The Life of the Holy and Right-Believing Stefan the Tall, Despot of Serbia

the Turkish battle plan, and thus rendered him a great service. And soon after that Uglješa went over to Despot Stefan and received from him his patrimonial land: Vranje, Inogošt and Preševo. And he became as it were a wing to the Christians. After this great battle of Gračanica both brothers (Stefan and Vuk) came to their city of Novo Brdo, a city truly of silver and gold. The one as victor, and the other as vanquished. And the pious Stefan, wishing to teach his brother the art of war, and grieving over the fallen soldiers, spoke some harsh words to his brother Vuk. Vuk, however, having waited a little and found a suitable time, fled to Süleyman. And their all-chosen mother (Milica), pursuing him even into the Ishmaelite regions, and not overtaking him, could not return from the Ishmaelite lands. Therefore she went to Süleyman too, and having reconciled him with her pious son Stefan, she returned." From this account of the Philosopher it is seen that the treacherous and fratricidal conduct, first of the Despot's nephew Đurađ and then of his own brother Vuk, grievously wounded the Despot's soul, but still more the soul of their holy mother, the nun Jevgenija. The holy princess-nun therefore went straight to the court of Sultan Süleyman at Serres and gave herself up voluntarily, "almost as a hostage," only so that she might find and recover her erring son and reconcile him with his brother Stefan, in which she then succeeded. But what is more, she succeeded on that occasion also in concluding, in the name of her son, the Despot of Serbia, as victor over the Turks at Gračanica, a treaty of peace with Sultan Süleyman, and thus secured a peaceful and independent rule for her son the Despot. She would then succeed also in at least temporarily reconciling her grandson Đurađ with his uncle Stefan. After that Sultan Süleyman went to the Asia Minor part of the Turkish state, and Despot Stefan took possession of the former Serbian regions and of the areas which until then the Turks had held. And he, "going about the land, everywhere fortified his other cities as well. And those which the Ishmaelites had earlier arbitrarily torn away, he conquered and took." Thus, for the first time after Kosovo, the Serbian land became wholly and perfectly free,19 and its lord became "in Christ God the right-believing and sovereign, by the grace of God, Despot Stefan, lord of all the Serbian land, of the Littoral and of the Danube region." Zealous for the good of his people, Stefan then began with all care and diligence to set in order his suffering and much-afflicted land, introducing everywhere in it all order, justice and piety. Having first set in order his southern and western regions, he then set out toward the north and halted near the city of Belgrade. When the Hungarian King Sigismund heard of this, and Stefan's martial glory had already spread everywhere throughout Europe, he at once sent his envoys to him "that he might come into friendship with him." At the head of these Hungarian envoys was the count of Temes, Pippo Spano, known among the Serbs as Filip Madžarin. Since the Serbian Despot received him well, the envoy at once, in the name of his king, offered the Despot the city of Belgrade to hold and govern for life. The Despot gladly accepted this and a state treaty was concluded concerning it. Of all this the wise Constantine the Philosopher speaks thus: