Stefan Nemanja Стефан Немања | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Donor's portrait of Stefan Nemanja, fresco in the Virgin's Church of the Studenica Monastery | |||||
| Simeon the Myrrh-streaming | |||||
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church | ||||
| Attributes | Church Builder | ||||
| Grand Prince of Serbia | |||||
| Reign | 1166–1196 | ||||
| Coronation | 1166 | ||||
| Predecessor | Stefan Tihomir | ||||
| Successor | Stefan II Nemanjić | ||||
| Born | c. 1113/1114 Ribnica | ||||
| Died | 20 February 1199 (aged 84-85) Monastery of Hilandar | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse | Anastasia of Serbia | ||||
| Issue |
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| Dynasty | Nemanjić | ||||
| Father | Zavida | ||||
| Religion | Catholic Church later Eastern Orthodox | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic: Стефан Немања, pronounced [stêfaːn ně̞maɲa]; c. 1113 or 1114 – 20 February 1199) was the Grand Prince (Veliki Župan) of the Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška, lat. Rascia) from 1166 to 1196. A member of the Vukanović dynasty, Nemanja founded the Nemanjić dynasty, and is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and history, founding what would evolve into the Serbian Empire, as well as the national church. According to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Nemanja is also among the most remarkable Serbs for his literary contributions and altruistic attributes. [1][2][3][4][5][6]
In 1196, after three decades of warfare and negotiations, including the Third Norman invasion of the Balkans (1185–1186) which consolidated Serbia while distinguishing it from both Western and Byzantine spheres of influence, Nemanja abdicated in favour of his middle son Stefan Nemanjić, who later became the first King of Serbia. Nemanja ultimately went to Mount Athos, where he became a monk and took the name of Simeon, joining his youngest son (later known as Saint Sava), who had already become the first archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church.[7][8][9]
Together with his son Saint Sava, Nemanja restored the Hilandar Monastery at Mount Athos from 1198 to 1199, and issued the "Charter of Hilandar". The monastery thus became the center of Serbian Orthodox monasticism at Athos. Shortly after his death, Serbian Orthodox Church canonized Stefan Nemanja, under the name Saint Simeon the Myroblyte (Serbian: Свети Симеон Мироточиви).[10]
- ^ Dvornik 1962, p. 91-94.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 2-9, 15, 19-20, 38-41.
- ^ Stephenson 2000, p. 267-268, 299-301.
- ^ Ćirković 2004, p. 31-36.
- ^ Curta 2006, p. 333-339, 389-392.
- ^ Curta 2019, p. 658-663.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 38-41.
- ^ Ćirković 2004, p. 33.
- ^ Kalić 2017, p. 12-13.
- ^ Ćirković, Korać & Babić 1986, p. 13.