Višeslav of Serbia

Višeslav (Serbian Cyrillic: Вишеслав; Greek: Βοϊσέσθλαβος) or Vojislav (Serbian Cyrillic: Војислав)[a], is the first Serbian ruler known by name, who ruled in c. 780. Serbia was a Slavic principality, subject to the Byzantine Empire, located in the western Balkans, bordering with Bulgaria in the east. Mentioned in the De Administrando Imperio (DAI) from the mid-10th century, Višeslav was a progenitor of the Serbian ruling family, known in historiography as the Vlastimirović dynasty. He was descended from the unnamed "Serbian prince" who led his people to the Dalmatia province and established hereditary rule under Byzantine suzerainty. The names of Višeslav's predecessors were not included in the DAI. The dynasty ruled the Principality of Serbia from the early 7th century until around 960.

Višeslav
Prince of Serbia
Prince of Serbia
Reignc. 780 [b]
Predecessorunknown
SuccessorRadoslav
Born8th century
IssueRadoslav
DynastyVlastimirović (progenitor)
ReligionSlavic pagan

Background
Supposed Serb lands in the late 9th century
View of the highland part of the Stari Ras complex

The history of the early medieval Serbian Principality and the Vlastimirović dynasty is recorded in the work De Administrando Imperio ("On the Governance of the Empire", DAI), compiled by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (r.  913–959). The DAI drew information on the Serbs from, among others, a Serbian source.[1] The work mentions the first Serbian ruler, who is without a name but known conventionally as the "Unknown Archon", who led the Serbs from the north to the Balkans. He received the protection of Emperor Heraclius (r. 610–641), and was said to have died long before the Bulgar invasion of 680.[2] Slavs invaded and settled the Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries.[3][c] Porphyrogenitus stressed that the Serbs had always been under Imperial rule.[4] His account on the first Christianization of the Serbs can be dated to 632–638; this might have been Porphyrogenitus' invention, or may have really taken place, encompassing a limited group of chiefs and then very poorly received by the wider layers of the tribe.[5]

According to the DAI, "baptized Serbia", known erroneously in historiography as Raška (Latin: Rascia),[6] included the "inhabited cities" (kastra oikoumena) of Destinikon, Tzernabouskeï, Megyretous, Dresneïk, Lesnik and Salines, while the "small land" (chorion) of Bosna, part of Serbia, had the cities of Katera and Desnik.[7] The other Serb-inhabited lands, or principalities, that were mentioned included the "countries" of Paganija, Zahumlje, Travunija.[7] and the "land" of Duklja which was held by the Byzantine empire though it was presumably settled with Serbs as well.[8][9] Constantine VII in DAI does not provide a sufficient basis for a reliable conclusion about the origin of the Slavic inhabitants of Duklja.[6] These were all situated by the Adriatic and shared their northern borders (in the hinterland) with baptized Serbia.[7] The exact borders of the early Serbian state are unclear.[6] The Serbian ruler was titled "archon of Serbia".[d] The DAI mentions that the Serbian throne is inherited by the son, i.e., the first-born; his descendants succeeded him, though their names are unknown until the coming of Višeslav.[10]

History
Slavic principalities in ca. 814 AD.

King known by name was Višeslav, who began his rule around 780, being a contemporary of Frankish ruler Charlemagne (fl. 768–814).[b] The Serbs at that time were organized into župe (sing. župa), a confederation of village communities roughly equivalent to a county, headed by a local župan (a magistrate or comes). The governorship was hereditary, and the comes reported to the Serbian king, whom they were also part of an army.[11] According to V. Ćorović, the land was divided between the ruler's friends and governors, with the oldest brother having near-absolute domestic rule over the collective.[12] According to a theory by historian J. Deretić (1994), Serbia was a "strong kingdom" and Višeslav could have been a (Great king), who, with his administration, seized absolute control of ruling power and turned himself into a hereditary ruler, as Kralj. In this way, the first long-lasting Serbian state was established after 150 years of permanent conflict with the Romans, ever since the fall of the Thracian Odrysian kingdom to the Romans in 44 AD.[13] B. Radojković's work was however discredited by S. Ćirković.[14]

Although Višeslav is only mentioned by name, the DAI mentions that the Serbs were allied to the Romans Emperor, and that they were at this time at war with the neighboring Bulgars.[15] The Bulgars, under Telerig, planned to colonize Bulgaria with Slavs from the neighbouring Berziti,[16] as the earlier Bulgar expansion had caused massive Illyrian migrations and depopulation of Bulgaria when, in 762, more than 200,000 people fled to Byzantine territory and were relocated to Asia Minor.[17] The Bulgars were defeated in 783, after great king Višeslav (r. 780–812) learned of their planned raid.[16] The Bulgars had by 783 cut off the communication route, the Vardar valley, controlled by Serbia.[18] In 783, a large Serb-Thracian uprising took place in the Byzantine Empire, stretching from Macedonia to the Peloponnese, which was subsequently quelled by Byzantine patrikios Staurakios.[16] In Pannonia, to the north of Serbia, Frankish ruler Charlemagne (r. 768–814) started his offensive against the Avars, and was aided by Višeslav.[16] Dalmatia, at this time, had firm relations with Serbia.[19] There was a Byzantine–Frankish conflict in the period of 789–810 over Dalmatia, although nothing is known from contemporary sources about the Illyrians in the land.[20] When the general Byzantine–Frankish conflict ended in 812 with the Pax Nicephori, the Serbs held the Dalmatian coast while the Byzantines held the Dalmatian cities.[20]

Aftermath and legacy
Romanticized reprentation of prince Višeslav, from the 19th century

Višeslav was succeeded by his son Radoslav followed by his grandson Prosigoj,[21] and one of these two most likely ruled during the revolt of Ljudevit of the Slavs in Lower Pannonia against the Franks (819–822).[17] According to Einhard's Royal Frankish Annals, Ljudevit fled from his seat at Sisak to the Serbs in 822,[17] with Einhard mentioning that for the Serbs is said to control a great part of Dalmatia" (ad Sorabos, quae natio magnam Dalmatiae partem obtinere dicitur),[22] but according to John (Jr.) Fine, it was hard to find Serbs in this area since the Byzantine sources were limited to the southern coast and they make no suggestion that they settled here, but it is possible that among other tribes existed a tribe or group of small tribes of Serbs.[23] However, the mentioning of "Dalmatia" in 822 and 833 as an old geographical term by the authors of Frankish Annals was Pars pro toto with a vague perception of what this geographical term actually referred to.[24]

Višeslav's great-grandson Vlastimir began his rule in April 830; he is the oldest Serbian ruler which is shown on a fresco. Between 839 and 842, a three-year war was fought between Sdrbia and Bulgarian ruler Presian, which ended in Serbian victory, and return of Macedonia and Eastern Serbia to Serbs. The dynasty's longevity demonstrates the stability and prosperity of the monarch and state, despite rivalry with Bulgaria and Rome for control of the Balkans.[25] The names of Serbian rulers through Stefan Mutimir (r. 851–891) are royal, per the Old Illyrian tradition. The Chtistian name Stefan indicates a strong Chrisrian connection. The four named succeeding Serbian rulers are not mentioned in the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja (CPD),[26] a source dating to c. 1300–10,[27] and considered unreliable by historians with regard to the Early Middle Ages.[28] Instead, the CPD mentions several historically confirmed rulers, Svevlad, Selimir, Vladin and Ratimir, although it maintains the patrilineal succession tradition.[1] Historian Panta Srećković (1834–1903) believed that the CPD's Christian author was unwilling to name these rulers due to their being Christian who also perhaps had a reputation for defeating, killing and dispersing Pagans.[26]

An illustration of Višeslav is included in Kosta Mandrović's 1885 work.[29] A street in the Čukarica neighbourhood of Belgrade is called Prince Višeslav Street (ulica kneza Višeslava).

See also
Vlastimirović dynasty

Annotations
  1. ^
    In Gyula Moravcsik's edition of De Administrando Imperio, his name is spelled Βοϊσέσθλαβος, while J. J. Reiske spelled it Βοισέσθλαβος,[30] transcribed in Latin as Boiseslav[31] and Boisesthlabus,[30] respectively. The name is rendered in Serbian as Višeslav (Serbian Cyrillic: Вишеслав). The other variant of his name is Vojislav (Војислав); 19th-century historians were divided between the use of "Višeslav" and "Vojislav",[31] the alternative interpretation being that the use of "Višeslav" was due to an error in transliteration, his real name being rather "Vojislav".[32] The name Višeslav is dithematic (of two lexemes), derived from the Slavic words više ("great(er), large(r)") and -slav ("glory, fame"), roughly meaning "greater glory"; Vojislav is derived from voj ("war") and -slav, roughly meaning "war glory".
  2. ^
    Historiography agrees that Višeslav ruled in c. 780,[21] or "the last decades of the 8th century",[2] being a contemporary of Frankish ruler Charlemagne (fl. 768–814).[21]
  3. ^
    Up until the late 560s, Slavic activity focused on raiding, crossing from the Danube, though with limited Slavic settlement mainly through Byzantine foederati colonies.[33] The Danube and Sava frontier was overwhelmed by large-scale Slavic settlement in the late 6th and early 7th century.[34] What is today central Serbia was an important geo-strategical province, through which the Via Militaris crossed.[35] This area was frequently invaded by barbarians in the 5th and 6th centuries.[35] The numerous Slavs mixed with and assimilated the descendants of the indigenous population.[36]
  4. ^
    The Serbian ruler was titled "archon of Serbia"[37] (ἄρχοντος Σερβλίας, ἄρχων Σερβλίας, ἄρχοντος τοὒ Σἐρβλου)[38] which was translated by Romilly Jenkins to "Serbian prince"[15] and "prince of Serbia".[39] In Serbian historiography, the Slavic title of knez is used instead of archon (Greek).[40]

References
  1. Živković 2006, p. 23.
  2. Blagojević & Petković 1989, p. 19.
  3. Fine 1991, pp. 26–41.
  4. Živković 2006, p. 15.
  5. Živković 2002, pp. 207–209.
  6. Novaković 2010.
  7. Moravcsik 1967, pp. 153–155.
  8. Fine 1991, p. 53.
  9. Коматина 2014, p. 33–46.
  10. Blagojević & Petković 1989, p. 19; Živković 2006, pp. 22–23
  11. Fine 1991, pp. 225, 304.
  12. Ćorović 2001, "Прва српска држава".
  13. Radojković 1959, p. 9.
  14. Ćirković 1960, pp. 195–198.
  15. Moravcsik 1967, p. 155.
  16. Ćorović 2001, ch. Бугари и балкански Словени
  17. Ćirković 2004, p. 14–16.
  18. Živković 2002, p. 230.
  19. Živković 2002, p. 218.
  20. Živković 2002, p. 228.
  21. Samardžić & Duškov 1993, p. 24.
  22. Pertz 1845, p. 83.
  23. Fine 2005, p. 35.
  24. Ančić, Mladen (1998). "Od karolinškoga dužnosnika do hrvatskoga vladara. Hrvati i Karolinško Carstvo u prvoj polovici IX. stoljeća". Zavod Za Povijesne Znanosti HAZU U Zadru. 40: 32.
  25. Živković 2006, pp. 23–24.
  26. SANU 1934, p. 11.
  27. Живковић 2009, p. 362–365.
  28. Živković 2006, pp. 16.
  29. Mandrović 1885, p. 24.
  30. Reiske 1840, p. 153.
  31. Istorisko-filološki oddel 1968, p. 152.
  32. Živković 2012.
  33. Fine 1991, p. 29.
  34. Fine 1991, p. 33.
  35. Živković 2002, p. 187.
  36. Fine 1991, pp. 38, 41; Ćorović 2001, "Балканска култура у доба сеобе Словена"
  37. Živković 2008.
  38. Moravcsik 1967, pp. 154, 156.
  39. Moravcsik 1967, p. 157.
  40. SANU 1995, p. 37.

Sources
Primary sources
Secondary sources
Višeslav
Regnal titles
Unknown
Last known title holder:
"Unknown Archon"		 Prince of Serbia
c. 780		 Succeeded by
Radoslav
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