Anna of Byzantium (; ca. first half of the 12th century), also designated by some modern genealogists as Anna Diogenissa (), was Grand Princess consort of

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, as wife of

Uroš I, Grand Prince of Serbia Uroš I ( sr-cyr, Урош I, ) was the Grand Prince ('' Veliki Župan'') of the Grand Principality of Serbia from about 1112 to 1145. Biography Origin Uroš I was the son of Marko, who was a son of Petrislav of Rascia and brother of Grand Pri ...

(r. ca. 1112–1145). Her name is known only from

late medieval The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the period of European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

Serbian genealogies, while her

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

origin was recorded by Italian chronicler

Pietro Ranzano Pietro Ranzano (Palermo, 1428–Lucera, 1492) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar, bishop, historian, Renaissance Humanism, humanist and scholar who is best known for his work, '' De primordiis et progressu felicis Urbis Panormi'', a ...

(d. 1492). Since Uroš I had several children, including sons Uroš II,

Beloš Beloš ( sr-cyr, Белош; or ''Belus''; fl. 1141–1163), was a Serbian prince and Hungarian palatine who served as the regent of Hungary from 1141 until 1146, alongside his sister Helena, mother of the infant King Géza II. Beloš held th ...

and Desa, and also daughters

Helena of Serbia, Queen of Hungary Helena of Serbia (, ; b. after 1109 – after 1146) was Queen consort of Hungary, Queen of Hungary and Croatia as the wife of Béla II of Hungary, King Béla II. After her husband's death, she governed Hungary as regent from 1141 to September ...

and Marija, Duchess of Znojmo, Anna is considered as their mother.

Life

Anna's name is recorded only in

Serbian genealogies, that are designating her as wife of ''Bela Uroš'' (), who is identified as the Grad Prince Uroš I. In later genealogies she is also designated as a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

princess, but that is considered to be a very late addition, and thus rejected by scholars, since late medieval Italian chronicler

, who served at Hungarian court (1488-1490) recorded in his "''

Epitome rerum Hungarorum The ''Epitome rerum Hungarorum'' (Latin for "A Brief Summary of the History of the Hungarians"; ) is a Latin medieval chronicle from the Kingdom of Hungary from 1490. The work was written by the Italian Renaissance humanism, humanist, Bishop of ...

''" that the (unnamed) mother of Hungarian Queen Helena of Serbia was a niece by sister to the (unnamed)

emperor (). Trying to resolve those genealogical connections, some modern genealogists have suggested that Anna might have been a daughter of Byzantine princess Theodora, a sister of emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos (, – 15 August 1118), Latinization of names, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus, was Byzantine Emperor, Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. After usurper, usurping the throne, he was faced with a collapsing empire and ...

, and her husband

Constantine Diogenes Constantine Diogenes (; died 1032) was a Byzantine general of the early 11th century, active in the Balkans. He served with distinction in the final stages of the Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria under Emperor Basil II, and occupied high commands ...

, a son of emperor

Romanos IV Diogenes Romanos IV Diogenes (; – ) was Byzantine emperor from 1068 to 1071. Determined to halt the decline of the Byzantine military and to stop Turkish incursions into the empire, he is nevertheless best known for his defeat and capture in 1071 at ...

,Genealogy.eu: Vukanivich family
/ref> but several modern scholars have pointed out that such assumptions can't be proven with certainty, since no Anna is mentioned in Byzantine sources as a daughter of Theodora and Constantine. It is not recorded when Anna married Uroš I, the Serbian Grand Prince, who reigned from ca. 1112 to 1145. It was assumed that the marriage took place during or after Urošʻs captivity in Byzantium (1094), where he had been sent as a hostage by his uncle, Grand Prince Vukan of Serbia, following the capture of

Lipljan Lipjan ( sq-definite, Lipjani) or Lipljan ( sr-Cyrl, Липљан) is a List of cities in Kosovo, town and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality located in the District of Pristina in Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Lipjan has ...

in 1094 by the troops of Alexios I Komnenos. Uroš had at least five children, presumably by Anna: * Uroš II, Grand Prince of Serbia *

, Grand Prince of Serbia and the Hungarian palatine * Desa, Grand Prince of Serbia *

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer * Saint Helena (disambiguation), this includes places Places Greece * Helena ...

, Queen of Hungary *

Marija Marija is a feminine given name, a variation of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Depending on phonological rules concerning consecut ...

, Duchess of Znojmo Some researchers have proposed that Zavida was also their son.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Anna of Serbia, wife of Uroš I 11th-century births 12th-century deaths 12th-century Serbian women 12th-century Serbian nobility People from the Grand Principality of Serbia Medieval Serbian royal consorts Medieval Serbian people Mothers of Serbian monarchs Vukanović dynasty