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Časlav of Serbia

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Časlav (Serbian Cyrillic: Часлав[a], Greek: Τζεέσθλαβος, also transcribed as Chaslav and Tzeeslav; c. 890s – 943/960) was Prince of the Serbs from c. 933 until his death in c. 943/960.[b]

Časlav
Часлав
archon (ἄρχων)
Prince of Serbia
Reignc. 933 – c. 943[b]
PredecessorZaharija
Successorpossibly Tihomir[c]
Bornbefore 896
Preslav, First Bulgarian Empire
Died943/960 (aged about 45-60)
Names
Časlav Klonimirović Vlastimirović[a]
DynastyVlastimirović dynasty
FatherKlonimir
ReligionChalcedonian Christian

Časlav was the son of Klonimir, a son of Strojimir who ruled as co-prince in 851–880. He belongs to the first Serbian dynasty, the Vlastimirovićs (ruling since the early 7th century), and is the last known ruler of the family. His mother was a Bulgarian noblewoman chosen as wife of Klonimir by Boris I of Bulgaria himself.

Initially an ally of the Bulgarians, Časlav successfully came to the throne of Serbia in a very chaotic period of history, managing to reorganize and repopulate the country after Bulgarian–Serbian wars of 917–924. He was a vassal of the Byzantine Empire. A possible identification with a same-named person from the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja reveals that he presumably fought off the Magyars, but eventually dying in combat with them. Časlav is remembered, alongside his predecessor Vlastimir, as founders of Serbia in the Middle Ages.

Background

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In the 880s, Mutimir seized the throne for himself, exiling his brothers and Klonimir, who was Strojimir's son, to the First Bulgarian Empire, to the court of Boris I.[1] This was most likely due to treachery.[2] Petar, the son of Gojnik, was kept at the Serbian court of Mutimir for political reasons,[2] but he soon fled to Croatia.[1]

When Mutimir died, his son Pribislav inherited the rule, but he only ruled for a year; Petar returned and defeated him in battle and seized the throne; Pribislav fled to Croatia with his brothers Bran and Stefan.[1] Bran was defeated, captured and blinded (blinding was a Byzantine tradition meant to disqualify a person from taking the throne[3]). In 896, Klonimir returned from Bulgaria, backed by Boris I, taking the important Serbian stronghold of Destinikon. Klonimir was defeated and killed.[4]

The Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars made the Bulgarian Empire de facto the most powerful Empire of Southeast Europe. The Bulgarians won after invading at the right time; they met little resistance in the north because of the Byzantines fighting the Arabs in Anatolia.[5]

Early life

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Časlav was born in the 890s, but before 896, in Preslav, the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire, growing up at the court of Simeon I the Great.[6] His father was Klonimir, and his mother was a Bulgarian noblewoman.[7]

In 924, Časlav was sent to Serbia with a large Bulgarian army.[8][9] The army ravaged a good part of Serbia, forcing Zaharija, who at the time was the Prince of Serbia, to flee to Croatia.[8][9] Simeon of Bulgaria summoned all the Serbian zhupans to pay homage to their new prince, but instead of instating Časlav, he took them all captive, entered Serbia, and "took away with them the entire folk, both old and young, and carried them into Bulgaria, though a few escaped away and entered Croatia; and the country was left deserted".[8][10] Bulgaria considerably expanded its borders to the west, now neighbouring its powerful ally Michael of Zahumlje and Croatia, where Zaharija was exiled and soon died.[9] Croatia at this time was ruled by the powerful monarch Tomislav.[9]

Reign

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Bulgarian rule was not met with popularity, as many Serbs fled to Croatia and Byzantium.[11] According to DAI, seven years after Croatian–Bulgarian battle of 926, Časlav and four friends escaped from Preslav to Serbia.[8] Although he found that the land almost completely deserted, "he took possession of the country".[8] Accordingly, the beginning of his reign is dated around 933/934.[12][13] He immediately submitted to the overlordship of Byzantine emperor Romanos I Lekapenos and gained financial and diplomatic support for his efforts.[8][11] Thanks to the help and benefits by the Byzantine emperor he "organized and populated the country", resulting in Serbs from Croatia, Bulgaria, nearby countries and Constantinople coming back to Serbia.[14][15]

He maintained close ties with Byzantium throughout his reign.[11] Byzantine influence (the Church in particular) greatly increased in Serbia, as did Orthodox influence from Bulgaria.[11] As he lived in Bulgaria having close spiritual ties with the Bulgarian Church, were introduced in Serbia the Byzantine-Slavic culture and literature envisioned by Cyril and Methodius.[16] The period was crucial to the future Christian demonym (Orthodox versus Catholic) adopted by the Serbian Church, as ties formed in this era were to have great importance on how the different Slavic churches lined up when they eventually split during the Great Schism of 1054.[11] Many scholars have felt that the Serbs, being in the middle of Roman and Orthodox jurisdiction, could have gone either way, but, unfortunately, information on this era and region is scarce.[11]

State borders

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Presumed borders of Serbia in the mid-10th century.

In the context of boundaries, Časlav restored Serbia after its conquest by Simeon.[17] The exact borders of Časlav's state are uncertain, possibly expanding into Bosnia.[18][19] Some scholars consider he significantly enlarged Serbia, taking over regions held by Michael of Zahumlje,[6] but Michael probably died after 930[20] and ruled into the 940s.[18] While others consider that he also expanded into Travunia,[21] Kanalites and Pagania,[22] and Rascia,[17] there is no evidence,[20] and it is improbable because all these polities are mentioned as separate from Serbia when DAI was written roughly around 959.[20][17] Francis Dvornik argued that Časlav's presumed expansion into Bosnia would have been impossible in the first decade of reign, and only after "he had re-populated and re-estalished his country", with the best fit being in 949 when Croatian power temporarily declined.[19] Relja Novaković doubts that Časlav's state included Bosnia, saying that there is no evidence that the Serbian state at the time had significant territorial gains, and that caution is needed when showing Serbian territorial borders in the mid-10th century, adding "we could almost say with certainty that the extent of Serbia at that time was not of the scale shown on the maps".[17] Tibor Živković also emphasized that "it is important to notice that the DAI I, 32.141 – 145, does not speak about any of presumed Časlav's military campaigns, but only that he became a ruler recognized in Constantinople".[23]

War with Magyars and death

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Main article: Hungarian-Serbian War (c. 960)
 
Execution of Ciaslavus, presumably identified with Časlav.

There is no information about Serbia's second-half of the 10th century.[22] According to the data from DAI, Časlav reign would have ended by 943/944.[12][13] However, the late 13th century Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja mentions a certain Ciaslavus/Seislav ("Časlav") which some scholars identify with DAI's Časlav, but that Časlav ruled "according to the chronology of the Chronicle, at the beginning of the 9th century".[24] He was the son of mythical king Radoslav,[25] but was disobedient to his father during the conflict with the ban of White Croatia, and later banished his father from throne and country, being cursed by Radoslav.[26][27] In the Croatian version of the text, he is in addition shown as of having a "lack of humility",[28] and was cursed by God.[29] The Magyars, led by Kisa, invaded Bosnia, and Časlav hurried and encountered them at the banks of river Drina around the place called Civelino.[30][31][32] The Magyars were decisively defeated, with Kisa being slain by Časlav's voivode Tihomir.[33][31] In gratitude, Časlav married off his daughter to Tihomir. Kisa's widow requested the Magyar leaders give her an army to exact vengeance.[33][31] With an "unknown number" of troops, the widow returned and surprised Časlav at Syrmia.[33][31] In the night, the Magyars attacked the Serbs, captured Časlav and all of his male relatives.[31][34] On the command of the widow, all of them were bound by their hands and feet and thrown into the Sava river.[35][31] The events are interpretatively dated to around 950-960.[31][18]

Aftermath

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Serbia fell ca. 960 under Byzantine and later under Bulgarian rule again.[36][11] The Catepanate of Ras was established between 971–976, during the rule of John Tzimiskes (r. 969–976).[37] A seal of a strategos of Ras has been dated to Tzimiskes' reign, making it possible for Tzimiskes' predecessor Nikephoros II Phokas to have enjoyed recognition in Rascia.[38][39] The protospatharios and katepano of Ras was a Byzantine governor named John.[40] Data on the katepano of Ras during Tzimiskes' reign is missing.[41] Byzantine military presence ended soon thereafter with the wars with Bulgaria, and was re-established only c. 1018 with the short-lived Theme of Sirmium, which, however, did not extend much into Rascia proper.[38]

Legacy

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Stevan Sremac (1855–1906) authored Veliki župan Časlav in 1903.[42]

Family

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According to the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja, Časlav had one daughter:[43]

  • Unnamed, married Tihomir, who succeeded in ruling terram Rassa.[43]

See also

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Annotations

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  1. ^
    Name: The first attestation of his name is the Greek Tzeésthlabos (Τζεέσθλαβος), in Latin Caslavus, in Serbian Časlav. He was a descendant of Vlastimirović, his father was Klonimir, hence, according to the contemporary naming culture, his name was Časlav Klonimirović Vlastimirović.
  2. ^
    Reign [and death]: Časlav's return/reign is datable by the scholars depending whether the 7 years are counted since the Bulgarian attack on Croatia dated to 926/927[44] or the start of Zacharia's rule dated to 921-22.[45] Ćorović dates his accession to 927 or shortly thereafter,[31] Ostrogorsky to 927 or 928 while Dvornik to 928 or 929.[45] Grot, Zlatarski, Šišić, Jireček, Fine, and Curta to 931 or 932.[11][45][10] Runciman, Živković, Bulić, Aleksić and Dzino to 933 or 934.[45][12][13][46] Ćorović dates his death to around 960,[31] as does Fine,[18] others 950,[20] while Živković and Bulić ignore the LJPD account and date his reign until 944,[12] and 943.[13]
  3. ^
    Tihomir: The only mention of Tihomir is taken from the Chronicle of the Priest of Doclea. Various inaccurate and wrong claims make it an unreliable source, the majority of modern historians conclude that it is mainly fictional, or wishful thinking, pointing at the religious tone of the region and "author" itself. One of the main controversies lies in the fact that the "Antivari Archepiscopate" did not exist between 1142 and 1198 – at which time [supposedly], Grgur, the author, was Archbishop. The work enumerates the Serbian rulers mentioned in De Administrando Imperio, but contradict the forming and divisions of the South Slavs. It nevertheless gives a unique sight into South Slavic history. The oldest copies of the manuscript date to the 17th century, thereof claims of dubious status.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Fine 1991, p. 141.
  2. ^ a b Đekić 2009.
  3. ^ Longworth, Philip (1997), The making of Eastern Europe: from prehistory to postcommunism (1997 ed.), Palgrave Macmillan, p. 321, ISBN 0-312-17445-4
  4. ^ Fine 1991, p. 154.
  5. ^ Theophanes Continuatus, p. 312., cited in Vasil'ev, A. (1902) (in Russian). Vizantija i araby, II. pp. 88, p. 104, pp. 108–111
  6. ^ a b The entry of the Slavs into Christendom, p. 209
  7. ^ Moravcsik 1967, p. 157.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Moravcsik 1967, p. 159.
  9. ^ a b c d Fine 1991, p. 153.
  10. ^ a b Curta 2006, p. 212.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Fine 1991, p. 159.
  12. ^ a b c d Živković 2008, p. 255.
  13. ^ a b c d Bulić 2013, p. 218.
  14. ^ Moravcsik 1967, p. 159, 161.
  15. ^ Curta 2006, p. 212–213.
  16. ^ Komatina 2016, p. 77.
  17. ^ a b c d Novaković, Relja (1981). Gde se nalazila Srbija od VII do XII veka. Narodna knjiga i Istorijski institut. U stvari, problem obima Srbije u doba Časlava rešava se saznanjem o prostoru Srbije u vreme prethodnog vladara ili prethodnih vladara, jer je bugarski car Simeon napao i privremeno pokorio tu Srbiju, a Časlav je opet samo tu Srbiju obnovio i u njoj se učvrstio. Znači, ako Bosna nije bila u sastavu Srbije pre Časlava nije bila ni u njegovo vreme, jer on, sudeći po carevom kazivanju, nije ni stigao da proširi granice Srbije ... Međutim, mada je za vreme Časlava u Srbiji došlo do izvesne stabilizacije, nikakvih dokaza nemamo da je tada srpska država ostvarila i neko veće teritorijalno proširenje. Jedva se usuđujemo da kažemo da je tih godina došlo do prvog uključivanja Raške u sastav srpske države i to pretpostavljamo jedino na osnovu Dukljaninove priče o zbivanjima posle Časlavljevog uspeha u borbi sa Ugarima. Drugih dokaza nema, te bismo morali biti veoma oprezni prikazujući teritorijalni obim Srbije sredinom H veka. Gotovo bismo sa sigurnošću mogli tvrditi da obim Srbije u to vreme nije bio onih razmera kako se to na kartama prikazuje.
  18. ^ a b c d Fine 1991, p. 160.
  19. ^ a b Dvornik et al. 1962, p. 99–100.
  20. ^ a b c d Dzino 2023, p. 169.
  21. ^ Alexis P. Vlasto; (1970) The Entry of the Slavs into Christendom: An Introduction to the Medieval History of the Slavs p. 209; Cambridge University, ISBN 0-521-07459-2
  22. ^ a b Curta 2006, p. 213.
  23. ^ Živković 2008, p. 257.
  24. ^ Živković 2008, p. 218, 255.
  25. ^ Živković 2008, p. 205, 208, 218.
  26. ^ Живковић 2009, p. 80–88.
  27. ^ Kowalski 2021, p. 180, 183.
  28. ^ Kowalski 2021, p. 180.
  29. ^ Kowalski 2021, p. 183.
  30. ^ Живковић 2009, p. 90.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i Srbi između Vizantije, Hrvatske i Bugarske;
  32. ^ Dzino 2023, p. 194.
  33. ^ a b c Живковић 2009, p. 92.
  34. ^ Kowalski 2021, p. 186.
  35. ^ Живковић 2009, p. 94.
  36. ^ Jim Bradbury, The Routledge Companion to Medieval Warfare, Routledge Companions to History, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 1-134-59847-5, p. 172.
  37. ^ GK, Abstract: "the establishment of catepanate in Ras between 971 and 976"
  38. ^ a b Stephenson, Paul (7 August 2003). The Legend of Basil the Bulgar-slayer. Cambridge University Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-521-81530-7.
  39. ^ Paul Magdalino, Byzantium in the year 1000, p. 122
  40. ^ Academia, 2007, Byzantinoslavica, Volumes 65–66, p. 132
  41. ^ Krsmanović 2008, p. 189.
  42. ^ Stevan Sremac (1903). Veliki župan Časlav. Izd. Matice srpske.
  43. ^ a b Живковић 2006, p. 57.
  44. ^ Uzelac, Aleksandar (2018). Prince Michael of Zahumlje – a Serbian ally of tsar Symeon. София: St Kliment Ohridski University Press. p. 240.
  45. ^ a b c d Dvornik et al. 1962, p. 136.
  46. ^ Dzino 2023, p. 169, 189.

Sources

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Primary sources
Secondary sources
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Časlav of Serbia
Born: 896 Died: 943/960
Regnal titles
Preceded by Prince of Serbia
933–943/960 		Succeeded byas Prince of Rascia
Vacant
Title next held by
Jovan Vladimir
as Prince of Serbs
and Duklja (990)
 
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