The siege of Serres (Serbian: oпсада Сера, Greek: Πολιορκία των Σερρών) was fought during the Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347.

Siege of Serres
Part of the Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347

Expansion of Serbian state during the reign of Stefan Dušan
Date25 September 1345
Location
Result Serbian victory
Belligerents
Serbian Empire Serbian Kingdom Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire
Commanders and leaders
Serbian Empire Stefan Dušan unknown
Strength
unknown unknown

Background

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On 15 June 1341 Byzantine Emperor Adronicos III Palaiologos died unexpectedly. Serbian king Stefan Dušan immediately took advantage of his death to dispatch a raiding party that penetrated deep into Macedonia.[1]

In late summer 1342, John VI Kantakouzenos, accompanied by several Serbian magnates, marched into Macedonia at the head of a Greek and Serbian force.[2] His advance was stopped almost immediately before Serres when the city refused to surrender, and the subsequent siege had to be abandoned after an epidemic killed most of his men, forcing him to retreat into Serbia with a rump force of barely 500 soldiers. Dushan led a more successful parallel campaign, capturing Vodena (Edessa).[3]

 
Fresco of Stefan Dušan, monastery of Lesnovo

Siege

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In 1345, three years after the unsuccessful siege, Dušan finally decided to take Serres. He gathered his forces around Strumica and headed for the town. During the siege, Kantakouzenos send an envoy, warning him if he doesn't stop the siege, he will turn against him.[4] A clash appeared inevitable until the murder of Alexios Apokaukos, Kantakouzenos' chief rival, in Constantinople forced Kantakouzenos to direct his attention there.[5]

Aftermath

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After the fall of Serres, the Serbian ruler controlled about half of the pre-1341 Byzantine realm. Spurred by this success he laid his own claim on the Byzantine throne. Consequently, on Easter Sunday, 16 April 1346, he was crowned "Emperor of the Serbs and the Romans" in Skopje, thereby founding the Serbian Empire.[6]

In December 1355 Stefan Dušan died, leaving his son, Stefan Uros V all the conquered lands. The inexperienced and young Tsar lost most of newly conquered lands. After the Battle of Maritsa,[7] Turkish way to the Balkans was now open.

References

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  1. ^ Fine, John (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-472-08260-5.
  2. ^ Nicol 1993, p. 196; Fine 1994, p. 295
  3. ^ Nicol 1993, p. 196; Fine 1994, p. 300; Soulis 1984, p. 19
  4. ^ "Božidar Ferjančić, Sima Ćirković - Stefan Dušan Kralj i Car 1331-1355 (Skenirana Knjiga) | PDF". Scribd. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  5. ^ Fine 1994, p. 305; Nicol 1993, p. 202; Soulis 1984, pp. 25–26
  6. ^ Nicol 1996, pp. 74–75; Soulis 1984, pp. 26–30
  7. ^ Sedlar, Jean W. (1994). East Central Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1500. Internet Archive. Seattle : University of Washington Press. p. 385. ISBN 978-0-295-97290-9.

Sources

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