Mihailo Vojislavljević ( sr-cyr, Михаило Војислављевић) was a medieval Serbian king and the ruler of
Dioclea (Duklja), from 1046 to 1081 initially as a Byzantine vassal holding the title of ''
protospatharios
''Prōtospatharios'' ( el, πρωτοσπαθάριος) was one of the highest court dignities of the middle Byzantine period (8th to 12th centuries), awarded to senior generals and provincial governors, as well as to foreign princes.
History
Th ...
'', then after 1077 as nominally serving
[ ]Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...
, addressed as "King of the Slavs". He had alienated himself from the Byzantines when he supported a Bulgarian Uprising of Georgi Voyteh
The Uprising of Georgi Voyteh ( bg, Въстание на Георги Войтех, sr, Словенски устанак у Поморављу - ''Slav Uprising in Pomoravlje'') was a Bulgarian uprising in the Byzantine theme of Bulgaria in 1072 ...
, after which he then sought to gain support in the West. In 1077 he received a royal insignia by Gregory VII in the aftermath of the Church schism of 1054.
Life
Early rule
With the death of Stefan Vojislav
Stefan Vojislav ( sr-cyr, Стефан Војислав; gr, Στέφανος Βοϊσθλάβος; 1034–d. 1043) was the Prince of Duklja from 1040 to 1043. Beginning in the year 1018, he served as a Byzantine governor, until 1034 when he led ...
, his dominion was divided among his five sons (according to CPD). Gojislav received Travunia
Travunia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Travunija, Травунија; el, Τερβουνία, Tervounía; grc, Τερβουνία, Terbounía; la, Tribunia) was a South Slavic medieval principality that was part of Medieval Serbia (850–13 ...
(Trebinje) ruled briefly until he was killed by local nobles, who set up Domanek
Domanek ( sr-cyr, Доманек; la, Domanec; 1054–55) was a Serbian nobleman. After a revolt and the murder of the Prince of Travunia (ca. 1054-1055), the rebel nobles made Domanek the ruler of Travunia, a Serbian principality. He was possi ...
in his place.[ Mihailo expelled him and Saganek chosen to rule,][ but Domanek returned and drove him out.][ Mihailo offered the office to Radoslav, who declined, afraid of losing Luška župa (future ''Zeta'').][ Radoslav perhaps distrusted his brother, thinking he would seize Zeta, but Mihailo seems to have offered him a deal.][
The ]Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
, keen to take advantage of the death of Stefan Vojislav, prepared an offensive against unstable Duklja.[ At this time, the four remaining brothers made peace and signed an alliance,][ deemed the oldest treaty in Serbian history.][ After the agreement, Radoslav attacked Travunia, killing Domanek.][ After this event, their mother (who had acted as an stability in the relations between the brothers) died.][ Mihailo succeeded as Knez of "Duklja" in 1046, or as his realm was called by contemporary ]Cedrenus
George Kedrenos, Cedrenus or Cedrinos ( el, Γεώργιος Κεδρηνός, fl. 11th century) was a Byzantine Greek historian. In the 1050s he compiled ''Synopsis historion'' (also known as ''A concise history of the world''), which spanned the ...
: ''"Triballorum ac Serborum principatum"''.[Cedrenus II, col. 338]
While in no imminent danger from that side, Mihailo found it favorable to further strengthen ties with Byzantium and, in 1050, he received the title of ''protospatharios
''Prōtospatharios'' ( el, πρωτοσπαθάριος) was one of the highest court dignities of the middle Byzantine period (8th to 12th centuries), awarded to senior generals and provincial governors, as well as to foreign princes.
History
Th ...
'' and married a niece of Constantine IX Monomachos
Constantine IX Monomachos ( grc-x-medieval, Κωνσταντῖνος Μονομάχος, translit=Kōnstantinos IX Monomachos; 1004 – 11 January 1055), reigned as Byzantine emperor from June 1042 to January 1055. Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita ...
,[ something that might have implied a titular recognition of Constantinople's authority, but without no real concessions on his part. It corresponded to the then-current balance of forces and bought some 20 years of peace and prosperity to his land.
]
Aid to anti-Byzantine uprising in theme of Bulgaria
Matters started to change after 1071, the year of Byzantium
Byzantium () or Byzantion ( grc, Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' cont ...
's key Asian debacle at the Battle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert or Malazgirt was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Empire on 26 August 1071 near Manzikert, theme of Iberia (modern Malazgirt in Muş Province, Turkey). The decisive defeat of the Byzantine army and th ...
, as well as of the Norman conquest of southern Italy
The Norman conquest of southern Italy lasted from 999 to 1139, involving many battles and independent conquerors.
In 1130, the territories in southern Italy united as the Kingdom of Sicily, which included the island of Sicily, the southern th ...
.
In 1072, the Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
noblemen 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 ...
planned a revolt against Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
rule under the leadership of Georgi Voiteh Georgi Voyteh ( bg, Георги Войтех) was an 11th-century Bulgarian aristocrat from Skopje who started a major uprising in Byzantine Bulgaria against the Byzantine rule.Dennis P. Hupchick, The Bulgarian-Byzantine Wars for Early Medieval Ba ...
, the ''exarch
An exarch (;
from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'', meaning “leader”) was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
In the late Roman Empire and ea ...
os'' of the city. The rebel chieftains (''proechontes'') asked Mihailo I for help and, in exchange, offered to one of his sons, a descendant of the House of the Cometopuli, the Bulgarian throne.[Byzantium's Balkan frontier, page 142] In the fall of 1072, Michael I gladly sent Constantine Bodin with 300 troops, which arrived at 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 ...
and met with Voiteh and other magnates. There[Georgius Cedrenus Ioannis Scylitzae ope ab I. Bekkero suppletus et emendatus II, Bonnae, 1839, pp 714-719] they crowned Bodin "Emperor of the Bulgarians" and gave him the name 'Peter III', recalling the names of the Emperor-Saint Peter I Peter I may refer to:
Religious hierarchs
* Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus
* Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint
* Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholico ...
(d. 970) and of Peter II Delyan
Petar II Delyan (reigned 1040–1041) ( bg, Петър II Делян, Greek: Πέτρος Δελεάνος) was the leader of an uprising against Byzantine rule in the Theme of Bulgaria during the summer of 1040. He was proclaimed Tsar of Bulgaria ...
(who had led the first major revolt against Byzantine rule in 1040–1041).[ Despite some initial successes, Bodin was subsequently captured.][ When Michael I heard about his son's capture, he sent a captive Byzantine general, ]Langobardopoulos
Longibardopoulos ( gr, Λογγιβαρδόπουλος, "son of the Lombard"; 1071–1073) was a Byzantine general, a mercenary chief, one of the commanders stationed in Macedonia during the Uprising of Georgi Voiteh (1072).
Life
A Lombard ch ...
, whom he had married with one of his daughters, to rescue him, but he defected to the Byzantines.[
The aid to Georgi Voiteh moved Mihailo away from the Byzantines.]
Papal vassalage; crown receival, and Byzantine enemy
After the uprising, Mihailo began looking for support westward - to the Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
. This came as a result not only of his alienation from the Byzantines, but also from a desire to create an independent archbishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
within his realm and to finally to obtain a royal title. In the aftermath of the Church schism of 1054, Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...
was interested in bestowing royal crown on rulers in the rift area and Mihailo was granted his in 1077. Thereafter, Duklja was referred to as a kingdom, a situation that lasted until its reduction in the following century.
It is not known whether his brothers accepted him as supreme ruler or if he forced it upon them. Onwards, Mihailo was the ruler of All Duklja, and his brothers may at most have had only appanage
An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...
s.[
]
Last years
Having sealed ties with the Normans through marriage of his heir, Constantine Bodin
Constantine Bodin ( Bulgarian and sr, italic=no, Константин Бодин, ''Konstantin Bodin''; 1072–1101) was a medieval king and the ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from 1081 to 1101, succee ...
, with Jaquinta of Bari Jaquinta ( sh, Jakvinta/Јаквинта; 1081 – 1118) was a queen consort of Dioclea by marriage to king Constantine Bodin. She is best known for her role in the Dioclean civil war, where she violently intervened in a succession crisis follow ...
, Mihailo died in 1081, after a rule of 30 or so years. He left St. Michael's Church in Ston
Ston () is a settlement and a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula.
History
Because of its geopolitical and strategic position, Ston has had a rich history since ant ...
, north of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
, a small church following mostly an early Byzantine style, which contains one of the oldest known fresco portraits of a South Slavic ruler.
Titles
*According to George Kedrenos
George Kedrenos, Cedrenus or Cedrinos ( el, Γεώργιος Κεδρηνός, fl. 11th century) was a Byzantine Greek historian. In the 1050s he compiled ''Synopsis historion'' (also known as ''A concise history of the world''), which spanned the ...
(fl. 1050s) and John Skylitzes
John Skylitzes, commonly Latinized as Ioannes, la, Johannes, label=none, la, Iōannēs, label=none Scylitzes ( el, Ἰωάννης Σκυλίτζης, ''Iōánnēs Skylítzēs'', or el, Σκυλίτση, ''Skylítsē'', label=none ; la, ...
(fl. 1057), he was the ''Prince of Triballians and Serbs'' , and was called an "ally and friend of the Byzantines", having received the title of ''protospatharios
''Prōtospatharios'' ( el, πρωτοσπαθάριος) was one of the highest court dignities of the middle Byzantine period (8th to 12th centuries), awarded to senior generals and provincial governors, as well as to foreign princes.
History
Th ...
''.
*In 1077, he received a crown from Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...
,[ who thereafter addressed Mihailo as "King of the Slavs". A letter dated January 9, 1078, begins "Gregory ... to Michael, king of the Slavs" ).]
*Anna Komnene
Anna Komnene ( gr, Ἄννα Κομνηνή, Ánna Komnēnḗ; 1 December 1083 – 1153), commonly Latinized as Anna Comnena, was a Byzantine princess and author of the ''Alexiad'', an account of the reign of her father, the Byzantine emperor, ...
(1083–1153) calls him "Exarch of Serbia".
Family
Mihailo married a niece of Constantine IX Monomachos
Constantine IX Monomachos ( grc-x-medieval, Κωνσταντῖνος Μονομάχος, translit=Kōnstantinos IX Monomachos; 1004 – 11 January 1055), reigned as Byzantine emperor from June 1042 to January 1055. Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita ...
, with whom he had seven sons, out of which four are known:
*Vladimir
*Constantin Bodin
Constantine Bodin (Bulgarian and sr, italic=no, Константин Бодин, ''Konstantin Bodin''; 1072–1101) was a medieval king and the ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from 1081 to 1101, succeed ...
*Dobroslav II
Dobroslav II ( sr-Cyrl, Доброслав; 1081–1103) was King of Duklja, between 1101 and 1102.
Life
His life is only known from the information given in the ''Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja'', according to which he is sometimes called Do ...
* Petrislav, ruled Rascia
*A daughter
References
Sources
;Primary sources
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;Secondary sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mihailo 01 Of Duklja
Rulers of Duklja
Vojislavljević dynasty
11th-century Serbian monarchs
1081 deaths
Year of birth unknown
11th-century births
11th-century Byzantine people
Serbian royal families
History of Serbia
Medieval Serbia
Medieval Montenegro
Christian monarchs
Protospatharioi