Mihailo I of Duklja

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Mihailo Vojislavljević
Prince of Triballians and Serbs
King of the Slavs
Catholic
For other people with the same name, see Mihailo of Duklja.

Mihailo Vojislavljević (

Church schism of 1054
.

Life

Early rule

With the death of Stefan Vojislav, his dominion was divided among his five sons (according to CPD).[4] Gojislav received Travunia (Trebinje) ruled briefly until he was killed by local nobles, who set up Domanek in his place.[4] Mihailo expelled him and Saganek chosen to rule,[4] but Domanek returned and drove him out.[4] Mihailo offered the office to Radoslav, who declined, afraid of losing Luška župa (future Zeta).[4] Radoslav perhaps distrusted his brother, thinking he would seize Zeta, but Mihailo seems to have offered him a deal.[4]

The

Cedrenus: "Triballorum ac Serborum principatum".[5]

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 and married a niece of Constantine IX Monomachos,[5] 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

Main article:
Uprising of Georgi Voiteh

Matters started to change after 1071, the year of Byzantium's key Asian debacle at the Battle of Manzikert, as well as of the Norman conquest of southern Italy.

In 1072, the

Langobardopoulos, whom he had married with one of his daughters, to rescue him, but he defected to the Byzantines.[7]

The aid to Georgi Voiteh moved Mihailo away from the Byzantines.[9]

Papal vassalage; crown receival, and Byzantine enemy

After the uprising, Mihailo began looking for support westward - to the

Church schism of 1054, Pope Gregory VII
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.

Church of St. Michael near Ston

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 appanages.[4]

Last years

Having sealed ties with the Normans through marriage of his heir, Constantine Bodin, with Jaquinta of Bari, Mihailo died in 1081, after a rule of 30 or so years. He left St. Michael's Church in Ston, north of Dubrovnik, 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 (fl. 1050s) and John Skylitzes (fl. 1057), he was the Prince of Triballians and Serbs (Τριβαλλών και Σέρβων...αρχηγός[10]/ Τριβαλλῶν καὶ Σέρβων...ἀρχηγός[11]), and was called an "ally and friend of the Byzantines", having received the title of protospatharios.[3]
  • In 1077, he received a crown from
    Latin: Sclavorum regi).[12]
  • Anna Komnene (1083–1153) calls him "Exarch of Dalmatia".[13][14]

Family

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mihailo Vojislavljević.

Mihailo married a niece of Constantine IX Monomachos, with whom he had seven sons, out of which four are known:

  • Vladimir
  • Constantin Bodin
  • Dobroslav II
  • Petrislav
    , ruled Rascia (anachronism for the Principality of Serbia)
  • A daughter
Royal titles
Preceded by Prince of Triballians and Serbs /
Exarch of Serbia
(at Duklja)
1050 – 1081 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ Fine 1991, p. 160,202,225.
  2. ISBN 978-0-31334-437-4
    .
  3. ^ a b c Zograf. 1986. p. 74. Син Војислављев, Михаило Војислављевић, „савезник и пријатељ Ро- меја", учврстио је положај Дукље и својом ве- штом политиком добио од Византије титулу ...
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Fine 1991, p. 212
  5. ^ a b Cedrenus II, col. 338
  6. ^ Scylitzes Continuatus: 163
  7. ^ a b c d Byzantium's Balkan frontier, page 142
  8. ^ Georgius Cedrenus Ioannis Scylitzae ope ab I. Bekkero suppletus et emendatus II, Bonnae, 1839, pp 714-719
  9. ^ Fine 1991, p. 215
  10. ^ Georgius (Cedrenus.); Jacques Paul Migne (1864). Synopsis historiōn. Migne. p. 338. Τριβαλλών και Σέρβων
  11. ^ Skylitzes 475.13-14
  12. ISBN 978-0-521-77017-0
    .
  13. ^ Comnena, Anna (1928). "The Alexiad, translated by Elizabeth A. S. Dawes". Fordham University.
  14. ^ Comnena, Anna (2000) [1927]. The Alexiad, translated by Elizabeth A. S. Dawes (PDF). Cambridge, Ontario: In parentheses Publications. p. 31.

Sources

Primary sources
Secondary sources
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