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81-614: Brskovo was first mentioned between 1219 and 1228, in a trade charter of Stefan the First-Crowned , addressed to the Republic of Ragusa . The Latin name for Brskovo was Brescia , and it used to be the centre of a district. Having been regularly visited by merchants from Kotor and Dubrovnik, this town with the Virgin's church administered by the Dominicans from Dubrovnik, had been at its zenith in

162-499: A Byzantine princess, i.e. niece of the Byzantine emperor. The concluded peace envisages that the grand zoupan Nemanja will be succeeded by his middle son Stefan, who received the Byzantine title of sebastokrator and the Byzantine princess Eudokia for a wife, and not the firstborn Vukan. In 1196, at the state assembly near Church of Saints Peter and Paul , Stefan Nemanja abdicated the throne in favor of his middle son Stefan, who became

243-412: A Serbian assault on Scutari been weakened. Đorđe disappears from sources, and Stefan II controls Zeta by 1216, probably through military action. Stefan either put Zeta under his personal rule, or assigned it to his son Stefan Radoslav . Zeta would from now on have no special status, and would be given to the heir apparent. Despot Michael I of Epirus conquered Skadar , and tried to press beyond, but

324-618: A campaign in Italy where they captured an important seaport on the west coast of the Adriatic, Ancona . Venice , which had previously turned to Byzantium for help during the conquest of Friedrich Barbarossa in northern Italy, changed its attitude towards the Byzantines for fear of losing the Adriatic . It approached Hungary as a natural ally against the Byzantines. At the same time, they began to work among

405-548: A certain period of time". Sava later wrote the Liturgy of Saint Simeon in Nemanja's honour. In 1206, Sava decided to bring his father's remains to Serbia, where his brothers Stefan and Vukan were fighting among themselves, thus tearing apart the Serbian lands their father had reunited. Upon arrival of Sava, his brothers made peace and Simeon was re-buried in 1207 in his personal foundation,

486-613: A dominant position, remains of a fortification – Hill-fort– i.e. a town controlling nearby and the more distant area is situated. According to the 2011 census, its population was 222. Stefan the First-Crowned Stefan Nemanjić ( Serbian Cyrillic : Стефан Немањић , pronounced [stêfaːn němaɲitɕ] ), known as Stefan the First-Crowned ( Serbian : Стефан Првовенчани , romanized :  Stefan Prvovenčani , pronounced [stêfaːn prʋoʋěntʃaːniː] ; c.  1165 – 24 September 1228),

567-613: A letter in 1198 called on the entire West to liberate the Holy Land , was not satisfied with the fact that the Serbs were subordinated to the Patriarch of Constantinople , but wanted to return them to Rome through Vukan. In 1198, the Hungarian dux Andrew conquered Hum (Hercegovina) of grand zoupan Stefan and rebelled against brother king Emeric but did not gain legitimacy from Rome. In any case,

648-555: A military force. The toparch Nemanja was in such a hostile temper that he fell upon the Romans and immediately launched an undeclared war. When he saw the emperor was in pursuit, he showed himself in battle only briefly and then hid in the cover of mountain caves which he sealed with stones. At last, his pride shattered, he prostrated himself at Manuel’s feet. Lying outstretched, ‘mighty in his mightiness’, he pleaded that he not be made to suffer cruelly, and he feared lest he be removed as ruler of

729-565: A monk for some time. They received permission from the new Byzantine emperor to rebuild the abandoned monastery of Hilandar . Knowing his death was near in his 86th year, Simeon asked to be placed on a mat in front of the icon of the Virgin Hodegetria with a stone for his pillow. He died in front of his son Sava and other monks, on 13 February 1199. He was buried in the grounds of Hilandar monastery. His last words requested that Sava take his remains to Serbia, "when God permits it, after

810-521: A speech at the assembly about the harmfulness of the Bogumil heresy. A woman who was married to a heretic spoke as the main witness at the assembly. Her testimony was crucial to end the quarrel at the council and to give the majority the impression that it was a harmful religious teaching. After consultations, especially with the Bishop Euthymius, the grand zopuan brought measures against them. The leader of

891-548: Is resistance in Hungary, which is why Emperor Manuel embarks on a campaign. The Byzantine army conquered Zemun and Srem in 1165. The Byzantines were accompanied by the obligatory detachments of Serbs. The second Byzantine army under command of John Doukas Komnenos moved west, across Serbia and Bosnia towards the Adriatic coast. Without significant resistance, they took all the cities from Split to Bar , forcing them to recognize Byzantine rule. The Byzantines also had success in

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972-467: Is the King of England . Hungarian king Béla invaded Serbia at the beginning of 1193. Emperor Isaac II demanded the withdrawal of his troops, and threatened Béla with war. At the same time, Doge Enrico Dandolo attempted to occupy Hungarian Zara , but failed. In April 1195, the father-in-law of Stefan Nemanjić, Alexius III Angelus (1195–1203), overthrew his brother Emperor Isaac II and took power. In 1196, at

1053-631: The Dormition of the Mother of God ( Serbian : Црква Успења Пресвете Богородице ). Stefan Nemanja Stefan Nemanja ( Serbian Cyrillic : Стефан Немања , pronounced [stêfaːn ně̞maɲa] ; c.  1113 or 1114 – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince ( Veliki Župan ) of the Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška , lat. Rascia ) from 1166 to 1196. A member of

1134-580: The Kingdom of Thessalonica , the principality of Achaia , the duchy of Athens and Thebes, the duchy of Archipelago or Naxos . They were all under rule of Latin emperor of Constantinople. The remaining Byzantine factions also formed their own successor states on the fringes of the empire, at Niceae and Trebizond in Asia Minor , and at Epiros in west Balkan. Of the newly created Greek states, two gained some stability and survived through this period: Niceae under

1215-581: The Latin Stephanus Nemania . 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

1296-541: The Myroblyte ( Serbian : Свети Симеон Мироточиви ). Nemanja was born around the year 1113 or 1114 AD in Ribnica, Zeta (in the vicinity of present-day Podgorica , the 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 . Since western Zeta

1377-717: The Studenica Monastery , where holy oil (myrrh) started to seeped, from his new grave, thus giving Simeon the epithet the Myrrh-streaming . Because of miracles that occurred at his grave, the Serbian Orthodox Church canonised him, and declared his feast-day on 26 February [ O.S. 13 February]. The cult of St. Simeon helped consolidate Serbian national identity. Centers of his cult are in monasteries of Studenica and Hilandar. Various names have been used to refer to Stefan Nemanja, including Stefan I and

1458-545: The Third Norman invasion of the Balkans (1185–1186) which consolidated Serbia while distinguishing it from both Western and Byzantine spheres of influence, Nemanja abdicated in favour of his middle son Stefan Nemanjić , who later became the first King of Serbia . Nemanja ultimately went to Mount Athos , where he became a monk and took the name of Simeon, joining his youngest son (later known as Saint Sava ), who had already become

1539-679: The Vukanović dynasty , Nemanja founded the Nemanjić dynasty , and is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and history , founding what would evolve into the Serbian Empire , as well as the national church . According to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts , Nemanja is also among the most remarkable Serbs for his literary contributions and altruistic attributes. In 1196, after three decades of warfare and negotiations, including

1620-464: The 11th and in the first half of the 12th century. At the end of the 12th century, among Serbs and other Balkan Slavs, there was a very widespread 'Slavic' Gnosticism or dualistic teaching called Bogumilism. The main political tendency of Bogomilism was resistance to the Byzantine state and church authorities. Bogumilism itself was very widespread among the people in Serbia and Bosnia, and its spread among

1701-512: The 1280s, while from 1350 onwards, it completely declined. As a mine, Brskovo was established by the Saxons inhabiting this area. They had their prince and Catholic priests. During its golden age, at the time of Stefan Uroš I , a customs office existed in Brskovo as well as, a century later, a consulate of Dubrovnik. Money called «Grossi de Brescova» was minted in Brskovo. Dante in his Paradiso mentions

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1782-443: The Bogumil community in Serbia was caught and brought before the court. The grand zoupan spared the life of their leader, and he was sentenced to corporal punishment, cutting off his tongue so that he would no longer blaspheme and spread harmful teachings. The army was sent to those parts of Serbia where their actions were most pronounced. The primary goal of this action was conversion. The measures taken against those who refused were

1863-626: The Byzantine central part of the Balkans , leaving Nemanja without support. Fortunately for Nemanja, at the same time, the Normans and the Bulgarians joined the anti-Byzantine alliance. Nemanja forced Dubrovnik (Ragusa) to replace Byzantium with Norman rule. The Normans of king William II of Sicily , also in 1185, conquered Dyrrachium and Thessalonica , and embarked on an expedition to Constantinople, but they lost discipline due to large-scale looting, so

1944-505: The Byzantine emperor. The concluded peace envisaged that Nemanja would be succeeded by his middle son Stefan, who received the Byzantine title of sebastokrator and the Byzantine princess Eudokia for a wife, and not the firstborn Vukan . In November 1192, on the way to Venice, from Acre via Byzantine Corfu to the southeastern Adriatic coast on the small island of Lokrum near Dubrovnik (Ragusa) , Richard I arrived incognito as an ordinary knight or pilgrim, where he revealed that he

2025-481: The Byzantine emperor. Stefan Nemanja, in alliance with the Hungarian king Bela III, launched a great offensive on Byzantium in 1183. Also, the commander of the Byzantine army, Andronicus Lampardis in Niš and Braničevo, renounced obedience to the new central authorities. At the same time, the Hungarian king Bela III conquered Byzantine Belgrade , Niš and Serdica (Sofia) . According to the Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates ,

2106-573: The Byzantines easily defeated them in the battle of Demetritzes near Lower Struma . In October 1185, in the Lower Danube , in northern Bulgaria, an uprising began, led by the brothers Peter and Ivan I Asen , one of the reasons for which was an extraordinary tribute that Emperor Isaac II ordered to be collected for his wedding. Nemanja then coordinated actions with the Asen brothers against Byzantium. In September 1186, Nemanja and his brothers "made peace with

2187-577: The Byzantines, William of Tyre left negative classifications about Serbs in his reports. The following year, Nemanja attacked the Byzantine vassal, Prince of Zeta Radoslav, and on that occasion annexed to his country a part of the then Zeta and the Neretva region . Soon, Manuel I Komnenos came into conflict with the Venetian Republic , and on his order, on 12 March 1171, all Venetian property in Byzantium

2268-545: The Catholic Church in Serbia did not last long but angered Serbian clergy. Many opposed Stefan's coronation, with Sava protesting by leaving Serbia and returning to Mount Athos. Later Serbian churchmen were also bothered by Stefan's relations with the papacy; while Stefan and Sava's contemporary Domentian wrote that the coronation was performed by a papal legate, a century later Theodosius the Hilandarian claimed that Stefan

2349-455: The Hungarian dynastic conflicts, and thus an opponent of Manuel. When in 1165 Desa was finally forced to come to Niš before the emperor, his connections with the Hungarian king Stephen III were revealed, Desa called him his master, Manuel I decided to take him to court and punish him. Desa was first detained and kept under guard, and then sent to the court prison in Constantinople . The land

2430-526: The Hungarians became dominant on the eastern Adriatic coast. But Venice , because of its business interests, did not like the eastern coast of the Adriatic to be controlled by the mighty Byzantium or Hungary. Vukan and the Hungarian king Emeric (1196–1204) make an alliance against Stefan, after which a civil war breaks out in Serbia. The action against Stefan was preceded by his letter to the Pope in which he asked for

2511-462: The Laskaris dynasty, which soon became an empire (1208), and Epiros, which took considerably to rise to same status (1224–27). The two rivals sought to present themselves as lawful successor of Empire of the Romans and to get the upper hand in the struggle for its restoration. Bulgaria was located to the north, and Serbia to the northwest. Serbia's neighbors at the time were Epirus to the south, Bulgaria to

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2592-661: 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". In a way, both sons introduced the cult of their father, thus creating the ideal picture of a ruler-saint, without parallel in Byzantium . Nemanja was married to a Serb noblewoman by the name of Ana . They had three sons and three daughters: Stefan Nemanja founded, restored and reconstructed several monasteries. He also established

2673-471: The Serbs and political power be transferred to those who were more fit to rule, those whom he had pulled down so that he might seize power. At that time, William of Tyre , an emissary of Amalric , a Latin King of Jerusalem , arrived at the diplomatic mission in Constantinople. His goal was for Byzantium to join the crusade against Egypt . During his stay in Constantinople, probably under the influence of

2754-499: The Serbs, and Nemanja was defeated in the battle at South Morava (1191). In fact, Constantinople did not want to subdue the Serbs, but to regain Niš and the main road to Belgrade , as well as to make allies of the rebellious Serbs. The peace treaty in 1193 provided for Stefan Nemanjić , the middle son of the Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja, to marry a Byzantine princess Eudokia Angelina , i.e. niece of

2835-755: The Serbs, especially in Serbia, in order to rebel against Byzantium. In 1166, the Hungarians counterattacked to push Byzantium out of the newly conquered areas. However, in response, Emperor Manuel launched three armies against Hungary, one from the Danube , and the other two across the Carpathians , towards the center of Pannonia . While the main Hungarian army was operating towards the Danube, Belgrade and Braničevo , two Byzantine armies went deep into their territory, causing general panic. The Hungarians were forced to seek peace through intermediaries to their detriment in 1167. As

2916-471: The Serbs, led by Nemanja, joined this campaign. The following year, Nemanja launched an offensive on the southeastern Adriatic coast and conquered Byzantine Skadar and besieged Dubrovnik (Ragusa) . In 1185, Andronicus I was killed in Constantinople and the new Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelos began peace negotiations with the Hungarian king. The peace treaty provided for Emperor Isaac II to marry Bela's daughter Margaret . The Hungarian army withdrew from

2997-520: The city of Dubrovnik", ruled by William II. Meanwhile, Ayyubid sultan Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn captured Jerusalem in 1187. Due to the fall of Jerusalem in the Latin West, there was a great commotion that started the Third Crusade . A large crusader army led by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa marched in 1189 from Buda through Belgrade and Niš to Adrianople and Constantinople . In Niš, in

3078-575: The confiscation of property, the punishment of milder punishments, the burning of books, as well as expulsion from the country. For the Bogumil community in Raska, this was certainly persecution and ruthless action. Their confiscated property was distributed to the lepers and the poor. After the death of Emperor Manoel on 24 September 1180, the Hungarian king Bela III considered that he had no more obligations to Byzantium. The following 1181, he launched an offensive against Byzantium and conquered Srem (Sirmium)

3159-507: The crown. Around 1200, Stefan expelled his wife Eudokia, a daughter of Alexios III Angelos , who found refuge with Vukan in Zeta. Emeric saw Stefan's move as an open attack on his crown, because in Hungary it was traditionally believed that only it in the region could have primacy with the Roman pope. Stefan lost the conflicts and had to flee the country in 1202 to the ruler of Bulgaria Kaloyan . In

3240-562: The death of Manuel I in 1180, his widow, the Latin princess Maria of Antioch , acted as regent to her infant son Alexios II Komnenos . Her regency was notorious for the favoritism shown to Latin merchants and was overthrown in April 1182 by Andronikos I Komnenos , who entered the city in a wave of popular support. Almost immediately, the celebrations spilled over into massacre of Latins . The usurpation of Andronikos I freed Nemanja from subordination to

3321-411: The dungeon, it is not known with whose help. Nemanja's son and biographer, Stefan Nemanjić , describing his father's life, says how he escaped with the help of "heavenly forces": "And this again, because of meekness and justice, and wonderful humility, and because of all good customs, with a high arm he brought him out of the rocky cave, and brought him to the throne of his fatherland, and raised him up as

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3402-458: The east, and the Hungary to the north and west. After the death of Kaloyan, there was a succession war in Bulgaria. Tsar Boril , the most ambitious of the nobles, took the throne and exiled Alexius Slav , Ivan Asen II and Strez (of the Asen family). Strez, the first cousin or brother of Boril, took refuge in Serbia, and was warmly welcomed at the court of Stefan II. Even though Boril requested

3483-460: The elbows, a rope around his neck and a sword in his hands, he entered the Byzantine camp and went out to the emperor. Arriving in front of Manuel, he fell on his knees in front of him, handing him his sword, to do with him what he wanted. The Byzantine emperor accepted his humility, agreeing to the renewal of vassal obligations and leaving Nemanja in the position of grand zoupan. The final part of this episode took place in Constantinople, where Nemanja

3564-539: The extradition of Strez to Bulgaria with gifts and bribes, Stefan II refused. Kaloyan had conquered Belgrade , Braničevo , Niš and Prizren , all of which were claimed by Serbia. At the same time, Boril was unable to take military action against Strez and his Serbian patron, as he had suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Latins at Plovdiv . Stefan went as far as to become a blood brother with Strez, in order to assure him of his continued favor. Andrija Mirosavljević

3645-580: The fight against Byzantium. Manuel immediately took advantage of the favorable moment and after receiving the Hungarian emissaries, he headed for the Serbs at the head of the army. Before the oncoming Byzantine army, the grand zoupan Nemanja retreated to the mountains. According to the Byzantine historian John Kinnamos , the Venetians incited Nemanja to revolt. This conflict ended with Nemanja's surrender to Emperor Manuel. One day, Nemanja ritually obeyed Manuel I Komnenus in Niš . Barefoot, with his clothes torn to

3726-525: The first archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church . Together with his son Saint Sava , Nemanja restored the Hilandar Monastery at Mount Athos from 1198 to 1199, and issued the " Charter of Hilandar ". The monastery thus became the center of Serbian Orthodox monasticism at Athos. Shortly after his death, Serbian Orthodox Church canonized Stefan Nemanja, under the name Saint Simeon

3807-430: The grand zoupan of Serbia. He left his eldest son Vukan in charge of Zeta, Travunija, Hvosno and Toplica. Nemanja became a monk in his old age and was given the name Simeon. Shortly afterwards, he went to Byzantium, to Mount Athos , where his youngest son Sava had been a monk for some time. They received permission from the Byzantine emperor to rebuild the abandoned Hilandar monastery . The new Pope Innocent III , who in

3888-446: The great lord of all the world." In 1166 or 1167, Nemanja first expanded his territories and conquered Kotor , and then gathered his supporters in Ras and started a conflict against Tihomir, who was looking for support from the Byzantines. Nemanja overthrew Tihomir, provoking Byzantines action in autumn 1168: To make trial of Nemanja’s intent, the emperor despatched Theodore Padyates with

3969-573: The help of Prince Kaloyan, he returns to the throne in Ras in 1204, while Vukan retreats to Zeta. The fighting between the brothers was stopped in 1205 and relations were established as they were before the outbreak of the conflict. Meanwhile, in November 1204, the Hungarian king Emeric died and the Kaloyan of Bulgaria was crowned for king by the Pope. Numerous states were created on the ruins of Byzantium, which were almost equal in strength. The Crusaders founded

4050-458: The ideal candidate of Venice and Hungary among the Serbs appeared Nemanja, when his brothers and, above all, Tihomir imprisoned him in a cave near Fortress Ras . Nemanja probably hoped that he would take the place of Desa, as the former representative of the pro-Greek party, while Emperor Manuel brought his eldest brother Tihomir to the throne. Angry because of that, Nemanja changes his policy in favor of Hungary and its allies. Nemanja escaped from

4131-904: The liberation of Jerusalem. A month later, negotiations began between the Crusaders and the Byzantines over the passage with great tension. At that time, according to Christian doctrine, there could be only one emperor in the Christian world. Hence the great rivalry and tension between the Eastern Roman Empire (historiographically known as Byzantium) and the Holy Roman Empire. The Crusaders captured Philippopolis and Adrianople and prepared for an attack on Constantinople . Nemanja takes advantage of this situation and launches an offensive towards Byzantine Skopje . Meanwhile, in February 1190, an agreement

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4212-494: The main public road passes between Byzantine Belgrade and Niš . According to Arnold of Lübeck on that road, near fortress Ravno, in March 1172, the Serbs carried out a night attack on the camp of Western knights and pilgrims led by Henry the Lion accompanied by the Byzantines. Arnold of Lubeck also left a very negative opinion in his chronicle about Serbs. Probably under the impression of

4293-455: The meantime, control of the newly formed crusade army was taken over by the powerful Venetian doge Enrico Dandolo , who, to the surprise of all, including the pope himself, in the Fourth Crusade first sent an attack on Hungarian Zara in 1202, and then on Byzantium, whose capital Constantinople crusaders conquered in April 1204. Stefan uses this situation and in the counter-offensive, with

4374-476: The meantime, king Stephen III of Hungary died on 4 March 1172. The Hungarian emissaries went to Serdica (Sofia) , where Emperor Manuel encamped with the army, preparing for the campaign. The Hungarian throne was won by Manuel's candidate Bela III (1173–1196). In the meantime, during the winter of 1171/72 on the island of Chios , the Venetian army was decimated by an epidemic , so that the Serbs were left alone in

4455-501: The mines and mint in Chapter XIX, pp. 139-141. In 1399, the Turks took Brskovo, and according to Dubrovnik sources, in 1433 it was an abandoned place. On the whole inland territory of present-day Montenegro, Brskovo was the only commercial centre whose importance could measure up to that of the coastal towns. Not even coastal towns could boast about such value of production and income. At

4536-474: The neighbouring provinces (the highest appanage) while his younger brother Rastko (later known as Saint Sava ) ruled over Hum . The Byzantines attacked Serbia in 1191, raiding the banks of the South Morava . Nemanja had a tactical advantage, and began to raid the Byzantine armies. Isaac II Angelos summoned a peace treaty, and the marriage of Nemanja's son Stefan to Eudokia Angelina , the niece of Isaac II,

4617-548: The new capital of Stefan Nemanja, the German emperor and the grand zoupan met at the end of July 1189. At the meeting, Nemanja asked Barbarossa for the Crusaders to promise him lands the Serbians recently conquered in exchange of aiding the Crusaders in war against Byzantium. However, Barbarossa rejected this proposal in a diplomatic manner, wanting to ensure only a safe passage for his army through Byzantium. His main goal, however, remained

4698-400: The night attack, he even called them the "sons of Belial ." Meanwhile, in 1171, Saladin was appointed sultan of Egypt, who would become one of the greatest defenders of Islam in history. The Kingdom of Hungary also wanted to join the fight against Byzantium, and the Holy Roman Empire of Frederick Barbarossa (1152–1190), also supported this alliance. Nemanja expected Hungarian help, but in

4779-454: The nobles led to Nemanja's actions against them. He convened a state-church assembly at which a decision was to be made on further measures against them. The Assembly gathered the entire state leadership, composed of nobles and Bishop Euthymius of Ras, as well as a large number of abbots and monks. The assembly was held around 1176, during the time of Nemanja's vassalship and before the death of Emperor Manoel in 1180. The grand zoupan Nemanja gave

4860-473: The northeastern part of the Adriatic coast (Including Zara ) and Zemun . Byzantium was then occupied by internal conflicts, so that there was no military response to the Hungarian conquests. In 1182, Bela III ordered an attack on Byzantine Belgrade and Braničevo . The attack itself was quite clumsily carried out, and both fortresses were defended by experienced military leaders from the time of Emperor Manoel, Alexius Branas and Andronikos Lapardas . Following

4941-505: The painter, namely that the latter has not called him a slave (doulos) in all the scenes of the triumph'." The Byzantine emperor Manuel Comnenus returned Nemanja to the position of Grand Župan, and he confirmed to his brothers their areas – Stracimir around the West Moravia and Miroslav Zachlumia . Upon his return to Serbia, Nemanja turned to consolidating the central government, and forced Tihomir's son and successor Prvoslav to renounce

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5022-427: The papacy. It is not clear what Stefan promised in regard to the status of the Catholic Church, which had numerous adherents in the western and coastal parts of his realm, but a papal legate finally arrived in 1217 and crowned Stefan. In 1217 Stefan Nemanjić declared his independence from Byzantium and was crowned as king, adopting the title: "Crowned King and Autocrat of all Serbian and coastal lands" . The influence of

5103-414: The ruler's claims in his favor. In accordance with his vassal duties, Nemanja regularly sent auxiliary detachments to Byzantine military campaigns. Serbian detachments were also part of the Byzantine army that was defeated by the troops of the Sultanate of Rum in the battle of Myriokephalon on 17 September 1176 in the gorges of Asia Minor . Bogumilism reached its peak in the Byzantine Empire during

5184-420: The same time, Emperor Isaac II Angelos launched a punitive expedition against the Serbs, and Nemanja was defeated in the battle of South Morava . In fact, Constantinople did not want to subdue the Serbs, but to regain Niš and the main road to Belgrade , as well as to make allies of the rebellious Serbs. The peace treaty provided for Stefan Nemanjić, the middle son of the grand zoupan Stefan Nemanja , to marry

5265-424: The state assembly near Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Ras , Stefan Nemanja abdicated the throne in favor of his middle son Stefan, who became the grand prince of Serbia. He left his eldest son Vukan in charge of Zeta, Travunija, Hvosno and Toplica. Nemanja became a monk in his old age and was given the name Simeon. Shortly afterwards, he went to Byzantium, to Mount Athos , where his youngest son Sava had been

5346-420: The two, although this must not be the case. Venice, after the Fourth Crusade , tried to exert control of the Dalmatian ports, and managed in 1205 to submit Ragusa – Đorđe submitted to prevent that Venice claimed his ports of southern Dalmatia. Đorđe promised Venice military aid in case of a revolt by another theoretical Venetian vassal, Dhimitër Progoni , the Prince of Albania and Lord of Kruja . This

5427-410: Was Anna Dandolo , granddaughter of Venetian doge Enrico Dandolo . They had one son and one daughter: He built many fortresses including Maglič . At the end of his life, Stefan took the monastic vow under the name Symeon and died soon after. He was canonized as his father was. Local tradition, related to the Reževići Monastery claims that it was king Stefan who built (in 1223 or 1226) the Church of

5508-402: Was confirmed. Stefan Nemanjić received the title of sebastokrator . Throughout the 12th century, Serbs were at the center of war events between Byzantium and Hungary for dominance. In such circumstances, Serbs had no chance of gaining independence. Their only chance was to look for an ally on third side. In 1190, the German Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa drowned in the river Calycadnus . At

5589-417: Was confiscated. In response to this, from Venecia was launched Venetian navy with about 120 ships to Byzantine possessions. The Venetian fleet headed east in September of that year, conquering, by the way, Byzantine Trogir and Dubrovnik . Then Nemanja entered into closer ties with the Venetians and began attacks on Byzantine Kotor , simultaneously carrying out raids through the Moravian valley through which

5670-455: Was crowned by Sava. The contradiction led some Serbian historians to conclude that Stefan underwent two coronations, first by the legate and in 1219 by Sava, but modern scholars tend to agree that only the former took place. The disagreements surrounding Stefan's coronation were definitively resolved in 2018 by finding evidences that the papal legate never came to Serbia and that Stefan was actually crowned by his brother Sava in 1219. Stefan

5751-542: Was defeated and crossed the Neretva, continuing to rule the west and north of the Neretva, which had in 1203 been briefly occupied by Andrew II of Hungary . Stefan gave the titular and supreme rule of Hum to his son Radoslav, while Andrija held the district of Popovo with the coastal lands of Hum, including Ston . By agreement, when Radoslav died, the lands were bound to Andrija. Đorđe of Zeta, in order to secure his lands from Stefan, accepted Venetian suzerainty, possibly in 1208. Đorđe may have done this due to tensions between

5832-547: Was entitled to the governance of Hum, as the heir of Miroslav of Hum , the uncle of Stefan II, but the Hum nobles chose his brother Petar as Prince of Hum. Petar exiled Andrija and Miroslav's widow (the sister of Ban Kulin of Bosnia), and Andrija fled to Serbia, to the court of Stefan II. In the meantime, Petar fought successfully with neighbouring Bosnia and Croatia. Stefan sided with Andrija and went to war and secured Hum and Popovo field for Andrija sometime after his accession. Petar

5913-518: Was given by the emperor to the administration of Zavida's sons, who were in the pro-Byzantine party: Tihomir , Stracimir , Miroslav and the youngest Nemanja. Tihomir was the oldest and became the Grand Župan of Serbia. In January 1166, Tihomir was recognized by the brothers who were given to rule other certain parts of Serbia and the Serbian-Byzantine frontier. Stracimir held the areas around West Morava , Miroslav Zahumlje , while Stefan Nemanja

5994-518: Was given the areas around Ibar , Toplica  [ sr ] and Dubočica (around Leskovac ), which probably was historical region of Dendra west of Niš. The Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus launched a large army against Hungary because he was informed of their dissatisfaction and internal conflicts. The Hungarian prince Béla III had to live in Constantinople, where he was married, and Béla's lands, Dalmatia with southern Hungary (below Velebit ), had to come under Constantinople's rule. There

6075-610: Was likely related to the Serbia-Zeta conflict. Stefan II married off his daughter, Komnena , to prince Dhimitër Progoni in 1208. The marriage resulted in close ties and an alliance between Stefan and Dimitri amidst these conflicts. Kruja is conquered by Epirote Despot Michael I Komnenos Doukas , and Dimitri is not heard of in any surviving sources. After Dhimitër's death, the lands are left to Komnena, who soon married Greek-Albanian Gregorios Kamonas , who took power of Kruja , strengthening relations with Serbia, which had after

6156-524: Was married, around 1186, to Eudokia Angelina , the youngest daughter of Alexius Angelus and Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamaterina . Eudokia was the niece of the current Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelus . Isaac II arranged the marriage. According to the Greek historian Nicetas Choniates , Stefan and Eudocia quarreled and separated, accusing one another of adultery, after June 1198. They had three sons and two daughters: Stefan remarried in 1207/1208, his second wife

6237-522: Was reached between the two emperors at Adrianople to allow the Crusader army to cross the Dardanelles . During the uncertain negotiations, Emperor Isaac II replied that the new friendship between the Crusaders and the Serbs was very difficult for him. In June 1190, Frederick Barbarossa drowned in the river Saleph . At the same time, Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos launched a punitive expedition against

6318-409: Was stopped by the Serbs and his murder by one of his servants in 1214 or 1215. He was succeeded by his half-brother Theodore Komnenos Doukas . Theodore took on a policy of aggressive expansion, and allied himself with Stefan II. Stefan Radoslav married Anna Angelina Komnene Doukaina , the daughter of Theodore. Having long wanted to call himself king, Stefan set about procuring a royal crown from

6399-469: Was taken as a slave in Manoel's triumphal procession, while the gathered people ridiculed him. He was even shown a "series of wall paintings that the emperor had commissioned to commemorate his victories over the Serbs; his alleged reaction is recorded in an oration by Eustathius of Thessalonica : 'Seeing these paintings, he agrees with everything and approves of the visual feast. In one respect only does he chide

6480-520: Was the Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196 and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228. He was the first Serbian king by Nemanjić dynasty ; due to his transformation of the Serbian Grand Principality into the Kingdom of Serbia and the assistance he provided his brother Saint Sava in establishing the Serbian Orthodox Church . Stefan Nemanjić was the second-eldest son of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja and Anastasija . His older brother and heir apparent, Vukan , ruled over Zeta and

6561-484: Was under Roman Catholic jurisdiction, Nemanja received a Latin baptism, although much of his later life was spent balancing Western and Eastern forms of Christianity. In 1163, Emperor Manuel I Comnenus came to Niš with the army via Serdica (Sofia) , where, according to John Kinnamos , he decided "to deal with things concerning Serbia". At that time, Serbia was ruled by the Grand Župan Desa , an ally of Stephen III in

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