{{Infobox royalty |name = Mezamir |caption = Fibula from the Penkovka culture (5th–7th century) |image = Пеньківська_культура_V—VIII_ст._(фібула)_Penkovka_culture_5th_to_7th_centuries_(fibula).jpg |succession = Chieftain of the Antes |reign = {{circa}} 560 |predecessor = (possibly) Idariz |successor = Unknown |issue = |title = archon (ἄρχων) |house = |house-type = Dynasty |father = Idariz |spouse = |birth_date = |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |religion = }}
'''Mezamir''' ({{langx|el|Μεζαμηρος}}, {{cyrl|Мезамир}}; {{circa}} 560) was the chieftain of the Antes, an early Slavic tribal confederation in Eastern Europe, believed to have been active around the year 560, at which time the Avar expanded further into Europe. He was the son of '''Idariz''', and had a brother, '''Kelagast'''. Mezamir was recorded by Menander Protector (fl. 558–582).<ref name="Grekov1959">{{cite book|author=Boris Dmitrievich Grekov|title=Kiev Rus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OU-C49Ye5Q8C|year=1959|publisher=Foreign Languages Publishing House|page=389}}</ref> Mezamir was described as "powerful", and had most likely established a Slavic confederation sometime before the 560s, which initially thwarted the Avar khaganate. At this time, the Antes were subject to the Byzantine Empire, ruled by Justinian I (r. 527–565), with the supreme chieftain holding the Byzantine title of ''archon''. The Antes were given old Roman towns and stipends, in exchange for securing the Danube from the Huns,<ref name="Curta2001">{{cite book|author=Florin Curta|title=The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, c.500–700|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rcFGhCVs0sYC&pg=PA332|date=12 July 2001|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-139-42888-0|pages=332–}}</ref> and other Barbarians. At this time, the Antes held an "extensive polity, capable of military mobilization against the Avars."<ref name="Curta2001"/> The Avars were ruled by ''khagan'' Bayan I, and they used to pillage the Antes land, which at the time was neighbouring the Kutrigurs, who were Avar allies. After the Avars had ravaged and plundered the Antes, Mezamir was sent as an envoy to the Avars, to negotiate the ransom of captured Antes tribesmen.<ref name="(Protector)Blockley1985">{{cite book|author1=Menander (Protector)|author2=R. C. Blockley|title=The history of Menander the Guardsman|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T2cbAAAAYAAJ|year=1985|publisher=F. Cairns|isbn=978-0-905205-25-0|page=51}}</ref> At the talks, Mezamir appeared to be a "loudmouth braggart" who spoke arrogantly and rashly; upon feeling that Mezamir became more arrogant than suitable for an envoy, a Kutrigur Bulgar<ref>Hrushevskyi 2009, p. 281</ref> who was a "friend of the Avars" and "hostile to the Antes"<ref name=Luttwak-103>{{cite book|author=Edward Luttwak|title=THE GRAND STRATEGY OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3cBjc6QCBXkC&pg=PA103|date=1 November 2009|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-03519-5|pages=103–}}</ref> (believed by some to be ''khagan'' Zabergan; fl. 558–562) persuaded the Khagan that:<ref name=Luttwak-103/>
{{cquote|This man is the most powerful of all amongst the Antae and is able to resist any of his enemies whomsoever. Kill him, and then you will be able to overrun the enemy's land without fear.}}
The Avars disregarded the immunity of ambassadors (according to the ''jus gentium'') and killed Mezamir.<ref name=Luttwak-103/> The Avars proceeded to conquer the Antes,<ref>{{cite book|title=The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pHxwOatd6KcC&pg=PA126|year=1873|publisher=Trubner and Company|pages=126–}}</ref> and other Slavs.<ref name="Lelewel1972">{{cite book|author=Joachim Lelewel|title=Dzieła|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sGIfAQAAIAAJ|year=1972|publisher=Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe|quote=Mezamir od Sławian wysłany do Bajana awarskiego, zuchwalstwo przypłacił życiem (P. ś. w. II, 29). 560-562. Awarowie zawzięli się na Sławian, pustosząc ziemie Antów, przegnawszy okolice Polan, Dulebów, Chrobatów...}}</ref> This took place in the time period of 560–62, according to some historians.<ref name="Lelewel1972"/><ref name="Thunmann1774">{{cite book|author=Johann Thunmann|title=Untersuchungen über die Geschichte der östlichen Europäischen Völker|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HJBBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA83|year=1774|pages=83–|quote=Die Anten schicken einen Gesandten, Mezamir, zu den Avaren hin, um einige Gefangene auszulösen. Die Avaren tödten den Gesandten ... und verheeren das Antische Gebieth noch grausamer als vorher. Diese Begebenheiten fallen in die Jahre 560, 561, und 562.}}</ref>
==Annotations== *Name: In historiography, he is mostly known as ''Mezamir'' ({{cyrl|Мезамир}}), derived from Greek ''Mezamiros'' (Μεζαμηρος). Another spelling is Mezamer. The Bulgar variant is ''Bezmer''. In Slavic, his name has been theorized to have been ''Mežamir'' (Межамир), ''Mužimir''<ref name="ŠafaříkSurowiecki1828">{{cite book|author1=Pavel Josef Šafařík|author2=Wawrzyniec Surowiecki|title=Über die Abkunft der Slawen nach Lorenz Surowiecki [in his Sledzenie początku narodów słowiańskich].|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=inGPlZ2ayvYC&pg=PA25|year=1828|pages=25–}}</ref> and Mezimir.<ref name="Šafařík1862">{{cite book|author=Pavel Josef Šafařík|title=Slovanské starožitnosti, oddíl dějepisný. Okres 1,2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4YYIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA409|year=1862|pages=409–}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==Sources== ;Primary *{{cite work|author=Menander Protector|title=Fragmenta|year=582|language=Greek}}
;Secondary * {{Cite book|last=Curta|first=Florin|authorlink=Florin Curta|title=The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, c. 500–700|year=2001|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781139428880|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rcFGhCVs0sYC}} *{{cite book|author1=Mykhaĭlo Hrushevskyĭ|author2=Andrzej Poppe|author3=Marta Skorupsky |author4=Frank E. Sysyn |author5=Uliana M. Pasicznyk|title=History of Ukraine-Rus': From prehistory to the eleventh century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q5ftAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press|isbn=978-1-895571-19-6|pages=136, 281, 420}} *{{cite book|author1=Adam Adamowicz|author2=S. Orgelbrand (Firm)|title=Encyklopedyja powszechna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S8ZLAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA648|year=1866|publisher=Nakład, druk i własność S. Orgelbranda|pages=648–}} *{{cite book|author=Pavel Josef Šafařík|title=Slovanské starožitnosti: Oddíl dějepisný okres druhý od L. 476 před Kr. až do L. 988 po Kr|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BWBcAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA63|year=1863|publisher=Nákladem kněhkupce Bedřicha Tempského|pages=63–}}
{{s-start}} {{s-bef|before = Idariz}} {{s-ttl|title = Chieftain of the Antae | years =ca. 560}} {{s-vac|reason=Avar conquest}} {{s-end}}
Category:6th-century monarchs in Europe Category:6th-century Slavs Category:Murdered royalty Category:6th-century Byzantine people Category:560s conflicts Category:East Slavic history Category:South Slavic history Category:Avar–Byzantine wars Category:Slavic warriors Category:6th-century diplomats