The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish ConquestVillari, Luigi
History
The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish Conquest
Villari, Luigi
Dubrovnik (Croatia) -- History
Another Servian war, on which we possess somewhat more reliable
information, is that which broke out in 1184 between the Ragusans and
Stephen Nemanja, King of the Serbs. An army commanded by the King
himself attacked the city from the land side,[75] while a fleet under
his brother, Miroslav, attacked it by sea. The citizens, under Michele
Bobali, completely defeated the besiegers, who were ignorant of siege
operations and quite unprovided with necessaries. On the Feast of
the Three Martyrs,[76] September 27, 1186, peace was concluded.[77]
Both sides agreed to forget past injuries, and Nemanja granted the
Ragusans permission to trade in all parts of his dominions, while his
own subjects were to be protected at Ragusa; but it was also stipulated
that rebels should be prevented from using the city as a place in which
to conspire against their sovereign. There was another stipulation,
that should the King or his brother ever need a safe refuge, Ragusa
should be open to them—a clause found in many subsequent treaties.
Venice in all that concerned Ragusa’s relations with the Slave states
allowed the citizens to do as they pleased, even during the period when
Venetian counts presided over its government. It was only in questions
concerning maritime affairs that the Queen of the Adriatic asserted her
authority over Ragusa from time to time.
This same year the Normans made another raid into Dalmatia, and
occupied Ragusa and several other coast towns. Norman rule lasted until
1190, and does not seem to have left any traces beyond a few documents.
The treaty of peace, dated September 27, 1186,[78] was drawn up “at
the court of the most glorious King William and of the lord archbishop
Tribunus, in the presence of Tasilgard, the Royal Chamberlain, of all
the nobles, of Gervase the count (of Ragusa), and of all the people.”
This shows that Ragusa was under a Norman count. Document xxii. of the
_Monumenta spectantia Historiam Slavorum Meridionalium_ is a treaty of
peace between Ragusa and the Cazichi (another name for the Narentan,
pirates): “And on the side of the Ragusans, Gervase the count swore
to preserve this peace, without prejudice to his sovereign lord....
In the year of our Lord (1190), in the month of February, on the day
of St. Blaize (the 3rd), the Assembly having been summoned by Gervase
the count to the sound of the bell, we decided,” &c. Document xxiii.,
dated June 13, 1190, is a treaty between this same count of Ragusa
and Miroslav, Prince of the Serbs, in which Gervase promises that the
latter should receive hospitality at Ragusa if he ever required it,
_salvo sacramento domini nostri regi Tancredi_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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