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Pavle of Serbia

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Pavle Branovic
Prince of the Serbs
Prince of Serbia
Reign917–921
PredecessorPetar
SuccessorZaharija
Bornca.870
Died921 (aged 50 or 51)
HouseVlastimirović
FatherBran
ReligionChalcedonian Christian

Pavle Branovic(Serbian:Павле Брановић,Greek:Παῦλος[a];c.870–921) was thePrince of the Serbsfrom 917 to 921. He was put on the throne by the Bulgarian TsarSymeon I of Bulgaria,who had imprisoned the previous prince (Petar) after he had become a Byzantine ally. Pavle ruled for four years, before being defeated byZaharija Pribislavljević,his cousin. Pavle was the son ofBran,the middle son ofMutimir(r. 851–891) of theVlastimirović dynasty.[1]

Pavle was born in the 870s,[2]between 870 and 874[3]toBran Mutimirović,the middle son ofMutimir.His Christian name, in relation to the previous generation of pagan names, shows the spread Christianization of the Serbs.[4]After Mutimir (his grandfather) died in 891,Pribislavsucceeded as prince, and ruled briefly for a year tillPetarreturned and defeated him. Pribislav fled to Croatia with his brothers Bran (Pavle's father) andStefan.[5]Bran later returned and led an unsuccessful rebellion against Petar in 894.[6]Bran was defeated, captured and blinded (as perByzantine tradition).[7]

In 917, a Byzantine army led byLeo Phokasinvaded Bulgaria but was decisively defeated at theBattle of Achelouson 20 August 917.[8]After the Achelous,[6]Symeon sent an army to Serbia led by Pavle (after he had heard of a Byzantine–Serbian alliance), to take the Serbian throne, however, unsuccessfully as Petar proved a good opponent. Symeon then sent generalsMarmaisandTheodore Sigritsa,persuading Petar (through anoath) to come out and meet them, then captured and took him to Bulgaria where he was put in prison, dying within a year.[6]Symeon put Pavle on the Serbian throne.[6]

In 920,Zaharija,the exiled son of Pribislav (the eldest of Mutimir's sons), was sent byRomanos I Lekapenos(r. 920–944) to seize the throne. Pavle defeated and captured him, handing him over to Symeon, who held him for future use. In the meantime, Pavle switched his allegiance back to the Byzantines, prompting Symeon to dispatch Zaharija against him at the head of a Bulgarian army in 921. Zaharija won the battle but soon reaffirmed his Byzantine alliance. There are no more mentions of Pavle.

See also

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Annotations

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  1. ^
    His name is attested as GreekPaulos(Παῦλος). In historiography, he is known asPavle Branović(Павле Брановић).

References

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  1. ^Ćirković 2004,pp. 18.
  2. ^Živković 2006.
  3. ^Veselinović & Ljušić 2008.
  4. ^A. P. Vlasto (2 October 1970).The Entry of the Slavs into Christendom: An Introduction to the Medieval History of the Slavs.CUP Archive. pp. 209–.ISBN978-0-521-07459-9.
  5. ^Fine 1991,p. 141.
  6. ^abcdFine 1991,p. 150.
  7. ^Ferjančić 1966.
  8. ^Fine 1991,p. 149.

Sources

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Primary sources
Secondary sources
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Pavle
Born:870–874Died:Unknown
Regnal titles
Preceded by Prince of Serbia
917–921
Succeeded by