Strez

Strez
sebastokrator
Born12th century
Died1214
Polog Valley
Noble familyAsen dynasty

Strez (Bulgarian and Macedonian: Стрез; original spelling: Стрѣзъ;[1] fl. 1207–1214) was a medieval, semi-independent Bulgarian sebastokrator.[2] He was a member of the Asen dynasty and a cousin or a brother of Boril of Bulgaria. A major contender for the Bulgarian throne, Strez initially opposed the ascension of his close relative Tsar Boril. He fled to Serbia, where he accepted the vassalage of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanjić, and Serbian support helped him establish himself as a largely independent ruler in a large part of the region of Macedonia. However, Strez turned against his suzerains to become a Bulgarian vassal and joined forces with his former enemy Boril against the Latins and then Serbia. Strez died amidst a major anti-Serbian campaign under unclear circumstances, sometimes described as a Serbian plot.

  1. ^ Rendered as Στρέαζος, Streazos in Byzantine Greek and as Straces or Stratius in Latin sources. Златарски, p. 270
  2. ^ Florin Curta, Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250. Cambridge Medieval Textbook, pp. 377, 385.