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:...
until 1320, when his father is pardoned and allowed to return. In Constantinople he learned 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;...
, gained an understanding of Byzantine life and culture, and became acquainted 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...
. He was, on the whole, more a soldier than a diplomat; in his youth he fought exceptionally in two battles; in 1329 he defeated the Bosnian
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
Stephen II Kotromanić, and in 1330 the 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...
n emperor Michael III Shishman in the Battle of Velbazhd. Uroš III appointed his nephew Ivan Stephen
Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria
Ivan Stefan ruled as emperor of Bulgaria for eight months from 1330 to 1331. He was the eldest son of emperor Michael III Shishman and Anna Neda of Serbia, a daughter of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia. Ivan Stephen was descendent to the Terter dynasty, the Asen dynasty and the Shishman...
(through Anna Neda
Anna Neda of Serbia
Anna Neda was a 14th-century Serb Empress consort of Bulgaria. She was the daughter of Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin and Princess Anna Terter, daughter of George I of Bulgaria...
) at the throne of Bulgaria in August 1330.
Right after the battle of Velbazhd, Uroš III had the chance to attack the Byzantines, but he chose not to, resulting in the alienation of many nobles, who sought to expand to the south. By January or February 1331, Dušan was quarreling with his father, perhaps pressured by the nobility. According to contemporary pro-Dušan sources, evil advisors turned Uroš III against his son; he decided to seize and exclude Dušan of his inheritance. Uroš III sent an army into Zeta against his son, the army ravaged Skadar, but Dušan had crossed the Bojana
Bojana
-Places:* Bojana , a river in Albania and Montenegro* Ada Bojana / Bojana Island* Boyana, a quarter of Sofia, Bulgaria- People :* Bojana Jovanovski* Bojana Novakovic* Bojana Radulović* Bojana Popović* Bojana Atanasovska* Bojana Bobusic* Bojana Panić...
. A brief period of anarchy in parts of Serbia took place, before the father and son concluded peace in April 1331. Three months later, Uroš III ordered Dušan to meet him. Dušan feared for his life and his advisors persuaded him to resist, so Dušan marched from Skadar to Nerodimlje, where he besieged his father. Uroš III fled, and Dušan captured the treasury and family. He then pursuited his father, catching up with him at Petrić
Petric
Petric may refer to:*Veliki Petrič, fortress in Serbia*Mali Petrič, fortress in Serbia*Petrich, a town in Bulgaria- People :*Gordan Petrić, a Yugoslav football player*Ivo Petrić, a Slovenian composer*Luka Petric, a Slovenian badminton player...
. On 21 August 1331, Uroš III surrendered, and on the advice or insistence of Dušan's advisors, he was imprisoned. Dušan is crowned King of All Serbian and Maritime lands in the first week of September.
The civil war had prevented Serbia from aiding Ivan Stephen and Anna Neda in Bulgaria, who were deposed in March 1331, taking refuge in the mountains. Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander , also known as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history...
feared for the danger of Serbia as the situation there had settled, and immediately sought peace with Dušan. As Dušan wanted to move against richer Byzantium, the two concluded peace and an alliance in December 1331, accepting Ivan Alexander as ruler. It was sealed with the marriage of Dušan and Helena
Helena of Bulgaria
Jelena or Helena of Bulgaria was the daughter of Sratsimir of Kran and Keratsa Petritsa and the sister of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria....
, the sister of Ivan Alexander. Bulgaria became a vassal of the Serbian Empire.
Early reign
Some raids into Macedonia were made in late 1331, but the major attack on Byzantium was delayed, Dušan had to suppress revolts in Zeta in 1332. Dušan's ingratitude to his former aids (the Zetan nobility were possibly neglected their promised reward and greater influence) may have been the cause of the rebellion, which was suppressed in the course of 1332.In the first years of his reign, Dušan started to fight against 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...
(1334), and warfare continued with interruptions of various duration until his death in 1355. Twice he became involved in larger conflicts with the Hungarians, but these clashes were mostly defensive. Dusan's armies were defeated by Louis the Great's 80,000 strong royal armies in Mačva
Macva
Mačva is a geographical region in Serbia, mostly situated in the northwest of Central Serbia. It is located in a fertile plain between the Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town of this region is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is named after the region, although the region of Mačva...
, therefore Dušan had lost the control over his former territories: vojvodine of Macsó (Mačva) and the principality of 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 1349. After this setback, he focused his attention on the internal affairs of his country, writing, in 1349, the first statute book of the Serbs.
Dušan was successful against Louis' vassals; he defeated the armies of the Croatian ban and the forces of southern Hungarian voivodes. He was at peace with the 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...
ns, who even helped him on several occasions, and he is said to have visited Ivan Alexander at his capital. Dušan exploited the civil war
Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347
The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 was a conflict between supporters of designated regent John VI Kantakouzenos and guardians acting for John V Palaiologos, Emperor Andronikos III's nine-year-old son, in the persons of the Empress-dowager Anna of Savoy, the Patriarch of Constantinople John XIV...
in the Byzantine Empire between regent Anna of Savoy
Anna of Savoy
Anna of Savoy, born Giovanna, was a Byzantine Empress consort, as the second wife of Andronikos III Palaiologos.-Family:She was a daughter of Amadeus V, Count of Savoy and his second wife Maria of Brabant. Her maternal grandparents were John I, Duke of Brabant and Margaret of Flanders...
for the minor Emperor John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
and his father's general John Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...
. Dušan and Ivan Alexander picked opposite sides in the conflict, but remained at peace with each other, taking advantage of the Byzantine civil war to secure gains for themselves.
Dušan's systematic offensive began in 1342 and in the end he conquered all Byzantine territories in the western Balkans as far as Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
, except for the Peloponnesus and Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, which he could not conquer because he had too small of a fleet. There has been speculation that Dušan's ultimate goal was no less than to conquer Constantinople and replace the declining Byzantine Empire with a united Orthodox Greco-Serbian Empire under his control. In May 1344, his commander Preljub was stopped at Stephaniana by a Turkic force
Battle of Stephaniana
The Battle of Stephaniana was a small-scale battle between the forces of the Serbian Empire and the Emirate of Aydin, allies of Byzantine emperor John VI Kantakouzenos...
of 3,100. The battle was won by the Turks, but it was not able to thwart the Serbian conquest of Macedonia.
In 1343, he added "of Romans (Greeks)" to his self-styled title "King of Serbia, Albania and the coast". In 1345 he began calling himself tsar, equivalent of Emperor, this is attested in charters to two athonite monasteries, one from November and one from January 1346, and around Christmas 1345 at a council meeting in Serres
Serres, Greece
Sérres is a city in Macedonia, Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki. The Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city...
, he proclaimed himself "Tsar of the Serbs and Romans" (Romans is equivalent to Greeks in Serbian documents).
Autocephaly and coronation as Emperor
On April 16, 1346 (EasterEaster
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
), he convoked a huge assembly at 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...
, attended by the Serbian Archbishop Joanikije II, the Archbishop of Ochrid Nikolaj I, the Bulgarian Patriarch Simeon and various religious leaders of 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...
. The assembly and clerics agreed on, and then ceremonially performed the raising of the autocephalous Serbian Archbishopric to the status of Patriarchate
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...
. The Archbishop from now on is titled Patriarch of Serbia, although one document called him Patriarch of Serbs and Greeks, with the seat at the monastery of Peć
Patriarchate of Pec
The Patriarchate of Peć is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Peć. The complex of churches is the spiritual seat and mausoleum of the Serbian archbishops and patriarchs....
. The new Patriarch Joanikije II now solemnly crowned Dušan as "Emperor
Basileus
Basileus is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs in history. It is perhaps best known in English as a title used by the Byzantine Emperors, but also has a longer history of use for persons of authority and sovereigns in ancient Greece, as well as for the kings of...
and autocrat of Serbs
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...
and Romans" (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;...
).
Dušan had his son crowned King of Serbs and Greeks, giving him nominal rule over the Serbian lands, and although Dušan was governing the whole state, he had special responsibility for the "Roman", i.e. Greek lands.
A further increase in the Byzantinization of the Serbian court followed, particularly in court ceremonial and titles. As Emperor, Dušan could grant titles only possible as an Emperor. In the years that followed, Dušan's half-brother Symeon Uroš and brother-in-law Jovan Asen became despotes
Despotes
Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
. Jovan Oliver
Jovan Oliver
Jovan Oliver Grčinić, known as Despot Jovan Oliver was a magnate of the Serbian Emperor Dušan the Mighty , holding the titles of sebastokrator and despotes, and the great voivode-military rank, showing his prominence and status as one of the most important nobles of Dušan...
already had the despot title, granted to him by Andronikos III. His brother-in-law Dejan Dragaš
Dejan Dragaš
Dejan Dragaš was a 14th-century Serbian nobleman and the Despot of Kumanovo holding the title of Sebastokrator given to him by his brother-in-law Emperor of Serbia Dušan the Mighty...
and Branko
Branko Mladenović
Branko Mladenović was a 14th-century Serb feudal lord in the Lake Ohrid border region in 1346 between the Serb lands ruled by Stefan Dušan and Albanian lands ruled by Matarango...
is granted the title of sebastocrator. The military commanders (voivodes) Preljub
Preljub
Gregory Preljub or simply Preljub was a 14th-century Serbian noble and voivode who conquered and ruled Thessaly with the rank of Caesar in 1348–1356 under Emperor Stephen IV Dushan...
and Vojihna
Vojihna
Vojihna or Vojin of Drama , was a Serbian nobleman that rose through the ranks and became one of the most acclaimed military commanders and dukes of Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia during the Serbian Kingdom and Empire , he was titled Caesar , hence, he is mostly known as Caesar Vojihna...
receive the title of caesar. The raising of the Serbian Patriarch resulted in the same spirit, bishoprics became metropolitans, as for example the Metropolitanate of Skopje.
The Patriarchate took over sovereignty on Mt. 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 the Greek archbishoprics under the rule of the Constantinople Patriarchate
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
(The Ohrid Archbishopric
Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid
The Archbishopric of Ochrid was an autonomous Orthodox Church under the tutelage of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople between 1019 and 1767...
remained autocephalous). For those acts he was excommunicated by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
in 1350.
Epirus and Thessaly
Faced with Dušan's aggression, the Byzantines sought allies in the Ottoman TurksOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
whom they brought into Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for the first time. The first conflict between the Serbs and the Turks on Balkan soil, at Stephaniana
Battle of Stephaniana
The Battle of Stephaniana was a small-scale battle between the forces of the Serbian Empire and the Emirate of Aydin, allies of Byzantine emperor John VI Kantakouzenos...
in 1344, ended unfavourably for the Serbs. In 1348 Dušan conquered Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
, Acarnania
Acarnania
Acarnania is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary, and north of the gulf of Calydon, which is the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. Today it forms the western part of the prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania. The capital...
and Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
. He appointed Simeon Uroš
Simeon Uroš
Simeon Uroš Nemanjić, nicknamed Siniša , also known in Greek as Symeōn Ouresēs Palaiologos , was the Despot of Epirus from 1359 to 1366, and of Thessaly from 1359 until his death in 1370. He governed Epirus and Acarnania under his half-brother Emperor Dušan the Mighty Simeon Uroš Nemanjić,...
as despotes of Epirus and Thessaly. He put Vojihna
Vojihna
Vojihna or Vojin of Drama , was a Serbian nobleman that rose through the ranks and became one of the most acclaimed military commanders and dukes of Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia during the Serbian Kingdom and Empire , he was titled Caesar , hence, he is mostly known as Caesar Vojihna...
as caesar of Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
.
Once Dušan had conquered Epirus and Thessaly, he sought to obtain 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:...
. In order to acquire the city, he needed a fleet. The fleets of the southern Serbian Dalmatian towns were not capable of such task, thus he opened negotiations with Venice, with which he maintained fairly good relation. However, as Venice feared a reduction of privileges in the Empire if the Serbs became the masters of Constantinople over the weakened Byzantines, they found excuses to avoid a military alliance. While Dušan sought Venetian aid against Byzantium, the Venetians sought Serbian support in the struggle against the Hungarians over Dalmatia, however, when sensing that the Serbian aid would result in a Venetian obligation to Serbia, Venice politely turned down Dušan's offers of help.
While Dušan launched the Bosnian campaign (absence of Serbian troops in Macedonia and Thessaly), Cantacuzenus tried to regain parts the lost lands. In his support, the Constantinopolitan patriarch Kallistos excommunicated Dušan in order to discourage the Greek population in Dušan's Greek provinces from supporting the Serbian administration and thereby assist Cantacuzenus campaign. The excommunication did not stop Dušan's relations with 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...
, which still adressed him as Emperor, though rather as Emperor of Serbs than Emperor of Serbs and Greeks.
Cantacuzenus raised a small army, the best he could, and took the Chalcidic peninsula, next he took Veria
Veria
Veria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church...
and Voden. Veria was the richest town in the Botia region, in order to maintain it, Dušan had earlier replaced many Greeks with Serbs, including a Serb garrison. However, the remaining locals were able to open the gates for Cantacuzenus in 1350. Voden resisted Cantacuzenus, but was taken by assault. Cantacuzenus then marched towards Thessaly, but was stopped at Servia by Caesar Preljub and his army of 500 men. The Byzantine force retired to Veria, and the aiding Turk contingent went off plundering, reaching as far as Skopje.
The Byzantine campaign reached Dušan in Hum, he quickly reassembled his forces from Bosnia and Hum and marched for Thessaly.
War with Bosnia
Dušan evidently wanted to expand his rule over the provinces that had earlier been in the hands of Serbia, such as HumZahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
, which was annexed by the Hungarian protégé and Bosnian Ban Stephen II Kotromanić in 1326. In 1329, Ban Stephen II launched an attack on Lord Vitomir who held 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...
and Konavle
Konavle
Konavle is a small region and municipality located southeast of Dubrovnik, Croatia.It is administratively part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and forms a municipality with its center at Gruda with a total population of 8,250 people split in 32 villages, in which 96.5% are Croats...
, the Bosnian Army was defeated at Pribojska Banja by Dušan when he was still Young King. The Ban soon took over Nevesinje
Nevesinje
Nevesinje is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in eastern Herzegovina between Mostar and Gacko. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity.-Geography:...
and the rest of Bosnia. Petar Toljenović, the Lord of seaside Hum and a distant relative of Dušan, sparked a rebellion against the new ruler but was soon captured and died in prison.
In 1350, Dušan attacked Bosnia, wishing to regain the previously lost land of Hum and stop the raids on his tributaries at Konavle. Venice had tried to reach a settlement between the two, but had failed. In October he invaded Hum, with an army said to be of 80,000 men, and he seems to have successfully occupied part of the disputed Hum territory. According to Orbini
Mavro Orbini
Mavro Orbin was a writer, ideologue and historian from the Republic of Ragusa...
, he had secretly been in contact with various Bosnian nobles, offering them bribes for support. Many nobles, chiefly of Hum, were ready to betray the Ban, such as the Nikolić family which was kin to the Nemanjić dynasty. The Bosnian Ban avoided any major confrontation and did not meet Dušan in battle, instead he retired to the mountains and made small hit-and-run actions. Most of Bosnia's fortresses held out, but some nobles submitted to Dušan. The Serbs ravaged much of the countryside: with one army they reached Duvno and Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
, with another reaching Krka on which lay Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
(modern Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
), and another taking Imotski
Imotski
Imotski , is a small town situated on the northern side of Biokovo massif, Dalmatian hinterland, Croatia. The town was first mentioned as Imotski for the first time in the 10th century and it was held by the Turks from the fall of Bosnia until 1717 when it was captured by the Venetians. The town...
and Novi, where they left garrisons and entered Hum. From this position of strength, Dušan tried to negotiate peace with the Ban, sealing it by the marriage of Dušan's son Uroš with Stephen's daughter Elizabeth who would receive Hum as her dowry - restoring it to Serbia. The Ban was not willing to consider this proposal.
Dušan may have launched the campaign also in order to aid his sister, Jelena, who married Mladen III Subic of Omis, Klis and Skradin, in 1347. Mladen died from the plague in 1348, and Jelena sought to maintain the rule of the cities for herself and her son. She was challenged by Hungary and Venice, so the Serbian army dispatchments in western Hum and Croatia may have been for her, as operations in this region were unlikely to help Dušan conquer Hum.
If Dušan was to aid Jelena, and as we know, conquer Hum, this was stopped when trouble started in the East.
Death
Devoll District
The District of Devoll is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Korçë County and derives its name from the Devoll river flowing through the valley. It has a population of 33,785, and an area of 429 km². It is in the southeastern corner of the country, and its capital is Bilisht...
on 20 December 1355. He was buried in his foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
, the Monastery of the Holy Archangels
Saint Archangels Monastery
The Saint Archangels Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Prizren, in southern Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia, and built between 1343 and 1352, on the site of the earlier church, part of the Višegrad fortress complex...
near 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...
.
His empire slowly crumbled, and as his son and successor Uroš V could not maintain the Empire, several regional feudal families increased their power, although nominally acknowledging Uroš V as Emperor. Symeon Uroš had after the death of Dušan proclaimed himself Emperor, and ruled a large area of Thessaly and Epirus.
Today his remains are in the Church of Saint Mark in 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...
. He was succeeded by his son Stefan Uroš V, who had been associated in power as king since 1346.
He is the only ruler from 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...
who has not been canonised
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
.
Religious activity
Much like his ancestors, Stefan Dušan was very active in rebuilding churches and monasteries, but also building new. First, he took care about monasteries in which his parents were buried. Monastery of Banjska, built by King Milutin, where his mother was buried. He was very generous toward monastery of Visoki Dečani, endowment of his father. The monastery was built for eight years and it is certain that emperor's role in the building process was huge. Between 1337. and 1339. emperor got sick, and he pledged ones word that if he survives, he will build a church and monastery in Jerusalem. Already, there was one Serbian monastery in Jerusalem, devoted to archangel Michael (believed to be built by King Milutin). This monastery functioned from tax which was paid by Dubrovnik Republic. In time of Stefan Dušan there were Serbian monks in some monasteries on Sinai PeninsulaSinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
His greatest endowment is monastery dedicated to archangels Michael and Gabriel, located near the town of 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...
. This is the place where Tsar Dušan was originally buried. Dušan gave many possessions to this monastery, including the forest of Prizren which was supposed to be a special part of the monastery where all the precious goods and relics should be stored. Also, the mosaic on the flor of the monastery was made beautifully. Great admiration to this monastery was showed by Dušan's heir Stefan Uroš V.
Dušan's son, Stephen Uroš V, talked about his father with great respect.
Stephen Uroš V did not try to make peace with patriarch of Constantinople, which means that he saw his father's action positively. Such initiative came from despot Uglješa in 1368. The jurisdiction of Constantinople was restored. The final initiative for peace between churches came from Prince Lazar in 1375. Few sources show that Serbian church, at some moment, accepted view of Constantinople about illegality of Dušan's crowning and making of patriarchate. In next decades of Serbian state there is no evidence about existing of the Dušan's cult. In official ideology of later times there is no glorification of Emperor, he even was not mentioned, but his authority was always respected. Dušan's charter to Dubrovnik served as a example to all the later trades made between the two sides, and the regulations made by the charter were considered inviolable. The wise Ragusians said to their guests that they are staying in the city to which Emperor Dušan came by the same door.
Later folk tradition had various attitudes to Dušan, mostly negative, mostly made under the influence of the church.
Church policy
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
had Dušan excommunicated in 1350, although this did not affect the religious organization.
Under Serbian jurisdiction came one of the foremost centers of spirituality - 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...
. As of November 1345, Athonite monks accept his supreme rule, and Dušan guaranteed autonomy, also giving a row of economic privileges, with tremendous gifts and endowments. The monks of Chilandar (the cradle of the Serbian church, founded by 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...
, his ancestor) came at the front of the ecclesiastical community.
In his codex, Dušan accentuates his role as a protector of Christianity and points out the independence of the church. From the codex we can also see care that the parishes are equally arranged both in cities and villages. He was also taking care of few churches and monasteries from Bari
Bari
Bari 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...
to the west, to Jerusalem to the east.
Besides Orthodox Christians, there were many Catholics in the Empire, mostly in the coastal cities, 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....
, Lješ etc. In the court of Dušan there were also Catholics (servants from 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....
and Dubrovnik
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...
, mercenaries, guests etc.). In the central parts, Saxons were in areas active in mining and trading. Catholics had the full right of faith, except for converting non-Catholics.
There are no historical record that traders of catholic faith complained about discrimination based on religion. Dušan was also in contact with the Pope, he negotiated about formal acceptance of papal primacy, his two goals were: stopping Hungarian attacks in the north, and, with the help of the Pope, assemble and organize a crusade against the Turks (Muslims). The Pope sent an envoy led by Peter Tome to the Serbian court, however, according to Philippe de Mézières
Philippe de Mézières
Philippe de Mézières , French soldier and author, was born at the chateau of Mézières in Picardy.He belonged to the poorer nobility, and first served under Lucchino Visconti in Lombardy, but within a year he entered the service of Andrew, Duke of Calabria, who was assassinated in September 1345...
, their negotiations were followed by much unpleasantness, and the mission did not give the expected results.
Royal ideology
Sima Ćirković
Sima Ćirković was a Serbian historian and member of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts...
considered his initial ideology as that of the previous Bulgarian emperors, who had envisioned co-rulership. However, starting in 1347, relations with John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...
worsened, Dušan allied himself with rival John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
.
Dušan was the first Serbian monarch who wrote most of his letters in 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;...
, also signing with the Imperial red ink. He was the first to publish prostagma, a kind of Byzantine document, characteristic for Byzantine rulers. In his royal title, Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks, his claim as Eastern Roman (Byzantine) successor is clear. He also gave Byzantine court titles to his nobility, something that would continue into the 16th century.
Lawmaker
Nicephorus Gregoras
Nikephoros Gregoras, latinized as Nicephorus Gregoras , Byzantine astronomer, historian, man of learning and religious controversialist, was born at Heraclea Pontica....
there are recordings that Tsar Dushan sent his royal servants to Ottoman sultan, offering one of his daughters to sultan's sons. Orhan I
Orhan I
Orhan I or Orhan Bey was the second bey of the nascent Ottoman Empire from 1326 to 1359...
accepted the offer, but his servants were intercept along the way, and with that their diplomatic relations were over. Shortly, Turkish presence on the Balkan was more appreciable.
A mark of Dušan's rulership was a bulkin work on law. A large amount of charters was published, and some great works on law subject were translated to Serbian. To conception of that time, emperor Dušan had the right to make laws of general, universal character. Dušan tried to explain his code in one of in his charter, where he explains that the sense is spiritual and that the goals are for the after-life, and that the code is going to help his people to save themselves. First part of the code was proclaimed on 21. May 1349. in 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...
, and I contained of 155 clauses, while the second part came in 1354. with 66 clauses. Makers of the code are not known, but they are probably members of the court which were related to law. The original manuscript of the code did not remain. Dušan's code
Dušan's Code
Dušan's Code was enacted by Tsar Dušan in two state congresses: in May 21, 1349 in Skopje and amended in 1354 in Serres. It regulated all social spheres, so it can be considered a medieval Serbian constitution. The Code included 201 articles. The original manuscript is not preserved, but around...
contains of various subjects and it is made in order to spans in all aspect of life, but to certain subject more attention was given. Serbia had long law tradition, and some parts were well regulated. The old laws were not removed, but they were not exactly repeated. Those laws represented the highest authority. The first 38 appointments are related to the church and they deal with active problems, while the next 25 appointments are related to the nobles Absence of appointments related to civil law is explained because that area was done in works 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...
's Nomokamon and in Corpus Juris Civilis
Corpus Juris Civilis
The Corpus Juris Civilis is the modern name for a collection of fundamental works in jurisprudence, issued from 529 to 534 by order of Justinian I, Eastern Roman Emperor...
. Dušan's code originally dealt with criminal law.
Byzantine law had the greatest influence on Dušan's codex. That is greatly seen through concept of lawfulness, which was mostly taken direcktly from Byzantine law.
The code was in use even after the death of Emperor. It is sure that it was in use under the rulership of his son, Stefan Uroš V, and it is not known was it in use in the last decades of medieval Serbia. With the final fall of Serbia under Turkish dominion, the code could not be used any more, with exception of some partly autonomic areas under the Republic of Venice, like Grbalj and Paštrovići
Paštrovici
The Paštrovići is a coastal clan in Montenegro.- History :The people and land of Paštrovići is mentioned for the first time in 1355, when Serbian emperor Dušan Silni sent his nobleman Nikolica Paštrović in diplomatic mission in Dubrovnik...
.
Military tactics
Serbian military tactics consisted of wedge shaped heavy cavalry attacks with horse archers on the flanks. Many foreign mercenaries were in the Serbian army, mostly GermansGermans
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....
as cavalry and Spaniards as infantry. He also had personal 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...
guards, mainly German knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s. A German knight named Palman
Palman
Vitez Palman or Palman Braht born ~1290, death 1363+) was a 14th century German noble and mercenary commander in the Army of Dušan the Mighty .-Biography:...
became the commander of the Serbian "Alemannic Guard
Alemannic Guard
Alemannic Guard was the German mercenary unit of the Serbian Empire, headed by Knight Palman, a German noble in the service of Emperor Dušan the Mighty....
" in 1331 upon crossing Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
to Jerusalem; he became leader of all mercenaries in the Serbian Army
Serbian Army
-Objectives:The Serbian Army is responsible for:* deterring armed threats* defending Serbia's territory* participation in peacekeeping operations* providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief-Personnel:...
. The main strength of the Serbian army was the armoured knight feared for their ferocious charge and fighting skills.
Name, epithets and titles
He was titled Young King as heir apparent on January 6, 1322, and was entitled the rule of Zeta, thus he was "King of Zeta". In 1331, he succeeded his father as "King of all Serbian and Maritime Lands". In 1343, his title was "King of Serbia, Greeks, Albania and the coast". In 1345 he began calling himself tsar, Emperor, and in the of 1345 he proclaimed himself "Emperor of Serbs and Romans". On April 16, 1346, he was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Romans (Greeks). This title was soon enlarged into "Emperor and Autocrat of the Serbs and Greeks, the Bulgarians and Albanians".His epithet Silni (Силни) is translated into the Mighty, but also the Great, the Powerful or the Strong.
Legacy
Dušan was the most powerful Serbian ruler in the Middle Ages and "perhaps the most powerful ruler in Europe" during the 14th century, and remains a folk heroFolk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
to Serbs. His state was a rival to the regional powers of Byzantium and Hungary, and it encompassed a large territory, which would also be his empire's greatest weakness. By nature a soldier and a conqueror, Dušan also proved to be very able but nonetheless feared ruler. His empire however, slowly crumbled at the hands of his son, as regional aristocrats distanced from the central rule.
The aim of restoring Serbia as an Empire it once was, was one of the greatest ideals of Serbs, living both in the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian lands. In 1526, Jovan Nenad, in the style of Dušan, proclaimed himself Emperor, when ruling a short-lived state of Serbian provinces under the crown of Hungary.
The Realm of the Slavs, written by Ragusian historian Mavro Orbin (l. ca. 1550-1614), saw Emperor Dušan's actions and works positively. The book served as the primary source about early history of South Slavs
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
at the time and most of the western historians drew their information on the Slavs from it. Early Serbian historians, even though they wrote according to the sources, were influenced by the ideas of the time they lived in. They made efforts to harmonize with two different traditions: one from brevets and public documents and other from genealogies and narrative writings. Of early historians, most information came from Jovan Rajić
Jovan Rajic
Jovan Rajić was a Serbian writer, historian, traveller, and pedagogue, considered one of the greatest Serbian academics of the 18th century...
(1726–1801), who wrote fifty pages about Dušan's life. Rajić's work had great influence on Serbian culture of that time, and for decades it was the main source of information about Serbian history.
After the restoration of Serbia in the 19th century, continuity with the Serbian Middle Ages was accentuated, particularly of its greatest moment - during Emperor Dušan. A political agenda, as with a restoration of his Empire, would find its place in the political programmes of the Principality of Serbia, notably the Načertanije
Nacertanije
Načertanije is a document drawn up by the Serbian politician Ilija Garašanin in 1844, aimed at uniting the Serbian people, living under the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires. It represents the first formalization of the political program of Serbia....
by Ilija Garašanin
Ilija Garašanin
Ilija Garašanin was a Serbian politician and statesman, serving as Interior Minister and Prime Minister ....
.
Foundations
- Saint Archangels MonasterySaint Archangels MonasteryThe Saint Archangels Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Prizren, in southern Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia, and built between 1343 and 1352, on the site of the earlier church, part of the Višegrad fortress complex...
- Podlastva monastery
- Duljevo monastery
Reconstructions:
- Visoki Dečani
Family
Helena of Bulgaria
Jelena or Helena of Bulgaria was the daughter of Sratsimir of Kran and Keratsa Petritsa and the sister of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria....
, Stefan Uroš IV had at least one child, Stefan Uroš V of Serbia who succeeded him as emperor of the Serbian Empire.
- Stefan Uroš V of SerbiaStefan Uroš V of SerbiaSaint Stefan Uroš V Nejaki was king of the Serbian Empire as co-regent of his father Stefan Uroš IV Dušan Silni and then Emperor .-Biography:...
, Emperor 1355-1371
Some historians speculate that the couple had a further child, a daughter. J. Fine in his book The Late Medieval Balkans, A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest (1994) suggested that his daughter might be "Irene", the wife of Gregorios Preljub (Serbian governor of Thessaly
History of Thessaly
-Ancient Thessaly:Thessaly was home to an extensive Neolithic culture around 2500 BC. Mycenaean settlements have also been discovered, for example at the sites of Iolcos, Dimini and Sesklo . Later, in ancient Greek times, the lowlands of Thessaly became the home of baronial families, such as the...
who died in late 1355 or early 1356), mother of Thomas II Preljubović
Thomas II Preljubovic
Thomas II Preljubović or Komnenos Palaiologos , was ruler of Epirus in Ioannina from 1366 to his death on December 23, 1384. He also held the title of Albanian-slayer .-Family:...
(Ruler of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
from 1367 to 1384). In a theory, she married Radoslav Hlapen
Radoslav Hlapen
Radoslav Hlapen was a Serbian voivode in the service of Emperor Dušan the Mighty . He took part in the operations into the south, Macedonia, and was given a region north of Thessaly to govern in the early 1350s.-Life:Radoslav was born around 1322...
, Governor of Voden and Veria
Veria
Veria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church...
and Lord of Kastoria
Kastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...
, after her first husband's death in 1360. This hypothesis is not widely accepted.
See also
- Dušan's CodeDušan's CodeDušan's Code was enacted by Tsar Dušan in two state congresses: in May 21, 1349 in Skopje and amended in 1354 in Serres. It regulated all social spheres, so it can be considered a medieval Serbian constitution. The Code included 201 articles. The original manuscript is not preserved, but around...
- Serbian EmpireSerbian EmpireThe 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...
- Serbian DespotateSerbian DespotateThe Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
- Serbia in the Middle Ages
Sources
- 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
- George C. Soulis, The Serbs and Byzantium during the reign of Emperor Stephen Dusan (1331-1355) and his successors, Athens, 1995. ISBN 0-88402-137-8
- Jean W. Sedlar, East Central Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1500, University of Washington Press, 1996.
- Vizantološki institut, Zbornik radova Vizantološkog instituta, (Naučno delo, 1996), 194.
- Conflict and chaos in Eastern Europe, Dennis P. Hupchick, Palgrave Macmillan, 1995, ISBN 0312121164
- A short history of Yugoslavia from early times to 1966, Stephen Clissold, Henry Clifford Darby, Stephen Clissold, CUP Archive, 1968, ISBN 052109531X
- Nationalism and territory: constructing group identity in Southeastern Europe, George W. White, Rowman & Littlefield, 200o, ISBN 0847698092
By Alexander Soloviev
- "Selected Monuments of Serbian Law from the 12th to 15th centuries" (1926)
- "Legislation of Stefan Dušan, emperor of Serbs and Greeks" (1928)
- "Dušan's CodeDušan's CodeDušan's Code was enacted by Tsar Dušan in two state congresses: in May 21, 1349 in Skopje and amended in 1354 in Serres. It regulated all social spheres, so it can be considered a medieval Serbian constitution. The Code included 201 articles. The original manuscript is not preserved, but around...
in 1349 and 1354" (1929) - "Greek charters of Serbian rulers" Soloviev and Makin {1936}