Teodor I Muzaka (died 1331) was an Albanian nobleman who ruled the

Lordship of Berat The Principality of Muzaka (), also known as the Lordship of Berat, was an independent realm ruled by the Albanian principalities, Albanian Muzaka (family), Muzaka family with its capital at Berat, covering territories in Central Albania, Centr ...

between 1319 and 1331. According to

John Musachi Gjon Muzaka (fl. 1510; ) was an Albanian nobleman from the Muzaka family, that has historically ruled in the Myzeqe region, Albania. In 1510 he wrote the Muzaka chronicles (a ''Breve memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi''. The work w ...

, he had the nickname "këshetesi", meaning the one with braided hair.

Life

Theodor I, the son of

Andrea I Muzaka Andrea I Muzaka (; 12??1319), also known as Andrew Musachi was an Albanians, Albanian List of Albanian monarchs, Lord and member of the Muzaka family. Life Andrea I Muzaka was an influential Albanian nobility, Albanian lord and the founder of t ...

, inherited his father's property after his death in 1319. The area ranged from

Myzeqe The Myzeqe (; sq-definite, Myzeqeja; ) is a plain in the Western Lowlands of Albania. The Myzeqe is the largest and widest plain, measured by area, in the Lowlands. Location The Myzeqe plain is a large alluvial plain traversed by three main riv ...

with the center

Berat Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and ea ...

in what is now Central

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, via

Skrapar Skrapar ( sq-definite, Skrapari) is a Municipalities of Albania, municipality in Berat County, Southern Albania, southern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Bogovë, Çepan, Çorovodë, Gjerbës, Leshnjë, Po ...

, Tomorricë to Këlcyra in what is now southern Albania. Theodor I, who carried the high

Byzantine Empire 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 History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

court title of Protosebastus, lived in troubled times. After the murder of

Despot of Epirus The Despot of Epirus was the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, one of the rump states of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade. The name "Despotate of Epirus" and the title "despot of Epirus" are modern historiographical name ...

, Thomas Komnenos Dukas Angelos (1296–1318), by his nephew

Nicholas Orsini Nicholas Orsini (; ) was a Greek–Italian nobleman who was count palatine of Cephalonia from 1317 to 1323 and ruler of southern Epirus around Arta from 1318 to 1323. The son of Count John I Orsini and Maria, an Epirote princess, he succeed ...

, the Palatinate of Kefalonia became this new despot of Epirus. This usurpation of the throne called the Byzantines,

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France ** Du ...

and

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

on the scene. Everyone tried to secure a share in the shattered despotate. The Serbian king

Stefan Uroš II Milutin Stefan Uroš II Milutin ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош II Милутин, Stefan Uroš II Milutin; 1253 – 29 October 1321), known as Saint King, was the King of Serbia between 1282–1321, a member of the Nemanjić dynasty. He was one o ...

prepared for the submission of Albania. As early as June 1319 he assumed the title of ruler of Rascia, Dioclea, Albania and the coastal sea coast. His next destination was

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...

in what is now Albania, which had belonged to the Kingdom of Naples since 1271. There Stefan Uroš II tried to win a party for himself. In 1319 there was an uprising against the Anjou and the residents of the city paid homage to the Serbian king. In order to counter the further advance of the enemies, who stormed the Angevin lands from all sides, tried Philip of Taranto from the House of Anjou from 1294 to 1332 his brother, the king Karl Martell of

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

and the ban Wladin of Bosnia to win the league against the Serbs. At the same time, Pope Johannes XXII admonished the "great" Albania, who had been surrendered to the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in 1318, the Protosebastos Wilhelm Blevisti, and Theodor I. Muzaka, the Mentulo or Matarango, Count of Këlcyra (son of Theodor I), Andrea II Muzaka (son of Theodor I), Count Wladislaw Conovic of Dioclea and the sea coast, Count Wilhelm of Albania, Paulus (or Pal) Materanga (son-in-law of Theodor I) and the other barons of the country loyal to the Angevin rule (1266–1356) to persevere and, where possible, do what you can to regain the lost places. Theodor I died around 1331. His successor was his eldest son

Andrea II Muzaka Andrea II Muzaka ( 1318–1372) was an Albanian nobleman of the Muzaka family and the ruler of the Principality of Muzaka in the 14th century. He inherited the principality from his father, Teodor I Muzaka, who died around 1331. Andrea II is kn ...

Descendants

Theodor married the Daughter of Paul of Ohrid. Possibly daughter of

Pal Gropa Pal Gropa, also known as Paul or Paulo Gropa, () was an Albanian feudal ruler of Ohrid and Dibër from the 13th century and a member of the Gropa family. He held the title of Sebastos. Biography In 1273, the Angevin rulers of Albania record ...

. Theodor had two sons: *

(1319 † 1372),

Sebastokrator ''Sebastokrator'' (, ; ; ), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence (Bulgarian Empire, Serbian Empire). The word is a compound ...

, "regni Albaniae marescallum" (royal marshal of Albania); ∞ Efthimia Matrënga (also: Etinia, Onorata), daughter of Paolo Matarango, lord of Gora; from 1335 despot of Berat *Mentulo or Matarango, Count of Këlcyra

References

14th-century lords in Europe 14th-century Albanian people 1331 deaths Year of birth unknown Monarchs killed in action Albanian monarchs Muzaka family Albanian Roman Catholics {{Europe-noble-stub

Life

Descendants

See also

References