The Battle at Velbazhd in 1330 and its Morals for the Balkan Rulers according to Gregorius Tsamblak (The Passional of Stephan Dechanski)

Authors:

Pages: 74-80

Abstract:

Gregory Tsamblak’s Vita os Stefan of Dechan is an important literary work that has been studied in detail. He wrote it late fourteenth or early fifteenth century, while being an abbot at the Monastery of Dechan in Serbia. The vita describes the live of the Serbian ruler Stefan Urosh III and the difficulties that the Southern Slavs faced during the Ottoman conquests. The purpose of this paper is to study Tsamblak’s poibt of view about these important historical moments in the Bulgarian-Serbian relations and the historical and moral lessons for the Balkan rulers. The battle itself is recounted through a couple of allegoric sentences such as, for instance, the following one: “So, God listened to His righteous man and that arrogant oppressor was beaten, and so was his whole army, just like once Amalik could not escape the Judgment Day in the prayer’s influence. The Bulgarian king was captured by Serbian soldiers and brought before Prince Stefan, who was courageous in the battle and his life was taken away disgracefully. What he had prepared for others rightfully happened to him”. The conflict between Tsar Mihail Shishman and King Stefan Urosh III is described as a moral test their Christianity rather than as a war between them.

Keywords:

Gregory Tsamblak, Battle of Velbajd, Third Rome, Orthodox Christendom, Bulgarians, Serbians, Ottomans, Muslim invasion

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