Strojimir ( sr-cyr, Стројимир; ) was the co-ruler of the Serbian Principality alongside his two brothers Mutimir and Gojnik, from ca 851 to his and Gojnik's deposition in the 880s after an unsuccessful coup against the eldest Prince Mutimir (r. 851-891). He was a younger son of Vlastimir, who ruled in 836–851. Strojimir, together with his brothers Gojnik and Mutimir, defeated the Bulgarian Army sent by

Boris I Boris I (also ''Bogoris''), venerated as Saint Boris I (Mihail) the Baptizer (, ; died 2 May 907), was the ruler (knyaz) of the First Bulgarian Empire from 852 to 889. Despite a number of military setbacks, the reign of Boris I was marked wit ...

, led by his son Vladimir, who, together with 12

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russia), Moldavia and Wallachia (and later Romania), Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. C ...

s was captured by the Serb Army. Peace was subsequently agreed and the two sons of Mutimir; Pribislav and Stefan Mutimirović escorted prisoners towards the border at Rasa. There Boris gave them rich gifts and was given 2

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

s, 2

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Some small species of falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some that hover while hunting are called kestrels. Falcons are widely distrib ...

s, two

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

s, and 80

fur A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

s by Mutimir. After power struggle between the younger brothers and Mutimir, he and Gojnik was captured and sent as prisoners to Bulgarian Khan

in 855–856, as a token of peace-agreement, they both lost their titles as ''Princes of Serbia'' and were held at

Pliska Pliska ( , ) was the first capital of the First Bulgarian Empire during the Middle Ages and is now List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, a small town in Shumen Province, on the Ludogorie plateau of the Danubian Plain (Bulgaria), Danubian Plain, 20 ...

, the Bulgarian capital. Strojimir was treated well by the Bulgarians, Khan Boris himself chose the wife of Klonimir, the son of Strojimir.

The Seal of Strojimir

On July 11, 2006, the Serbian government bought a Byzantine-styled seal in solid gold weighing 15,64 g, most likely belonging to Strojimir (Klonimir's father), at an auction in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. It was presumably crafted outside Byzantium, and has a Greek inscription (KE BOIΘ CTPOHMIP, "''God Help Strojimir''") and a patriarchal cross in the centre. It most likely dates to the second half of the 9th century, between 855/56 and 896, when Klonimir tried to take the Serbian throne.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Steven Runciman, A History of the First Bulgarian Empire, London 1930.
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strojimir 9th-century Serbian royalty Vlastimirović dynasty Serbian exiles People of the Bulgarian–Serbian Wars Medieval Serbian princes 9th-century births 9th-century deaths Medieval Serbian military leaders Slavic warriors