Strojimir ( sr-cyr, Стројимир; gr, Στροἠμιρ, Στροἠμηρος) 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 Vlastimir ( sr-cyrl, Властимир, ; c. 805 – 851) was the Serbian prince from c. 830 until c. 851. Little is known of his reign. He held Serbia during the growing threat posed by the neighbouring, hitherto peaceful, First Bulgarian Emp ...

, who ruled in 836–851. Strojimir, together with his brothers Gojnik and Mutimir, defeated the Bulgarian Army sent by

Boris I Boris I, also known as Boris-Mihail (Michael) and ''Bogoris'' ( cu, Борисъ А҃ / Борисъ-Михаилъ bg, Борис I / Борис-Михаил; died 2 May 907), was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. A ...

, 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 Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, Russia, Wallachia and Moldavia, and later Romania, Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. Boyars were s ...

s was captured by the Serb Army. Peace was subsequently agreed and the two sons of Mutimir; Pribislav and

Stefan Mutimirović Stefan Mutimirović ( sr, Стефан Мутимировић, gr, Στέφανος) was a 9th-century Serbian royal member of the ruling dynasty, the Vlastimirović. He was the younger son of Mutimir of the ruling Serbian dynasty, the Vlasti ...

escorted prisoners towards the border at Rasa. There Boris gave them rich gifts and was given 2

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

s, 2

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

s, two

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relativ ...

s, and 80

fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of 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 insulating blanket ...

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 ( , cu, Пльсковъ, translit=Plĭskovŭ) was the first capital of the First Bulgarian Empire during the Middle Ages and is now a small town in Shumen Province, on the Ludogorie plateau of the Danubian Plain, 20 km northeast ...

, 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 ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

. It was presumably crafted outside Byzantium, and has a Greek inscription (KE BOIΘ CTPOHMIP, "''God Help Strojimir''") and a

patriarchal cross The Patriarchal cross is a variant of the Christian cross, the religious symbol of Christianity, and is also known as the Cross of Lorraine. Similar to the familiar Latin cross, the patriarchal cross possesses a smaller crossbar placed above ...

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