Voivodship (Duchy) of Ahtum

Ahtum (Bulgarian and Serbian Cyrillic: Ахтум; Hungarian: Ajtony; also spelled Ohtum or Achtum) was an early 11th century voivod (duke) of Banat (now mostly divided between Romania and Serbia) and a descendant of Glad, another local duke and governor in the First Bulgarian Empire. Ahtum was the last local ruler who opposed to the establishment of the Hungarian Kingdom. Image File history File links Ahtum_sermon01. ... Image File history File links Ahtum_sermon01. ... Serbian (српски језик; srpski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs in the Serbian diaspora. ... The Cyrillic alphabet (or azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters) is an alphabet used for several East and South Slavic languages; (Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian, and Ukrainian) and many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... Voivod or (more common) voivoda is a Slavic term initially denoting first in command of a military unit. ... A duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy. ... Location of Banat in Europe Map of the Banat region with largest cities shown The Banat (Romanian: Banat, Serbian: Банат or Banat, Hungarian: Bánát or Bánság, German: Banat, Slovak: Banát, Bulgarian: Банат) is a geographical and historical region of Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the... Anthem Serbia() on the European continent() Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian 1 Recognised regional languages Hungarian, Croatian, Slovak, Romanian, Rusyn 2 Albanian 3 Government Semi-presidential republic  -  President Boris Tadić  -  Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment  -  Formation 9th century   -  First unified state c. ... Dukedom of Glad Glad was, according to the Gesta Hungarorum, a Dux, ruler in the territory of Banat, during the 9th and 10th centuries. ... The First Bulgarian Empire was founded in 681 AD in the lands near the Danube delta and disintegrated in 1018 AD by annexion to the Byzantine Empire. ... The Kingdom of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyar Királyság) is the name of a multiethnic kingdom that existed in Central Europe from 1000 to 1918. ...

Life

Ahtum was of Christian Orthodox faith, an ally of the Byzantine Empire and was sustained by an army of Bulgarians and probably Vlachs. He was baptized as Orthodox Christian in Vidin, but even after he became Christian, Ahtum had 7 wives. Territory where he ruled was located between Mureş, Tisa, and Danube rivers, and southern Carpathians, in the region, which was, latter, named Banat. Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ... The MureÅŸ (in Romanian, in Hungarian: Maros, in German: Mieresch / Marosch) is an approx. ... The Tisza (in Hungarian, Ukrainian: Tysa/Тиса, Russian: Tisa/Тиса, Romanian, Slovak and Serbian: Tisa, German: Theiß, Latin: Tissus, Tisia or Pathissus) is a river, tributary of the Danube and one of the major rivers of Central Europe, passing through Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine... The Danube (ancient Danuvius, Iranian *dānu, meaning river or stream, ancient Greek Istros) is the longest river in the European Union and Europes second longest river. ... Satellite image of the Carpathians. ... Location of Banat in Europe Map of the Banat region with largest cities shown The Banat (Romanian: Banat, Serbian: Банат or Banat, Hungarian: Bánát or Bánság, German: Banat, Slovak: Banát, Bulgarian: Банат) is a geographical and historical region of Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the...

Various sources mention that Ahtum was vassal of the Bulgarian Empire, vassal of the Kingdom of Hungary and independent ruler. According to one source, his capital was located near river Mureş, while according to another source his capital was Vidin. Ahtum also built many churches and monasteries through which he was spreading Christianity in Transylvania. The First Bulgarian Empire was founded in 681 AD in the lands near the Danube delta and disintegrated in 1018 AD by annexion to the Byzantine Empire. ... The Kingdom of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyar Királyság) is the name of a multiethnic kingdom that existed in Central Europe from 1000 to 1918. ... The MureÅŸ (in Romanian, in Hungarian: Maros, in German: Mieresch / Marosch) is an approx. ... Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or ; Hungarian: ; German: ; Bulgarian: ; Serbian: / or / ) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ...

Ahtum was eventually defeated by the Hungarian Kingdom, in the time of Hungarian King Stephen. The date of the defeat is not clear, some historians suggesting 1028, while others around 1002. That most probably happenned in 1002-1003 during the war between Bulgarian Empire and Kingdom of Hungary when a Bulgarian army under Ahtum was defeated by the Magyars while Vidin was besieged by Byzantine forces. The Duke perished in the battle. ^[1] According to the Gesta Hungarorum, Ahtum was killed by Csanad, the son of Bobuka. After his death, the Banat is included in the Hungarian Kingdom. The Kingdom of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyar Királyság) is the name of a multiethnic kingdom that existed in Central Europe from 1000 to 1918. ... King Stephens statue in his hometown, Esztergom A statue of the king in Miskolc Saint Stephen I (Hungarian: ; Latin: ; Slovak: , German: ) (circa 975 – 15 August 1038) was a ruling prince of Hungary, the first King of Hungary and a ruling prince of Nitra. ... Events November 12 - Dying Emperor Constantine VIII of the Byzantine Empire marries his daughter Zoe of Byzantium to his chosen heir Romanus Argyrus. ... Events November 13 - English king Ethelred gives order to kill all Danes in England, leading to the St. ...

Sources

Legend of Saint Gerard

The main historical source about Ahtum is the Legend of Saint Gerard (Sancti Gerardi) and he is also mentioned in the Anonymus' Gesta Hungarorum. Its mention in the Legend has nothing to do with the life of Saint Gerard. This story was probably inserted in order to emphasise a victory of a Roman Catholic rite ruler against an Orthodox rite one at a time when the Popes were trying to expand their influence in South-Eastern Europe. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 378 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (961 × 1525 pixel, file size: 661 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 378 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (961 × 1525 pixel, file size: 661 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... There are two works with the name Gesta Hungarorum. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). ...

The Legend of Saint Gerard discloses that followers of a Bulgarian dualist heresy called Bogomilism were present in Ahtum's realm. They invoked the Archangel Uriel whose name is common in amulets and magic rituals. Bogomilism is the Gnostic dualistic sect, the synthesis of Armenian Paulicianism and the local Slavonic Church reform movement in Bulgaria between 950 and 1396 and in the Byzantine Empire between 1018 and 1186. ... Uriel (אוּרִיאֵל Flame of God, Auriel/Oriel (light of god) Standard Hebrew Uriʾel, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÛrîʾēl) is one of the archangels of post-Exilic Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions. ... An amulet from the Black Pullet grimoire An amulet (from Latin amuletum, meaning A means of protection) consists of any object intended to bring good luck and/or protection to its owner. ... Rituals was an American soap opera that ran in syndication from September 1984 to September 1985 in 260 25 minutes episodes. ...

Another fact proving the close connections between Ahtum and Bulgaria is the architectural plan of the five-apse church which he built in the Cenad fortress. It closely copies that of a church in Vinitsa near the Old Bulgarian capital of Preslav (893-971). Cenad is a commune in TimiÅŸ County, Banat, western Romania. ... Vinica or Vinitsa can refer to Vinica (Republic of Macedonia) Vinica, Veľký Krtíš District, Slovakia Vinica, Varaždin County, Croatia Vinica, Slovenia Vinitsa, Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria Vinitsa, Varna Province, Bulgaria (a quarter of Varna) Category: ... Old Bulgarian may refer to: The first literary period in the development of the Bulgarian language. ... Preslav ( Bulgarian: Преслав) was capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 893 to 972. ...

Literature

• Kristó, G., "Aitony and Vidin", in Turkish-Bulgarian-Hungarian Relations (VI.-XI. c.) (Budapest, 1981) (Studia Turco-Hungarica, 5), pp. 129-135.
• Peter Rokai, Zoltan Đere, Tibor Pal, Aleksandar Kasaš, "Istorija Mađara", Beograd, 2002.
• E. v. Ivánka, "Gerardus Moresanus, der Erzengel Uriel und die Bogomilen", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, XXI, 1-2 (1955) (Miscellanea Georg Hofmann S.J.), S. 143-146.
• S. Móré Heitel, "Despre biserica lui Ahtum de la Morisena (Cenad)", Studii şi materiale de istorie medie, XXIII (2005), pp. 9-21.

Footnotes

See also

• Banat
• Rulers of Vojvodina

Location of Banat in Europe Map of the Banat region with largest cities shown The Banat (Romanian: Banat, Serbian: Банат or Banat, Hungarian: Bánát or Bánság, German: Banat, Slovak: Banát, Bulgarian: Банат) is a geographical and historical region of Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the... This is a list of rulers of Vojvodina. ...

External links

• Gesta Hungarorum
• Map
• Map