Michael Apsaras

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Michael Apsaras (Greek : Μιχαήλ Ἀψαρᾶς) was a 14th-century Greek noble from Ioannina.

Greek language language spoken in Greece, Cyprus and Southern Albania

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus and other parts of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It has the longest documented history of any living Indo-European language, spanning more than 3000 years of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the major part of its history; other systems, such as Linear B and the Cypriot syllabary, were used previously. The alphabet arose from the Phoenician script and was in turn the basis of the Latin, Cyrillic, Armenian, Coptic, Gothic, and many other writing systems.

The Greeks or Hellenes are an ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt and, to a lesser extent, other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world.

Ioannina Place in Greece

Ioannina, often called Yannena within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. Its population is 112,486, according to 2011 census. It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 metres above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis (Παμβώτις). Ioannina is located 410 km (255 mi) northwest of Athens, 260 kilometres southwest of Thessaloniki and 80 km east of the port of Igoumenitsa in the Ionian Sea.

Apsaras came from a noble Byzantine family and one of the most influential families in the city of Ioannina. Apsaras received the title of protovestiarios and became chief minister of the Despot of Epirus, Thomas Preljubović (1366–1384). Both Apsaras and Thomas were negatively portrayed in the Chronicle of Ioannina due to the cruelty they displayed against the local population of Ioannina. [1] [2]

Byzantine Greeks Greek-speaking Christian Romans of the Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Greeks were the Greek-speaking Christian Romans of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. They were the main inhabitants of the lands of the Byzantine Empire, of Constantinople and Asia Minor, the Greek islands, Cyprus, and portions of the southern Balkans, and formed large minorities, or pluralities, in the coastal urban centres of the Levant and northern Egypt. Throughout their history, the Byzantine Greeks self-identified as Romans, but are referred to as "Byzantine Greeks" in modern historiography.

Protovestiarios was a high Byzantine court position, originally reserved for eunuchs. In the late Byzantine period, it denoted the Empire's senior-most financial official, and was also adopted by the medieval Serbian states.

Thomas Preljubović Ruler of Epirus in Ioannina

Thomas Preljubović was ruler of the Despotate of Epirus in Ioannina from 1366 to his death on December 23, 1384. He also held the title of Albanian-slayer (Ἀλβανοκτόνος).

Apsaras was exiled from Ioannina after the assassination of Thomas. [3]

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Epirus historical region in the Balkans

Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë and the Acroceraunian mountains in the north to the Ambracian Gulf and the ruined Roman city of Nicopolis in the south. It is currently divided between the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece and the counties of Gjirokastër, Vlorë, and Berat in southern Albania. The largest city in Epirus is Ioannina, seat of the region of Epirus, with Gjirokastër the largest city in the Albanian part of Epirus.

Romaniote Jews Greek Jews

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Despotate of Epirus Former country

The Despotate of Epirus was one of the Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire established in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 by a branch of the Angelos dynasty. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea and the Empire of Trebizond, its rulers briefly proclaiming themselves as Emperors in 1225/1227–1242. The term "Despotate of Epirus" is, like "Byzantine Empire" itself, a modern historiographic convention and not a name in use at the time.

Yevanic, also known as Judæo-Greek, Romaniyot, Romaniote, and Yevanitika is a Greek dialect formerly used by the Romaniotes and by the Constantinopolitan Karaites. The Romaniotes are a group of Greek Jews whose presence in the Levant is documented since the Byzantine period. Its linguistic lineage stems from the Jewish Koine spoken primarily by Hellenistic Jews throughout the region, and includes Hebrew and Aramaic elements. It was mutually intelligible with the Greek dialects of the Christian population. The Romaniotes used the Hebrew alphabet to write Greek and Yevanic texts. Judaeo-Greek has had in its history different spoken variants depending on different eras, geographical and sociocultural backgrounds. The oldest Modern Greek text, has been found in the Cairo Geniza and is actually a Jewish translation of the book Ecclesiastes (Kohelet).

Cantacuzino family noble family

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Arta, Greece Place in Greece

Arta is a city in northwestern Greece, capital of the regional unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia. Arta is known for the medieval bridge over the Arachthos River. Arta is also known for its ancient sites from the era of Pyrrhus of Epirus and its well-preserved 13th-century castle. Arta's Byzantine history is reflected in its many Byzantine churches; perhaps the best known is the Panagia Paregoretissa, built about 1290 by Despot Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas. The city is the seat of the Technological Educational Institute of Epirus.

Nicholas Orsini Greco-Italian noble, Count of Cephalonia and Despot of Epirus

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Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina Serbian royal

Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina or Marija Angelina Nemanjić was the self-proclaimed basilissa of Epirus from 1384-85, succeeding the rule of her murdered husband Thomas Preljubović.

Esau de' Buondelmonti was the ruler of Ioannina and its surrounding area from 1385 until his death in 1411, with the Byzantine title of Despot.

<i>Chronicle of the Tocco</i> literary work

The Chronicle of the Tocco is a chronicle in fifteen-syllable blank verse written in medieval Greek. It covers the period of 1375-1425 and focuses on the ascent of the Tocco family, and especially Carlo I Tocco, Count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, to the rule over the Despotate of Epirus, as well as Carlo's conquest of territories in the Morea.

Despotate of Arta

The Despotate of Arta was a despotate established by Albanian rulers during the 14th century, after the defeat of the local Despot of Epirus, Nikephoros II Orsini, by Albania tribesmen in the Battle of Achelous in 1359 and ceased to exist in 1416, when it passed to Carlo I Tocco.

Nicopolis (theme) Byzantine district (theme)

The Theme of Nicopolis or Nikopolis was the name of a Byzantine theme located in northwestern Greece, encompassing Aetolia-Acarnania and southern Epirus. It was established in the second half of the 9th century, probably after 886, and survived until the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire by the Fourth Crusade in 1204.

Vonko was a "Serb-Albanian-Bulgarian-Vlach" who conquered Arta from the Spata family in 1400, holding it until late 1401, when the Spatas regained the town.

Donald MacGillivray Nicol, was an English Byzantinist.

Preljub Serbian military commander, Ruler of Thessaly

Preljub was a Serbian magnate who served Emperor Stefan Dušan as vojvoda (general). He participated in the southern conquests and held Thessaly with the rank of caesar (kesar) in 1348–56. His son Thomas Preljubović was Despot of Epirus in 1366–84.

Dryinopolis or Dryinoupolis is a historical region in southwestern Albania and northwestern Greece in Epirus. The heartland of this region is the valley of the Drino river and Dropull/Dropolis. A Greek-Orthodox bishopric under this name was established at 449 AD as well as a theme (district) of the Byzantine Empire and the Despotate of Epirus. Today the name of Dryinopolis is preserved in the local metropolitan bishopric of the Church of Greece for the Greek part of the region, while the Albanian part is under the religious jurisdiction of the metropolis of Gjirokaster of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.

The Chronicle of Ioannina is a prose chronicle written in Greek about the history of Ioannina during the rule of Thomas Preljubović, the Serb Despot of Epirus, who was based in Ioannina in the second half of the 14th century.

Metropolis of Ioannina Greek Orthodox diocese centred on the city of Ioannina

The Metropolis of Ioannina is a Greek Orthodox diocese centred on the city of Ioannina, in the Epirus of Greece. As one of the "New Lands", it belongs formally to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but is administered by the Church of Greece. As of June 2014, the Metropolitan of Ioannina is Maximos Papagiannis.

References

  1. ↑ Ellis, Steven G.; Klusáková, Lud'a. Imagining Frontiers, Contesting Identities. Edizioni Plus. p. 141. ISBN   9788884924667 . Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  2. ↑ Chatzēs, Dēmētrēs; Vere, David. The End of our Small Town. Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham. p. 179. ISBN   9780704416093.
  3. ↑ Ellis, Steven G.; Hálfdanarson, Guðmundur; Isaacs, Ann Katherine. Citizenship in Historical Perspective. Plus. p. 102. ISBN   9788884924063.
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