Radoslav ( sr-cyr, Радослав) was the Prince of
Duklja
Duklja ( sh-Cyrl, Дукља; el, Διόκλεια, Diokleia; la, Dioclea) was a medieval South Slavic state which roughly encompassed the territories of modern-day southeastern Montenegro, from the Bay of Kotor in the west to the Bojana Riv ...
from 1146 to 1149. As the oldest son, he succeeded as ruler of
Duklja
Duklja ( sh-Cyrl, Дукља; el, Διόκλεια, Diokleia; la, Dioclea) was a medieval South Slavic state which roughly encompassed the territories of modern-day southeastern Montenegro, from the Bay of Kotor in the west to the Bojana Riv ...
after the death of his father,
Gradinja
Gradinja ( sr-cyr, Градиња) or Gradihna (; 1125–46) was the ruler of Duklja, from either 1131 to 1142 or 1135 to 1146. Gradinja is one of many persons (alongside Branislav, Gojislav, Georgije and Grubeša among others) mentioned only in ...
in 1146. He was installed by
Manuel I Komnenos upon a visit to Constantinople to pay homage to the Emperor. Unlike his father who was a titular king, Radoslav had the title of Prince (''knez''). Radoslav began his rule at a time when the
Serbs of Raška (the
Vukanovići) had ambitions towards Duklja.
In ca. 1148, the political situation in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
was divided by two sides, one being the alliance of the
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 ...
s and Venice, the other the Normans and Hungarians. The Normans were sure of the danger that the battlefield would bring from the Balkans to their area in Italy.
Manuel also allied himself with the Germans after defeating the Cumans in 1148. The Serbs, Hungarians and Normans exchanged envoys, being in the interest of the Normans to stop Manuel's plans to recover Italy.
The Serbs under brothers
Uroš II and
Desa revolted against the Byzantines, when Manuel was in Avlona planning an offensive across the Adriatic, and this revolt posed danger to the Emperor if he would attack Italy, as the Serbs could strike at the Adriatic bases. Then, the Serbs took an offensive against Radoslav, who was a loyal Byzantine vassal. Radoslav was pushed to the southwestern corner of Duklja to Kotor, and retained only the coastal area with the brothers holding much of inland Duklja and Trebinje – over two thirds of Duklja. Radoslav sought help from the Emperor, who sent aid from Durazzo. At this moment, the ''
Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja
The ''Chronicle of the Priest of Dioclea or Duklja'' ( sh, Ljetopis popa Dukljanina) is the usual name given to a purportedly medieval chronicle written in the late 13th century by an anonymous priest from Duklja. Its oldest preserved copy is in La ...
'' ends, presumably because the author of the text had died. A major war was about to erupt in the Balkans; Uroš II and Desa, in light of Byzantine retaliation, sought aid from their brother Beloš, the
count palatine
A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an or ...
of Hungary. By 1150, Hungarian troops played an active role in Serbia. The fate of Radoslav is unknown.
According to
Du Cange (1610–1688), Radoslav and Vakin were one person.
Annotations
*Name: His name was ''
Radoslav'', a
Slavic name
Given names originating from the Slavic languages are most common in Slavic countries.
The main types of Slavic names:
* Two-basic names, often ending in mir/měr (''Ostromir/měr'', ''Tihomir/měr'', '' Němir/měr''), *voldъ (''Vsevolod'', ...
. In historiography, he is sometimes identified with the
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
Gradinić (Радослав Градинић
[).
]
See also
* Duklja
Duklja ( sh-Cyrl, Дукља; el, Διόκλεια, Diokleia; la, Dioclea) was a medieval South Slavic state which roughly encompassed the territories of modern-day southeastern Montenegro, from the Bay of Kotor in the west to the Bojana Riv ...
* Vojislavljević dynasty
The Vojislavljević ( sr-Cyrl, Војислављевић, pl. Vojislavljevići / Војислављевићи) was a Serbian medieval dynasty, named after ''archon'' Stefan Vojislav, who wrested the polities of Duklja, Travunia, Zahumlje, inne ...
* Vukanović dynasty
The Vukanović dynasty ( sr-cyr, Вукановић, Vukanovići / Вукановићи), was a medieval Serbian dynasty that ruled over inner Serbia, centered in the Raška region ( la, Rascia), during the 11th and 12th century. Several memb ...
* Grand Principality of Serbia
Grand Principality of Serbia ( sr, Великожупанска Србија, Velikožupanska Srbija), or Rascia ( sr, Рашка, Raška), was a medieval Serbian state that existed from the second half of the 11th century up until 1217, when it ...
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Duklja, Radoslav Of
12th-century Byzantine people
12th-century Serbian royalty
Vojislavljević dynasty
Rulers of Duklja
People of the Grand Principality of Serbia
1148 deaths
12th-century births