Maria Palaiologina ( sr, Марија Палеолог / Marija Paleolog) was the Queen consort of Stephen Uroš III Dečanski of Serbia (1324–1331). She was the daughter of ''

panhypersebastos The title of ( gr, πανυπερσέβαστος, , venerable above all) was a Byzantine court title created by Alexios I Komnenos () using the imperial root (the Greek translation of ). It was always conferred to members of aristocratic families ...

'' John Palaiologos, and great-niece of Emperor

Andronikos II Palaiologos , image = Andronikos II Palaiologos2.jpg , caption = Miniature from the manuscript of George Pachymeres' ''Historia'' , succession = Byzantine emperor , reign = 11 December 1282 –24 May 1328 , coronation = 8 Novembe ...

(r. 1282–1328). Her maternal grandfather was '' megas logothetēs''

Theodore Metochites Theodore Metochites ( el, Θεόδωρος Μετοχίτης; 1270–1332) was a Byzantine Greek statesman, author, gentleman philosopher, and patron of the arts. From c. 1305 to 1328 he held the position of personal adviser ('' mesazōn'') to e ...

. Her father was the governor of

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...

in the early 1320s. Stephen Uroš III had earlier been married to Theodora of Bulgaria, but the marriage ended in with Theodora's death on 20 December 1322. Uroš III then married Maria in 1324. The royal couple's marriage lasted until her husband's death. Stephen Uroš III was defeated by his son

Stephen Uroš IV Dušan Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

(from the marriage with Theodora) in 1331, and shortly thereafter died in

Zvečan Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...

(1332). The relation between the father and son had been bad, the usurpation was incited by the "younger" nobility. Maria tried to assert the throne for her son

Simeon Uroš Simeon Uroš ( sr-cyr, Симеон Урош, gr, Συμεών Ούρεσης; 1326–1370), nicknamed Siniša (Синиша), was a self-proclaimed Emperor of Serbs and Greeks, from 1356 to 1370. He was son of Serbian King Stephen Uroš III a ...

, through Byzantine aid, but this was unsuccessful. Dušan ''the Mighty'' did not harm their family, Maria took monastic vows as ''Marta'', and in 1348, Simeon became a governor of the southern provinces of the

Serbian Empire The Serbian Empire ( sr, / , ) was a medieval Serbian state that emerged from the Kingdom of Serbia. It was established in 1346 by Dušan the Mighty, who significantly expanded the state. Under Dušan's rule, Serbia was the major power in the ...

. Maria died on April 7, 1355, and was buried in

Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...

. A brief account of her turbulent life inscribed on her gravestone is attributed to her.

Family

She had one son and two daughters by her marriage with Stephen Uroš III: *

, rival ''Emperor of Serbs and Greeks'' in the southern half of the

(r. 1359 - 1370) *

Jelena Jelena, also written Yelena and Elena, is a Slavic given name. It is a Slavicized form of the Greek name Helen, which is of uncertain origin. Diminutives of the name include Jelica, Jelka, Jele, Jela, Lena, Lenotschka, Jeca, Lenka, and Alena. Not ...

, married Duke

Mladen III Šubić of Bribir Mladen () is a South Slavic masculine given name, derived from the Slavic root ''mlad'' (, ), meaning "young". It is present in Bulgarian, Serbian, and Croatian society since the Middle Ages. Notable people with the name include: * Mladen (vojv ...

(r. 1315 - 1348) *

Teodora Teodora ( sr, Теодора) is a feminine given name, a variation of the name Theodora. Notable people with the name include: *Teodora Sava (born 2001), Romanian singer *Teodora Albon (born 1977), Romanian football referee *Teodora Ginés, (153 ...

, married Despot Dejan of Kumanovo ( fl. 1355)

Ancestry

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Palaiologina, Queen of Serbia 14th-century Serbian royalty Greek women of the Byzantine Empire Palaiologos dynasty Nemanjić dynasty Medieval Serbian people of Greek descent Medieval Serbian royal consorts 14th-century Serbian nuns 14th-century Byzantine nuns Year of birth unknown

Family

Ancestry

See also

References

Sources