Pribislav of Serbia

Pribislav (Serbian: Прибислав, Greek: Πριβέσθλαβος^[A]) was Prince of the Serbs for a year, in 891–892, before being deposed by his cousin Petar. He was the eldest son of Mutimir (r. 851–891) of the Vlastimirović dynasty, who ruled during the expanding and Christianization of Serbia.

Pribislav
Prince / Archont / Knez of Serbs / Serbia
Prince of Serbia
Reign	891–892
Predecessor	Mutimir
Successor	Petar
Born	845/850
Died	After 892
Issue	Zaharija
House	Vlastimirović dynasty
Father	Mutimir
Religion	Chalcedonian Christian

Life

His father had with his brothers Strojimir and Gojnik, defeated the Bulgar Army sent by Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria and led by his son Vladimir.^[1] Vladimir was captured together with 12 boyars. Boris I and Mutimir agreed on peace (and perhaps an alliance^[1]), and Mutimir sent his sons Bran and Stefan beyond the border to escort the prisoners, where they exchanged items as a sign of peace: Boris himself gave them "rich gifts", while he was given "two slaves, two falcons, two dogs, and eighty furs".^[2]

In the 880s, Mutimir seized the throne, exiling his younger brothers and Klonimir, Strojimir's son, to the court of Boris I in the Bulgar Khanate.^[1] This was most likely due to treachery.^[3] Petar, the son of Gojnik, was kept at the Serbian court of Mutimir for political reasons,^[3] but he soon fled to Branimir of Croatia.^[1]

Mutimir died in 890 or 891, leaving the throne to his eldest son, Pribislav.^[1] Pribislav had only ruled for a year when Petar returned in 892, defeating him in battle and seizing the throne. Pribislav fled to Croatia with his brothers Bran and Stefan.^[1] Bran later returned and led an unsuccessful rebellion against Petar in 894.^[4] Bran was defeated, captured and blinded (a Byzantine tradition meant to disqualify a person from taking the throne^[5])

His only son, Zaharija, remained in Constantinople for a long period before successfully seizing the throne with Byzantine aid, ruling from 922–924.

Vlastimir

Mutimir

Pribislav

Bran

Stefan

Zaharija I

Legacy

The Pribislav mentioned in the Gospel of Cividale (codex aquileiensis), is most likely referring to Pribislav.^[6][7][8]

Notes

1. ^
   Name: The first attestation of his name is the Greek Pribeslavos (Πριβέσθλαβος^[9]), in Latin Pribesthlabus^[10] or Preuuisclao,^[11] in Serbian Pribislav or Prvoslav (Прибислав/Првослав, meaning "First-glorified"; from the words prvo - first, and slava - glory). He was a descendant of Vlastimirović, his father was Mutimir, hence, according to the contemporary naming culture, his name was Pribislav Mutimirović Vlastimirović.