Theodore Musachi or Teodor I Muzaka was an Albanian nobleman that ruled the Lordship of Berat between 1319 and 1331. According to John Musachi, he had the nickname “këshetesi”, meaning the one with braided hair. He had a brother Count Mentula Muzaka of Clissura or today called Kelcyra.

Life

Theodor I, the son of Andrea I Muzaka, inherited his father's property after his death in 1319. The area ranged from

Myzeqe The Myzeqe (; sq-definite, Myzeqeja; rup, Muzachia) is a plain in the Western Lowlands of Albania. The Myzeqe is the largest and widest plain, measured by area, in the Lowlands. Location The Myzeqe plain is a large alluvial plain traversed by ...

with the center

Berat Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and east of Fier. Berat is located in ...

in what is now Central

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...

, via

Skrapar Skrapar ( sq-definite, Skrapari) is a municipality in Berat County, southern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Bogovë, Çepan, Çorovodë, Gjerbës, Leshnjë, Potom, Qendër Skrapar, Vendreshë and Zhepë ...

, Tomorricë to Këlcyra in what is now southern Albania. Theodor I, who carried the high

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 ...

court title of Protosebastus, lived in troubled times. After the murder of Despots of Epirus, Thomas Komnenos Dukas Angelos (1296–1318), by his nephew

Nicholas Orsini Nicholas Orsini ( gr, Νικόλαος Ορσίνι, ''Nikolaos Orsini'') was count palatine of Cephalonia from 1317 to 1323 and ruler of Epirus from 1318 to 1323. Nicholas was the son of Count John I Orsini of Cephalonia by Maria, a daughter ...

, the Palatinate of Kefalonia became this new despot of Epirus. This usurpation of the throne called the Byzantines,

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duke ...

and

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...

on the scene. Everyone tried to secure a share in the shattered despotate. The Serbian king

Stefan Uroš II Milutin Stefan Uroš II Milutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Урош II Милутин, Stefan Uroš II Milutin; 1253 – 29 October 1321), known as Stefan Milutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Милутин, Stefan Milutin), was the King of Serbia between 1282&n ...

prepared for the submission of Albania. As early as June 1319 he assumed the title of ruler of Rascia, Dioclea, Albania and the coastal sea coast. His next destination was

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...

in what is now Albania, which had belonged to the Kingdom of Naples since 1271. There Stefan Uroš II tried to win a party for himself. In 1319 there was an uprising against the Anjou and the residents of the city paid homage to the Serbian king. In order to counter the further advance of the enemies, who stormed the Angevin lands from all sides, tried Philip of Taranto from the House of Anjou from 1294 to 1332 his brother, the king

Karl Martell Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

and the

ban Ban, or BAN, may refer to: Law * Ban (law), a decree that prohibits something, sometimes a form of censorship, being denied from entering or using the place/item ** Imperial ban (''Reichsacht''), a form of outlawry in the medieval Holy Roman ...

Wladin of Bosnia to win the league against the Serbs. At the same time, Pope Johannes XXII admonished the "great" Albania, who had been surrendered to the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

in 1318, the Protosebastos Wilhelm Blevisti, and Theodor I. Muzaka, the Mentulo or Matarango, Count of Këlcyra (son of Theodor I), Andrea II Muzaka (son of Theodor I), Count Wladislaw Conovic of Dioclea and the sea coast, Count Wilhelm of Albania, Paulus (or Pal) Materanga (son-in-law of Theodor I) and the other barons of the country loyal to the Angevin rule (1266–1356) to persevere and, where possible, do what you can to regain the lost places. Theodor I died around 1331. His successor was his eldest son

Andrea II Muzaka Andrea II Muzaka, was an Albanian noble of the Muzaka family and the ruler of the Principality of Muzaka. His grandfather is known as one of the first notable rulers of the principality and also the titular "Marshal of Albania". His father was ...

Descendants

Theodor had two sons: *

(1319 † 1372),

Sebastokrator ''Sebastokrator'' ( grc-byz, Σεβαστοκράτωρ, Sevastokrátor, August Ruler, ; bg, севастократор, sevastokrator; sh, sebastokrator), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers wh ...

, "regni Albaniae marescallum" (royal marshal of Albania); ∞ Efthimia Matrënga (also: Etinia, Onorata), daughter of Paolo Matarango, lord of Gora; from 1335 despot of Berat *Mentulo or Matarango, Count of Këlcyra

References

14th-century rulers in Europe 14th-century Albanian people 1331 deaths Monarchs killed in action Muzaka family Year of birth unknown Albanian Roman Catholics {{Europe-noble-stub