Elena-Evgenia of Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
Elena was the second wife of tsar Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria
. She was the mother of tsar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria
.
Her antecedents are unknown. She is sometimes alleged to be a daughter of Stefan Nemanja
of Serbia
, but this relationship is questionable and would have caused various canonical impediments to marriages between their descendants. Elena married Ivan Asen I in 1183 at the age of thirteen.
By her marriage to Ivan Asen I, Elena had at least two sons:
After the assassination of Ivan Asen I in 1196, Elena retired to a convent under the monastic name Evgenia . Her memory is honored in the Synodic of Bulgarian Church:
Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria
Ivan Asen I ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1189–1196. The year of his birth is unknown.-Life:...
. She was the mother of tsar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria
Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria
-Early rule:He was a son of Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria and Elena . Elena, who survived until after 1235, is sometimes alleged to be a daughter of Stefan Nemanja of Serbia, but this relationship is questionable and would have caused various canonical impediments to marriages between various descendants...
.
Her antecedents are unknown. She is sometimes alleged to be a daughter of Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm .He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and...
of 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...
, but this relationship is questionable and would have caused various canonical impediments to marriages between their descendants. Elena married Ivan Asen I in 1183 at the age of thirteen.
By her marriage to Ivan Asen I, Elena had at least two sons:
- Ivan Asen IIIvan Asen II of Bulgaria-Early rule:He was a son of Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria and Elena . Elena, who survived until after 1235, is sometimes alleged to be a daughter of Stefan Nemanja of Serbia, but this relationship is questionable and would have caused various canonical impediments to marriages between various descendants...
, emperor of Bulgaria 1218–1241 - Alexander (Aleksandăr), sebastokratorSebastokratorSebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence. The word is a compound of "sebastos" Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used...
, who died after 1232; Alexander had a son named Kaliman Asen IIKaliman II of BulgariaKaliman Asen II , or commonly, but less accurately Koloman Asen II, ruled as emperor of Bulgaria for a short time in 1256. The year of his birth is unknown....
, emperor of Bulgaria in 1256
After the assassination of Ivan Asen I in 1196, Elena retired to a convent under the monastic name Evgenia . Her memory is honored in the Synodic of Bulgarian Church: