Peter Delyan
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| Peter II | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tsar of Bulgaria | ||
 |
||
| Peter Delyan being nominated for Bulgarian king. | ||
| Reign | 1040–1041 | |
| Died | 1041 | |
| Predecessor | (Presian II (1018) and Byzantine rule) | |
| Successor | (Byzantine rule and Constantin Bodin as Peter III (1072)) | |
| Royal House | (??Comitopuli??) | |
| Father | (??Gavril Radomir??) | |
Peter Delyan (Odelyan) (1040–1041) (Bulgarian Петър Делян (Оделян)/Serbian Петар Дељан (Одељан)) was the leader of the Slavonic/Bulgarian uprising against the Byzantine Empire started in Pomoravlje(modern Serbia) during summer 1040. He was proclaimed emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria (as Samuil`s grandson) in Belgrade (summer 1040). His original name may have been simply Deljan, in which case he assumed the name Peter II upon his accession, commemorating the sainted Emperor Peter I (Petăr I), who had died in 970. The year of his birth is uncertain, but probably not long after 1000, and before 1014; he may have died in 1041.
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[edit] Origin
His origin is not clear. He claimed that he was son of emperor Gavril Radomir and grandson of Samuil, but he could also be a some local who became leader of uprising and used the story that he's Samuil's grandson to justify his proclamation for tsar.
[edit] Delyan as Radomir's son
Those who believe he actually was Radomir's son, think that he was born from Radomir's marriage with an unnamed sister of King Stephen I of Hungary. Peter's mother was expelled while pregnant from Samuil's court before the accession of Gabriel Radomir; but given Delyan's subsequent career, it is likely that he had been born and remained in Bulgaria with his father (see Fine, reference below).
After Ivan Vladislav's murder of Gabriel Radomir in 1015 and the conquest of Bulgaria by the Byzantine Empire in 1018, Delyan was taken as a captive to Constantinople and became a servant of an unidentified member of the Byzantine aristocracy. He later escaped and went to his mother's country of Hungary, from which he re-entered Bulgaria and raised a revolt against Byzantine rule, taking advantage of the discontent over the imposition of taxes in coin by the Byzantine government.
[edit] Delyan as local Slav/Bulgarian
Those who oppose the theory that he was Samuil's grandson and believe that he was just some local Slav/Bulgarian, claim that he was proclaimed as tsar in Belgrade not because it was the border town between Byzantine empire and kingdom of Hungary and he crossed border when rebels liberated the town to join them as prince of royal blood, but because it was first big town which the rebels have liberated.
They also claim that it is highly unlikely that Ivan Vladislav who, in 1015, murdered his brother Gavrilo Radomir (Delyan's supposed father) and his current wife Maria to came to the throne, wouldn't kill Radomir's sons and heirs, if he had them, in order to secure his reign. Especially if its known that he also ordered killing of the Serbian prince of Duklja, Jovan Vladimir, who was Samuil's son-in-law (married with his daughter Theodora/Kosara), because he thought Vladimir is interested in the position of Bulgarian tsar.
[edit] Peter Delyan as leader of Slavonic/Bulgarian uprising
In the summer 1040, in Pomoravlje Slavs raised a rebellion against the Byzantine Empire. There were two main causes:
- Replacing Slavonic archbishop of Ohrid with Greek (1037) and beginning of Hellenisation
- Imposition of taxes in coin for Slavs by the Byzantine government
The uprising spread fast and the rebels very quickly took control of the northern part of Pomoravlje and liberated Belgrade. The leader of the rebellion, Delyan, was proclaimed emperor (tsar) in Belgrade, under the name Peter II, by being raised atop a shield by the leaders of the resistance, and perhaps enjoyed some support from Hungary.
Peter II Delyan took Niš and Skopje, first co-opting and then eliminating another potential leader in the person of one Tihomir, who had led a rebellion in the region of Durazzo. After this Peter II marched on Thessalonica, where the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV was staying. Michael fled, leaving his treasury to a certain Michael Ivac. The latter, who was probably a son of Ivac, a general under Samuil, promptly turned over the bulk of the treasury to Peter outside the city. Thessalonica remained in Byzantine hands, but Macedonia, Durazzo, and parts of northern Greece were taken by Peter II's forces. This inspired further Slavic revolts against Byzantine rule in Epirus and Albania.
Peter II Delyan's successes ended, however, with the interference of his cousin Alusian. Alusian, whose father Ivan Vladislav had murdered Peter's father Gabriel Radomir in 1015, joined Peter II's ranks as an apparent deserter from the Byzantine court, where he had been disgraced. Alusian was welcomed by Peter II, who gave him an army with which to attack Thessalonica. The siege, however, was raised by the Byzantines, and the army was defeated. Alusian barely escaped and returned to Ostrovo.
One night in 1041, during dinner, Alusian took advantage of Peter II's inebriation, and cut off his nose and blinded him with a kitchen knife. Since Alusian was of the blood of Samuel, he was quickly proclaimed by his troops as emperor in Peter II's place, but he conspired to defect to the Byzantines. As the Bulgarian and Byzantine troops were preparing for battle, Alusian deserted to the enemy and headed for Constantinople, where his possessions and lands were restored to him, and was rewarded with the high courtly rank of magistros.
Meanwhile, though blind, Peter II Delyan resumed command of the Bulgarian forces, but the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV, determined to take advantage of the situation, advanced against him. In an obscure battle of Ostrovo, the Byzantines defeated the Bulgarian troops and Peter II Delyan was captured and taken to Constantinople, where he was perhaps executed.
Norse sagas refer to the participation of the future Norwegian King Harald Hardråda, who allegedly cut down Peter II in the field of battle as a member of the Varangian Guard. This tradition may be supported by a laconic reference in the so-called "Bulgarian Apocryphal Chronicle". In either case, Peter II Delyan may have perished in 1041.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- John V.A. Fine Jr., The Early Medieval Balkans, Ann Arbor, 1983.
- Йордан Андреев, Милчо Лалков, Българските ханове и царе, Велико Търново, 1996.
- R.J. Crampton, A Concise History of Bulgaria, Cambridge Concise Histories 1997 pp.140-147
- [1]
- [2]
- [3]
- Георгије Острогорски, Историја Византије, Београд, 1959.
- Група аутора, Историја, Београд, 1970.
- Владимир Ћоровић, Историја српског народа, Београд, 1997.
| Preceded by Presian II(1018.) and Byzantine Rule |
Emperor of Bulgaria 1040–1041 |
Succeeded by Byzantine Rule and Constantin Bodin as Peter III (1072) |
