Jakov of Serres ( sr, Јаков Серски; 1300–1365) was a medieval Serbian writer, scholar, translator, and hierarch of the

Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...

, one of the most important men of letters working in the 14th century.

Biography

Evidence about his life is scarce, but his literary legacy suggests an excellent knowledge of Greek and Slavic languages. In 1343, King (and eventually Emperor)

Stefan Dušan Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан, ), known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr, / ; circa 1308 – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Tsar (or Emperor) and autocrat of the Serbs, Gr ...

began to build the

Monastery of the Holy Archangels The Monastery of the Holy Archangels ( sr, Манастир Светих Архангела, Manastir Svetih Arhangela; al, Manastiri i Arkangjelit të Shenjtë) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Prizren, Kosovo. The monastery was foun ...

near

Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...

; he appointed Jakov, a learned and highly esteemed monk, its first ''

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

'' (abbot). Both Stefan Dušan and his wife Jelena were in awe of Jakov's wide knowledge and they often sought his company and counsel. In 1345, Stefan Dušan captured the city of

Serres Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki. Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...

from the Byzantine Empire; and Jakov was appointed Metropolitan of Serres and its surrounding territories. The population of Serres was mixed Slavic, Albanian and Greek and Jakov was fluent in all three languages and their dialects. In fact, Jakov wrote some literature hymns in Greek and is numbered among the Greek authors as well as Serbian. Jakov was a disciple of

Gregory of Sinai Gregory of Sinai, or in Serbian and Bulgarian Grigorije Sinaita ( 1260s – 27 November 1346), was a Greek Christian monk and writer from Smyrna. He was instrumental in the emergence of hesychasm on Mount Athos in the early 14th century. Biograph ...

and a friend of Romylos of Ravanica. After the sudden death of Stefan Dušan in 1355, Jelena, Dušan's wife, became a nun, took the name Jelisaveta, and moved from Skoplje, the capital of Serbia, to Serres. From there, she administered her estates; and Jakov was at her side as wise counsel. Jakov wrote the ''

Triodion The Triodion ( el, Τριῴδιον, ; cu, Постнаѧ Трїωдь, ; ro, Triodul, sq, Triod/Triodi), also called the Lenten Triodion (, ), is a liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The book contains the propers for th ...

'' which he sent as his bequest to the Monastery of the Theotokos in Sinai in 1359 or 1360. At present, the Triodion (a two-part Triodion, one for Lent and the other for the period between Easter and Pentecost) is kept in Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai. Copies are also kept at

Hilandar Monastery The Hilandar Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Хиландар, Manastir Hilandar, , el, Μονή Χιλανδαρίου) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian monastery there. It wa ...

, Mount Athos, Greece, and in libraries in the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America. He is illustrated in the Serbian manuscript of scribe Kalist Rasoder's ''

Tetraevangelion ''Tetraevangelion'' ( el, τετραευαγγέλιον, "Four Evangelia/Gospel Books"; ka, ოთხთავი, ''ot'kht'avi''; Old Slavonic: благовѣствованиѥ; bg, Четвероевангелие; sr, Четворојеван ...

'' ( The Four Gospels) dating to 1354, held at the British Library.

References

{{Serbian literature 14th-century Serbian writers Medieval Greek-language writers Medieval Serbian Orthodox clergy Serbian translators People of the Kingdom of Serbia (medieval) People of the Serbian Empire People from Prizren History of Serres 1300 births 1365 deaths 14th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops 14th-century Greek writers Medieval European scribes

Biography

See also

References