On the Reliability of Constantine Porphyrogenitus’ Account of the “Flight” of Prince Časlav from Bulgaria

Abstract

The present text aims to reflect on the reliability of Constantine Porphyrogenitus’ account about the departure of Časlav, a Serbian prince, from Bulgaria at the beginning of the reign of Peter I, the successor of Symeon. The passage devoted to this event is located in the De administrando imperio (32, p. 159, 161) by the learned emperor. Constantine Porphyrogenitus’ relation about the “flight” of Časlav to Serbia should be treated as manipulated and approached with considerable caution.

Keywords

• Časlav
• Simeon the Great
• tsar Peter
• Constantine Porphyrogenitus
• Bulgaria in the 10th century
• Byzantium in the 10th century