Life of Despot Stefan Lazarević

The Life of Despot Stefan Lazarević (Serbian: Живот деспота Стефана Лазаревића, Житије деспота Стефана Лазаревића) is a biography on Serbian ruler Stefan Lazarević, authored by Constantine of Kostenets ("the Philosopher") in ca. 1431. The biography had been ordered by Serbian Patriarch Nikon following the death of Despot Stefan. That order was only fulfilled four years later, when allegedly Despot Stefan himself appeared in Constantine's dream. The biography is regarded one of the most interesting in the medieval Serbian literature because it contains not only facts about the Despot's life, but also geographic information and thorough descriptions of numerous historical events. Constantine was apparently inspired by Byzantine chronicles. The work begins with a geographic description of Serbia's natural beauties, going on to describe its residents, praising their character but also mourning their forthcoming fall to the Turks. An exhaustive story of court events and Despot Stefan's life follows, with numerous Biblical and classical references, as well with numerous historical data which have proven invaluable to later historians. On several occasions, Constantine used acrostics, with three masterpiece instances: in the introduction verses, in the titles of central chapters, and finally, in the verses telling of his sorrow for the deceased.

See also

• Life of Stefan Nemanja
• Life of St. Sava (by Domentijan)
• Life of St. Sava (by Teodosije)

References

Books

• Life of Despot Stefan Lazarević by Constantine the Philosopher (ca. 1431).
  • Braun, Maximilian, ed. (1956). Lebensbeschreibung des Despoten Stefan Lazarević. Mouton. 
  • Живот деспота Стефана Лазаревића. Старе српске биографије XV и XVII века. Translated by Mirković, L. СКЗ. 1936. 
  • Jagić, V., ed. (1875). "Константин Филозоф, „Живот Стефана Лазаревића“". Гласник Српског ученог друштва. 42: 223–328. 

Journals

• Kotseva, Elena (2014). "The Virtues of the Ruler according to the Life of Stefan Lazarević by Constantine of Kostenets". Scripta & e-Scripta. 13: 123–129. 
• Mihailović-Milošević, S. (2012). "Literary character of the Despot Stefan Lazarević in The Lives of Constantine Philosopher" (PDF). Baština (32): 41–49. 
• Ristović, Nenad (2011). "Aspects of reception of classical heritage in biography of despot Stefan Lazarević of Constantine the Philosopher". Zbornik radova Vizantološkog instituta. 48: 287–306.