View source for Klonimir

{{Short description|9th-century Serbian prince}}
{{Infobox royalty
|name = Klonimir<br>{{small|{{lang|sr|Клонимир}}}}
|succession = Pretender to the Serbian throne
|reign = {{circa|896}}{{Cref2|b|1}}
|predecessor = [[Petar of Serbia|Petar]]
|successor = Petar
|issue = [[Časlav]]
|title =
|house = [[Vlastimirović dynasty|Vlastimirović]]
|house-type = Dynasty
|father = [[Strojimir]]
|spouse = Bulgarian noblewoman
|birth_date =
|birth_place = [[Principality of Serbia (early medieval)|Serbian Principality]]
|death_date = <small>ca.</small> 896{{Cref2|b|2}}
|death_place = Serbian Principality
|religion = [[Chalcedonian Christianity]]
}}
'''Klonimir''' ({{lang-sr-cyr|Клонимир}},{{Cref2|a}} {{langx|el|Κλονίμηρος}}, fl. 896) was a [[Serbs|Serbian]] prince of the [[Vlastimirović dynasty]], and [[List of Serbian monarchs|pretender to the throne]] of the [[Principality of Serbia (early medieval)|Serbian Principality]].  His father and uncle, co-princes Strojimir and Gojnik, had been exiled to Bulgaria with their families after their eldest brother Mutimir had ousted them and taken the Serbian throne. Klonimir married a Bulgarian noblewoman chosen by Khan Boris I himself. She later gave birth to a son named [[Časlav]]. The descendants of the three Vlastimirović branches continued the feud over the Serbian throne which spanned over the century, and Klonimir returned to Serbia in ca. 896 and attempted to take the country from his cousin Petar, who had ruled since 891. He managed to take over the Serbian city of [[Destinikon]], but the much more powerful Petar defeated him, and it is presumed that Klonimir died in battle. His son Časlav later became the most powerful of the Vlastimirović dynasty, as Prince of Serbia from 927 to 960, unifying several tribes in the region.
== Life ==
{{Vlastimirovids}}
[[File:Balkans850.png|thumb|left|Serb lands in the late 9th century.]]
The history of the early medieval [[Principality of Serbia (early medieval)|Serbian Principality]] and the [[Vlastimirović dynasty]] (ruled ca. 610–960) is recorded in the work ''[[De Administrando Imperio]]'' (On the Governance of the Empire), compiled by the Byzantine Emperor [[Constantine VII|Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus]] (r. 913–959).  [[Vlastimir]], the eponymous founder of the Vlastimirović dynasty and the ruling Serbian Prince (''[[archon]]'')<ref>{{harvnb|Stephenson|2000|p=41}}</ref> in the period of ca. 830–851,<ref>{{harvnb|Živković|2006|pp=12–13}}</ref> was a Byzantine ally who had managed to devastate the Bulgars [[Bulgar–Serbian War (839–842)|in a three-year war (839–842)]], and greatly expand the Serbian realm to the west.<ref>{{harvnb|Fine|1991|pp=108, 110}}</ref> Upon his death, the rule was inherited by his three sons, [[Mutimir of Serbia|Mutimir]], [[Strojimir]] and [[Gojnik]], though supreme rule was held by the eldest, Mutimir.<ref name=WMPG>{{cite journal|last=Đekić|first=Đ.|year=2009|title=Why did prince Mutimir keep Petar Gojnikovic?|journal=Teme |volume=33 |issue=2|pages=683–688|url=http://teme2.junis.ni.ac.rs/public/journals/1/previousissues/teme2-2009/teme%202-2009-20.pdf |language=sr}}</ref> The three brothers successfully fought off a Bulgarian attack in 853 or 854 (shortly after the death of Vlastimir), when they had managed to capture 12 great [[boyar]]s and the commander himself, [[Vladimir of Bulgaria|Vladimir]], the son of Khan [[Boris I of Bulgaria]] (r. 852–889). The Bulgars sought to avenge the defeat of their previous Khan, [[Presian of Bulgaria|Presian]].<ref name=Runciman93>{{harvnb|Runciman|1930|p=93}}; [[De Administrando Imperio|DAI]], pp. 154</ref> The Serbs and Bulgars then made peace, and possibly formed an alliance.<ref name="Fine-1991-141">{{harvnb|Fine|1991|p=141}}</ref>
A quarrel eventually broke out between Vlastimir's three sons.<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirIV/> Mutimir, the eldest, sought [[supreme leader]]ship of the Serbian throne; as the co-ruling younger brothers, Strojimir and Gojnik, resisted, he had them captured and exiled to Bulgaria,<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirIV/> where they were most likely held as hostages at the Bulgarian court at [[Pliska]], after 855/856.<ref name=Zivkovic-2007-28>{{harvnb|Živković|2007|p=28}}</ref> According to V. Ćorović, Boris wanted to gain influence on these events in Serbia and sought to help those who could stand on the Bulgarian side instead of the Byzantine, and thus he graciously received the two younger brothers, holding them as weapons for his needs.<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirIV/> Evidence of this is the fact that Boris himself chose a Bulgarian noblewoman to marry Strojimir's son, Klonimir.<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirIV/> It seems that the exiled families were treated well in Bulgaria, with respect to their status.<ref name=Zivkovic-2007-28/> Mutimir had not exiled all members of his brother's families, but had retained his nephew [[Petar Gojniković|Petar]], the son of Gojnik, at the Serbian court for political reasons,<ref name=WMPG/> although Petar later feared his father's fate and eventually escaped across the western border to Croatia.<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirIV/> The descendants of Vlastimir's sons continued to fight for the throne over the century.<ref name=Fine-1991-141/>  An important event was the Christianization of the Serbs which began in 870, accompanied by strong political and cultural influences from the Byzantine Empire.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ćirković |first=Sima |editor-last=Ivić |editor-first=Pavle |others=Randall A. Major (transl.) |year=1995 |chapter-url=http://www.rastko.rs/isk/scirkovic-middle_ages.html|chapter=Rises and falls in Serbian statehood in the middle ages|title=The History of Serbian Culture |publisher=Porthill Publishers |isbn=1-870732-31-6}}</ref>
After Mutimir's death in 890 or 891, the rule of Serbia was inherited by Mutimir's three sons [[Pribislav of Serbia|Pribislav]], [[Bran Mutimirović|Bran]] and [[Stefan Mutimirović|Stefan]] (called the ''Mutimirović''), headed by the eldest son, Pribislav.<ref name="Fine-1991-141"/> However, Pribislav's reign only lasted less than a year, ending when his cousin Petar returned to Serbia from Croatia and won a battle against Pribislav. Petar acquired the Serbian throne in ca. 892.<ref name=Fine-1991-141/> Mutimir's three sons then left Serbia for Croatia where they sought refuge and help.<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirV/> In ca. 894, Bran tried to oust Petar with Croatian help but was unsuccessful; he was captured and blinded (according to [[Political mutilation in Byzantine culture|political mutilation culture]]).<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirV/> In ca. 896, Klonimir left Bulgaria and marched an army into Serbia, entering the Serbian city of [[Destinikon]] ({{langx|el|Δεστινίκον}}, also spelled ''Destinika'' and {{langx|sr|Desnica}}), with the intent of seizing the throne.<ref name=Moravcsik-156-299/> This city's exact location is undetermined, as ''De Administrando Imperio'' only lists it as one of eight fortified cities (καστρα) of ''baptized Serbia'' (not counting those of [[Pomorje|the maritime Serbian principalities]]). Klonimir was likely supported by the Bulgarians,<ref name=Novakovic>{{harvnb|Novaković|1981|pp=61–63}}</ref><ref name="Fine-1991-154">{{harvnb|Fine|1991|p=154}}</ref> which shows that Petar had bad relations with Bulgaria.<ref name=Kovacevic>{{harvnb|Kovačević|Jovanović|2002|p=180}} {{quote|Овај удар Клонимиров јасно казује да Петар није био у добру с Бугарском; али мало после тога склопи он пријатељство с тадашњим бугарским владаоцем Симеуном ...}}</ref> However, Klonimir was unsuccessful, and the powerful Petar slew him.<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirV/><ref name=Moravcsik-156-299/><ref name=Curta-2006-211/> A little while afterwards,<ref name=Kovacevic/> Petar was recognized as the ruler of Serbia by Bulgarian Tsar [[Symeon I of Bulgaria|Symeon]], resulting in a twenty-year peace and alliance.<ref name=Fine-1991-141/>
== Aftermath ==
[[File:Seal of Strojimir.gif|thumb|right|220px|Seal of prince [[Strojimir]] of [[Principality of Serbia (early medieval)|Serbia]] (late 9th century)]]
Petar ruled at peace with the Bulgars, though he was probably not happy with his subordinate position, and may have dreamed of reasserting his independence. His situation and the succession wars of the three branches of Vlastimir's sons was to play a key part in the coming [[Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars#Simeon I.E2.80.99s Imperial ambitions|Bulgarian–Byzantine War]].<ref name=Fine-1991-141/>  However, according to ''De Administrando Imperio'', Petar would have ruled under the suzerainty of Leo VI.
Klonimir's son, [[Časlav]], was sent with Bulgarian aid to conquer Serbia in 924. The Bulgarians tricked him and annexed Serbia, until Časlav returned from exile in 927 after Symeon's death and asserted his rule over Serbia in a Byzantine alliance.<ref>{{harvnb|Fine|1991|p=159}}</ref>
On July 11, 2006, the Serbian government bought a Byzantine-styled seal in solid gold weighing 15,64 g, most likely belonging to Strojimir (Klonimir's father), at an auction in [[Munich]]. It was presumably crafted outside Byzantium, and has a Greek inscription (<small>KE BOIΘ CTPOHMIP</small>, "''God Help Strojimir''") and a [[patriarchal cross]] in the centre. It most likely dates to the second half of the 9th century, between 855/56 and 896, when Klonimir tried to take the Serbian throne.<ref>{{harvnb|Živković|2007|pp=23–29}}</ref>
== Annotations ==
{{Cnote2 Begin|liststyle=upper-alpha}}
{{Cnote2|a|In ''[[De Administrando Imperio]]'', his name is written as {{langx|el|Κλονίμηρος}}<ref name=Moravcsik-156-299>Moravcsik 1967, p. 156; p. 299 {{quote|Κλονίμηρος, son of Stroimer, prince of the Serbs}}</ref> (Klonimeros, Klonimiros<ref>{{cite book|title=Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen zeit: (641-867)|author=Ralph-Johannes Lilie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFWwDLfvmvwC&pg=PA153|page=153|isbn=9783110174564|year=2002|publisher=De Gruyter }}</ref>), rendered as '''Klonimir''' in Serbian (Клонимир). His name has been transcribed into Latin as '''Clonimerus''' ([[Johannes Meursius|J. Meursis]], [[Giuseppe Simone Assemani|G. S. Assemani]] and [[Johann Gotthelf von Stritter|J. G. Stritter]]) and '''Clonimer''' ([[Giovanni Lucio|G. Lucio]] and [[Anselmo Banduri|A. Banduri]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Banduri|first=Anselmo|title=Imperium orientale sive Antiquitates Constantinopolitanae in quatuor partes distributae|year=1729|orig-year=1711|publisher=Ex typographia B. Javarina|language=la|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TlVSFBBHr_EC&pg=PA60|page=60}}</ref>  His full name in historiography is written as '''Klonimir Strojimirović'''<ref name=Fine-1991-154/><ref name=Sisic>{{cite book|author=Ferdo Šišić|title=Geschichte der Kroaten, Volume 1|publisher=Matica Hrvatska|year=1917|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iZjVAAAAMAAJ&q=Klonimir|pages=119–124}}</ref> (Клонимир Стројимировић)<ref name=Recueil>{{cite book|title=Recueil de Travaux de l'Institut des Études Byzantines, Volume 36 |year=1997 |publisher=Naučno delo |pages=51–52}}</ref> and scarcely as '''Klonimir Vlastimirović''' (Клонимир Властимировић).<ref>{{cite book|title=Прошлост која живи|last=Strizović|first=Đorđe|year=2004|publisher=Доситеј}}</ref>  The name ''Klonimir'' is derived from the Slavic [[imperative mood]] (verb) ''kloniti'', and the common ''{{Linktext|mir}}''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=9wAdAAAAYAAJ&q=klonimir Šimundić 1988, p. 175]</ref> }}
{{Cnote2|b|According to ''De Administrando Imperio'', Klonimir's failed conquest came two years after Bran's attack.<ref name=Moravcsik-156-299/><br />
*T. Živković,<ref name=Zivkovic-2007-28/> J. v. A. Fine,<ref name=Fine-1991-154/> V. Ćorović,<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirV/> K. Jireček,<ref>{{cite book|author=Konstantin Jireček|publisher=Hakkert|year=1967|language=de|title=Geschichte der Serben|volume=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BYBpAAAAMAAJ&q=Klonimir}}</ref> S. M. Ćirković, [[Joachim Lelewel|J. Lelewel]], date it to 896.
*Č. Popov, [[Ferdo Šišić|F. Šišić]],<ref name=Sisic/> [[Josef Jireček|J. Jireček]],<ref name=Sebrany-spisy2>{{cite book|author=Pavel Jozef Šafárik, Josef Jireček|title=Sebraneʹ spisy|volume=2|publisher=Bedřich Tempskʹy|year=1863|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gB4NAAAAIAAJ&q=Klonimir|page=268}}</ref> P. J. Šafárik,<ref name=Sebrany-spisy2/> date it to 897.
*F. Curta,<ref name=Curta-2006-211>{{harvnb|Curta|2006|p=211}}</ref> [[Božidar Ferjančić|B. Ferjančić]],<ref name=Recueil/> date it to 897 or 898.
}}
{{Cnote2 End}}
== References ==
{{Reflist|
refs=
<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirIV>{{harvnb|Ćorović|2001|loc=ch. 2, IV: Покрштавање Јужних Словена}}
{{quote|Код Срба су за то време почеле међусобне борбе. Синови Властимирови не осташе у слози. Најстарији, Мутимир, хтео је да као такав има врховну власт и како су се браћа његова, Стројимир и Гојник, томе опирала, он их обојицу ухвати и посла у Бугарску, налазећи у њеном владару помагача за своје циљеве. У ствари, Борис је хтео да добије утицаја на прилике у Србији и да помаже тамо оне, који би се у својој политици ослањали на Бугаре место на Византију. Он с тога прогнате српске кнезове прима љубазно, држећи их као оруђе за своје потребе, и тамо Клонимира, Стројимирова сина, ожени с једном угледном Бугарком. Једног од сродника, свог синовца Петра Гојниковића, Мутимир је задржао код себе, али се тај, уплашен очевим удесом, склони у Хрватску. У верском погледу Мутимир се држао источне цркве, иако га је папа Иван VIII позвао, да се, по традицији претходника, врати панонској дијецези, нарочито ваљда с обзиром на то, што је у Методију добила словенског епископа.}}</ref>
<ref name=Corovic-KlonimirV>{{harvnb|Ćorović|2001|loc=ch. 2, V: Срби између Византије, Хрватске и Бугарске}}
{{quote|Око 890. год. продро је из Хрватске у Србију, после Мутимирове смрти, избегли Петар Гојниковић. Он је свргнуо Мутимирова сина и наследника Прибислава, учврстио се у земљи, и одржао на престолу више од четврт века. Мутимирови синови, тројица, беже Хрватима и траже тамо склониште и помоћ. Покушај средњег брата Брана да са хрватском помоћу сруши Петра није имао успеха (око 894.). Бран сам би ухваћен и ослепљен. Исто је тако пропао и покушај Клонимиров, који је проваливши из Бугарске, био заузео град Достиницу (око 896.). Петар, јачи човек, одупро се свима. Са Хрватима је, изгледа, прекинуо везе, иако су га они с почетка подржавали, вероватно с тога, што су најпре тражили награду за услуге, а после помагали његове противнике. У прво време Петар се, ваљда преко оца или стрица или рођака тамо, приближио Бугарима и окумио се с њиховим новим владаром Симеоном (од 893. год.). Сигуран на тој страни, он је почео да се шири према западу, на рачун хумских и неретљанских владара.}}</ref> }}
== Sources ==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
;Primary sources
* {{Cite book|editor-last=Moravcsik|editor-first=Gyula|editor-link=Gyula Moravcsik|title=Constantine Porphyrogenitus: De Administrando Imperio|year=1967|orig-year=1949|edition=2nd revised|location=Washington D.C.|publisher=Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3al15wpFWiMC|isbn=9780884020219}}
;Secondary sources
* {{Cite book|last=Ćirković|first=Sima|author-link=Sima Ćirković|year=2004|title=The Serbs|location=Malden|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Wc-DWRzoeIC|isbn=9781405142915}}
* {{cite book | last=Ćorović | first=Vladimir | author-link=Vladimir Ćorović |title=Istorija Srpskog Naroda |trans-title=History of the Serb People | edition=Internet | year=2001 |location=Belgrade|publisher=Ars Libri | url=http://www.rastko.rs/rastko-bl/istorija/corovic/istorija/index.html |language=sr }}
* {{cite book | last=Ferjančić | first=Božidar | author-link=Božidar Ferjančić |title=Vizantija i Južni Sloveni |trans-title=Byzantium and the South Slavs | language= sh | year= 1966 |location=Belgrade | publisher=Zavod za izdavanje udžbenika Socijalističke Republike Srbije }}
* {{Cite book|last=Curta|first=Florin|author-link=Florin Curta|title=Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250|year=2006|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|url=https://archive.org/details/southeasterneuro0000curt|url-access=registration|isbn=9780521815390}}
* {{Cite book|last=Fine|first=John Van Antwerp Jr.|author-link=John Van Antwerp Fine Jr.|title=The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century|year=1991|orig-year=1983|location=Ann Arbor, Michigan|publisher=University of Michigan Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0NBxG9Id58C|isbn=0472081497}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Grčić |first1=Mirko |last2=Grčić |first2=Ljiljana |url=http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-3593/2012/0350-35931202001G.pdf |title=The first populated cities of christened Serbia in X century by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, on the map of Guillaume Delisle |journal=Bulletin of the Serbian Geographical Society |volume=XCII |issue=2 |year=2012 |language=sr, en}}
* {{cite book | last1=Kovačević|first1=Ljubomir|last2=Jovanović|first2=Ljubomir|title=Istorija Srpskoga Naroda: Najstarija Istorija, Volume 1|publisher=Čigoja štampa|year=2002}}
* {{cite book | last=Korać|first=Vojislav |editor-last=Ivić |editor-first=Pavle |title=The History of Serbian Culture|chapter=Architecture in medieval Serbia|chapter-url=http://www.rastko.rs/isk/vkorac-medieval_architecture.html|year=1995|others=Randall A. Major (transl.)|publisher=Porthill Publishers|isbn=1-870732-31-6}}
* {{cite book | last=Novaković|first=Relja |title=Gde se Nalazila Srbija od VII do X Veka|trans-title=Where Serbia was situated from the 7th to 10th centuries|location=Serbia, Belgrade|publisher=Narodna knjiga|year=1981|pages=61–63}}
* {{cite book | last=Runciman | first=Steven |author-link=Steven Runciman |title=A History of the First Bulgarian Empire |chapter=Excursion into the West | publisher=G. Bell & Sons | location=London | year=1930 | chapter-url=http://www.kroraina.com/knigi/en/sr/sr_2_2.htm }}
* {{cite book | last=Šafárik | first=Pavel Jozef | author-link=Pavel Jozef Šafárik |title=Slowanské Starožitnosti, Volume 1 | publisher=Tiskem I. Spurného | year=1837 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PzQEAAAAYAAJ }}
* {{cite book|last=Stephenson|first=Paul|title=Byzantium's Balkan Frontier: A Political Study of the Northern Balkans, 900-1204|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2000|isbn=0-521-77017-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILiOI0UgxHoC }}
* {{cite book | last=Živković | first=Tibor | title=Portreti Srpskih Vladara (IX—XII Vek) | year=2006 | location=Belgrade | isbn=86-17-13754-1 | language= sr | pages=11–20 }}
* {{Cite journal|last=Živković|first=Tibor|author-link=Tibor Živković|title=The Golden Seal of Stroimir|journal=Historical Review|year=2007|volume=55|pages=23–29|publisher=The Institute for History|location=Belgrade|url=http://www.iib.ac.rs/docs/IstorijskiCasopis55%282007%29.pdf|access-date=2018-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324160341/http://www.iib.ac.rs/docs/IstorijskiCasopis55(2007).pdf|archive-date=2018-03-24|url-status=dead}}
{{div col end}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Vlastimirović dynasty]]|name=Klonimir}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Petar of Serbia|Petar]]}}
{{s-tul|title=Serbian Prince|years=ca. 896|reason=Battle defeat}}
{{s-aft|after=Petar}}
{{S-end}}
{{good article}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:9th-century Serbian royalty]]
[[Category:9th-century Bulgarian people]]
[[Category:9th-century monarchs in Europe]]
[[Category:Pretenders to the Serbian throne in the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Medieval Serbian princes]]
[[Category:Vlastimirović dynasty]]
[[Category:Murdered Serbian royalty]]
[[Category:Serbian rebels]]
[[Category:Serbian exiles]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodox Christians from Serbia]]
[[Category:9th-century births]]
[[Category:897 deaths]]
[[Category:Medieval rebels]]
[[Category:Slavic warriors]]