Marmais ( bg, Мармаис; died 924) was a Bulgarian military commander, nobleman and ''komita'' (duke) of a western Bulgarian region (

Sredets : ''Sredets is also a medieval name of Sofia. For the district in Sofia, see Sredets, Sofia.'' Sredets ( bg, Средец ) is a town in Burgas Province in southeastern Bulgaria. It is located near Lake Mandrensko and the northern slopes of Stran ...

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

) during the reign of Emperor Simeon I (893–927). He was a descendant of an ancient Bulgar family. He participated actively in the

Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927 The ByzantineBulgarian war of 913927 ( bg, Българо–византийска война от 913–927) was fought between the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire for more than a decade. Although the war was provoked by the Byzantin ...

but he is better known for his interference and campaigns against the Principality of Serbia. In 917 the Serb prince

Petar Gojniković Petar Gojniković or Peter of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Петар Гојниковић, gr, Πέτρος; ca. 870 – 917) was List of Serbian monarchs, Prince of the Serbs from 892 to 917. He ruled and expanded the Principality of Serbia (early m ...

, who was an ally of the Bulgarian Emperor openly changed sides and supported the Byzantines. This danger from the rear played a significant role for the delay of the advance towards Constantinople after the striking victory at

Anchialus In Greek mythology, the name Anchialus (Ancient Greek: Ἀγχίαλος means 'near the sea') may refer to the following characters: *Anchialus, a 'well-skilled' Greek warrior who participated in the Trojan War. He and Menesthes, while riding a ...

. In the fall of that year Simeon sent a punitive expedition force against the Serbs, led by Theodore Sigritsa and Marmais. They convinced Petar Gojniković to meet them, captured him and sent him to Preslav. They appointed Peter's cousin Pavle Branović the succeeding ruler of Serbia, but three years later Pavle also betrayed his alliance with Bulgaria. Marmais changed him with

Zaharije Pribisavljević Zaharija Pribislavljević or Zaharija of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Захаријa Прибислављевић, gr, Ζαχαρίας ; 890s – 924) was Prince of the Serbs from 922 to 924. He defeated his cousin Pavle in 922. Zaharija was the son of ...

but he also started hostile actions against Bulgaria in 924. Marmais and Sigritsa lead a small army against Zaharije but they were ambushed and defeated, and their heads were later sent to the Byzantines. The death of Marmais caused a major campaign against the Serbian principality which was defeated and annexed.

Honours

Marmais Point on Trinity Peninsula, Antarctica is named after him.

Sources

*Божилов, Ив. Цар Симеон Велики, с. 126,142 {{refend Medieval Bulgarian nobility 9th-century births 924 deaths 9th-century Bulgarian people 10th-century Bulgarian people Bulgarian people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars People of the Bulgarian–Serbian Wars Medieval Bulgarian military personnel Bulgarian military personnel killed in action 10th century in Serbia