Pavle Branović
Encyclopedia
Pavle Branović or Pavle of Serbia was Prince of the Serbs from 917 to 921. He was put on the throne by the Bulgarian Tsar Symeon I of Bulgaria, who had murdered the previous Prince Petar, who had become a Byzantine ally. Pavle ruled for 4 years, before being defeated by Prince Zaharija, his cousin.
Pavle was the son of Bran
, the middle son of Mutimir (r. 851-891) of the first Serbian dynasty
.
, the middle son of Mutimir. His [Byzantine] Christian name, in relation to the previous generation of pagan names, shows the spread Christianization of Serbs.
After Mutimir, his grandfather, had died in 891, Pribislav succeeded as Prince. Pribislav ruled briefly, for a year, when Petar returned and defeated him. Pribislav fled to Croatia with his brothers Bran (Pavle's father) and Stefan
. Bran later returned and led an unsuccessful rebellion against Petar in 894 Bran was defeated, captured and blinded (blinding
was a Byzantine tradition that meant to disqualify a person to take the throne
).
In 917, a Byzantine army led by Leo Phokas
invaded Bulgaria, but was decisively defeated at the Battle of Achelous
in 20 August 917. After Achelous, Symeon sends an army to Serbia led by Pavle (after he had heard of an Byzantine-Serbian alliance), to take the Serbian throne, however, unsuccessfully as Petar proved a good opponent. Symeon then sent generals Marmaim and Sigritzes Theodore, persuading Petar (through an oath
) to come out and meet them, then captured and took him to Bulgaria where he was put in prison, dying within a year. Symeon put Pavle on the Serbian throne.
In 920, Zaharija
, the exiled son of Pribislav (the eldest of Mutimir's sons), is sent by Romanos I Lekapenos (r. 920–944) to seize the throne. Zaharija was the rightful pretender. Pavle defeats and captures him, handing him over to Symeon, where he is held for future tactics. In the meantime, Pavle switches to Byzantine support and Symeon now dispatches Zaharije with Bulgarian troops in 921. Zaharija wins the battle, and quickly revowes his Byzantine alliance. There are no more mentions of Pavle.
Pavle was the son of Bran
Bran Mutimirović
Bran Mutimirović was a Serbian royalty, son of Serbian ruler Mutimir.He and Stefan escorted Khan Boris to the Rascian-Bulgar border after the Serbs successfully fought off the Khan's army in an attempted revenge to the defeat of Presian years earlier by their grandfather Vlastimir...
, the middle son of Mutimir (r. 851-891) of the first Serbian dynasty
House of Vlastimirovic
The Vlastimirović Dynasty was the first Serbian royal dynasty, named after Prince Vlastimir , who was recognized by the Byzantine Empire.The dynasty starts with the Unknown Archont, who ruled during Emperor Heraclius ....
.
Life
He was born in the 870s; between 870 and 874 to Bran MutimirovićBran Mutimirović
Bran Mutimirović was a Serbian royalty, son of Serbian ruler Mutimir.He and Stefan escorted Khan Boris to the Rascian-Bulgar border after the Serbs successfully fought off the Khan's army in an attempted revenge to the defeat of Presian years earlier by their grandfather Vlastimir...
, the middle son of Mutimir. His [Byzantine] Christian name, in relation to the previous generation of pagan names, shows the spread Christianization of Serbs.
After Mutimir, his grandfather, had died in 891, Pribislav succeeded as Prince. Pribislav ruled briefly, for a year, when Petar returned and defeated him. Pribislav fled to Croatia with his brothers Bran (Pavle's father) and Stefan
Stefan Mutimirović
Stefan Mutimirović was a 9th century Serbian royal member of the ruling dynasty, the Vlastimirović.He was the younger son of Mutimir of the ruling Serbian dynasty, the Vlastimirovići. His father had with his brothers Strojimir and Gojnik, defeated the Bulgar Army sent by Tsar Boris, led by his son...
. Bran later returned and led an unsuccessful rebellion against Petar in 894 Bran was defeated, captured and blinded (blinding
Blinding
Blinding can refer to:*The act of making someone blind**Metaphorical and extended uses of same: see blindness#Metaphorical uses*Blinding , a technique by which an agent can provide a service to a client in an encoded form without knowing either the real input or the real output*Blinding , a novel...
was a Byzantine tradition that meant to disqualify a person to take the throne
Political mutilation in Byzantine culture
Mutilation in the Byzantine Empire was a common method of punishment for criminals of the era but it also had a role in the Empire's political life. The mutilation of political rivals by the Emperor was deemed an effective way of sidelining from the line of succession a person who was seen as a...
).
In 917, a Byzantine army led by Leo Phokas
Leo Phokas
Leo Phokas or Phocas may refer to:* Leo Phokas the Elder, Byzantine general in the early 10th century* Leo Phokas the Younger, great-nephew of the above, Byzantine general in the mid-10th century...
invaded Bulgaria, but was decisively defeated at the Battle of Achelous
Battle of Achelous
Battle of Achelous or Battle of Acheloos can refer to:* Battle of Achelous on the Moesian Achelous river, between the Byzantines and Bulgarians....
in 20 August 917. After Achelous, Symeon sends an army to Serbia led by Pavle (after he had heard of an Byzantine-Serbian alliance), to take the Serbian throne, however, unsuccessfully as Petar proved a good opponent. Symeon then sent generals Marmaim and Sigritzes Theodore, persuading Petar (through an oath
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
) to come out and meet them, then captured and took him to Bulgaria where he was put in prison, dying within a year. Symeon put Pavle on the Serbian throne.
In 920, Zaharija
Zaharija Pribislavljević
Zaharija Pribislavljević or Zaharija of Serbia was Prince of the Serbs from 922 to 924. He defeated his cousin Pavle in 922, ruling Serbia for two years.Zaharija was the son of Pribislav, the eldest son of Mutimir Zaharija Pribislavljević or Zaharija of Serbia was Prince of the Serbs from 922 to...
, the exiled son of Pribislav (the eldest of Mutimir's sons), is sent by Romanos I Lekapenos (r. 920–944) to seize the throne. Zaharija was the rightful pretender. Pavle defeats and captures him, handing him over to Symeon, where he is held for future tactics. In the meantime, Pavle switches to Byzantine support and Symeon now dispatches Zaharije with Bulgarian troops in 921. Zaharija wins the battle, and quickly revowes his Byzantine alliance. There are no more mentions of Pavle.
Sources
- De Administrando Imperio by Constantine PorphyrogenitusConstantine VIIConstantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 913 to 959...
, edited by Gy. Moravcsik and translated by R. J. H. Jenkins, Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, Washington D. C., 1993 - J. B. Bury, History of the Eastern Empire from the Fall of Irene to the Accession of Basil: A.D. 802-867. ISBN 1605204218, 9781605204215. Google Books
- Curta, Florin (2006). Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500-1250. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-89452-4.
- Ćorović, VladimirVladimir CorovicVladimir Ćorović was a 20th-century Serbian historian, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts . He is best known for his many acclaimed works on the history of Serbs and Yugoslavia.-Early:...
, Istorija srpskog naroda, Book I, (In Serbian) Electric Book, Rastko Electronic Book, Antikvarneknjige (Cyrillic)- Drugi Period, IV: Pokrštavanje Južnih Slovena
- Istorija Srpskog Naroda, Srbi između Vizantije, Hrvatske i Bugarske
- The Serbs, ISBN 0631204717, 9780631204718. Wiley-Blackwell, 2004, Google Books.
- Tibor Živković, Portreti srpskih vladara (IX—XII), Beograd, 2006 (ISBN 86-17-13754-1), p. 11
- Forging Unity The South Slavs between East and West 550-1150
- Ferjančić, B. 1997, "Basile I et la restauration du pouvoir byzantin au IXème siècle", Zbornik radova Vizantološkog instituta, no. 36, pp. 9–30.