# Preljub

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Serbian magnate

Preljub Preljub Born c. 1312 Died 1355/1356 Allegiance Kingdom of Serbia Serbian Empire Rank Voivode Caesar Relations Thomas II Preljubović

**Preljub** ([Serbian Cyrillic](/source/Serbian_Cyrillic_alphabet): Прељуб;[a] c. 1312–1356) was a Serbian magnate who served [Emperor](/source/Serbian_Empire) [Stefan Dušan](/source/Stefan_Du%C5%A1an) (r. 1331–55) as *[vojvoda](/source/Vojvoda)* (general). He participated in the southern conquests and held [Thessaly](/source/Thessaly) with the rank of *[caesar](/source/Caesar_(title))* (*kesar*) in 1348–56. His son [Thomas Preljubović](/source/Thomas_Preljubovi%C4%87) was [Despot of Epirus](/source/Despot_of_Epirus) in 1366–84.

## Biography

Preljub appears in sources in 1344, taking part in the Serbian conquest of [Macedonia](/source/Macedonia_(region)) during the [Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347](/source/Byzantine_civil_war_of_1341%E2%80%931347). According to contemporary chroniclers, Stefan Dušan considered him the best of all his magnates "in valor, courage and experience".[1]

In May 1344, he fought in the [Battle of Stephaniana](/source/Battle_of_Stephaniana) against the [Emirate of Aydin](/source/Emirate_of_Aydin), allies of the [Byzantine emperor](/source/Byzantine_emperor) [John VI Kantakouzenos](/source/John_VI_Kantakouzenos). The battle was a defeat, but it did not seriously affect the progress of the Serbian conquest.[2]

In 1348, reinforced with numerous [Albanian](/source/Albanians) auxiliary troops, Preljub invaded [Thessaly](/source/Thessaly). Aided by the depopulation brought about by the [Black Death](/source/Black_Death), which, among others, had killed the local [Byzantine](/source/Byzantine) governor, [John Angelos](/source/John_Angelos_(sebastokrator)), he wrested most of the region from the [Byzantines](/source/Byzantine_Greeks) and the [Catalans](/source/Catalan_people) of the [Duchy of Neopatria](/source/Duchy_of_Neopatria) by November of the same year. Dušan named him governor of Thessaly, with [Trikala](/source/Trikala) as his seat, and gave him the title of *[caesar](/source/Caesar_(title))* as a reward.[3] Several earlier scholars have stated that Preljub also controlled parts of [Epirus](/source/Epirus), including the city of [Ioannina](/source/Ioannina), but recent research regards this as unlikely, and most likely the result of additions or mistakes in later sources.[4]

Conquests of Serbia under Stefan Dušan

In 1350, John VI Kantakouzenos took advantage of Dušan's absence in a campaign against [Bosnia](/source/Banate_of_Bosnia), and attempted to recover his lost provinces in Macedonia and Thessaly. He landed at [Thessalonica](/source/Thessalonica) and succeeded in regaining several key fortresses in Macedonia, but his advance towards Thessaly was stopped by Preljub, who, with 500 men, held the strategically important fortress of [Servia](/source/Servia%2C_Greece) against him. Kantakouzenos, whose army was insufficient to overpower the town's defenses, withdrew, and Dušan was able to recover his lost fortresses with ease.[5]

Preljub died in late 1355, or early 1356, shortly after Dušan himself, in a clash with local Albanian clans.[6] His widow, Irina [Nemanjić](/source/Nemanji%C4%87), a daughter of Dušan, and their son [Thomas](/source/Thomas_II_Preljubovi%C4%87), soon faced an invasion by [Nikephoros Orsini](/source/Nikephoros_II_Orsini), the former [Despot of Epirus](/source/Despot_of_Epirus).[7] Orsini managed to rally the Greek inhabitants of the province to his side, forcing Irina to return to Serbia. In 1357, she married [Radoslav Hlapen](/source/Radoslav_Hlapen), the governor of much of western Macedonia, including [Vodena](/source/Edessa%2C_Greece) and [Berrhoea](/source/Veria).[8] In 1366/67, Thomas became ruler of the [Despotate of Epirus](/source/Despotate_of_Epirus) at Ioannina.[9]

## Annotations

1. **[^](#ref_a_1)** In [Greek](/source/Greek_language) sources he was known as *Grēgorios Prealimbos* (Γρηγόριος Πρεάλιμπος) or *Preloumbos* (Πρελούμπος)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESoulis198424_1-0)** [Soulis 1984](#CITEREFSoulis1984), p. 24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Soulis 1984](#CITEREFSoulis1984), p. 24; [Fine 1994](#CITEREFFine1994), p. 304

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Fine 1994](#CITEREFFine1994), pp. 310, 320; [Soulis 1984](#CITEREFSoulis1984), pp. 35, 108, 110

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Soulis 1984](#CITEREFSoulis1984), pp. 108–109

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Fine 1994](#CITEREFFine1994), p. 324; [Soulis 1984](#CITEREFSoulis1984), pp. 44–47, 111

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Fine 1994](#CITEREFFine1994), p. 346; [Soulis 1984](#CITEREFSoulis1984), p. 111

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Zbornika Radova Vizantoloskog Instituta"](https://archive.org/stream/Zbornika-Radova-Vizantoloskog-Instituta/ZRVI%2034%20%281995%29_djvu.txt).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Fine 1994](#CITEREFFine1994), pp. 346–347; [Soulis 1984](#CITEREFSoulis1984), pp. 111–114, 237

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Fine 1994](#CITEREFFine1994), p. 351

## Sources

- [Ferjančić, Božidar](/source/Bo%C5%BEidar_Ferjan%C4%8Di%C4%87) (1974). *Тесалија у XIII и XIV веку* [*Thessaly in the 13th and 14th Centuries*] (in Serbian). Belgrade: Византолошког институт САНУ.

- [Fine, John V. A., Jr.](/source/John_Van_Antwerp_Fine_Jr.) (1994) [1987]. [*The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest*](https://archive.org/details/latemedievalbalk00fine/). Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-472-10079-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-472-10079-8).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list))

- Soulis, George Christos (1984). [*The Serbs and Byzantium during the Reign of Tsar Stephen Dušan (1331–1355) and his Successors*](https://books.google.com/books?id=NXFpAAAAMAAJ). Washington, District of Columbia: [Dumbarton Oaks](/source/Dumbarton_Oaks). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-88402-137-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88402-137-8).

## Further reading

- [Nicol, Donald MacGillivray](/source/Donald_Nicol) (1993). [*The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261–1453*](https://books.google.com/books?id=y2d6OHLqwEsC). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-521-43991-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-43991-4).

Preceded by John Angelos as Byzantine governor Ruler of Thessaly as Serbian governor 1348–56 Succeeded by Nikephoros Orsini as Byzantine governor

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Preljub](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preljub) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preljub?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.