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

lacking, nor did he excel in one thing and fall behind in another, but in all things he was wondrous." Behold, of such and so great a father this most wondrous and truly tall Stefan was the son. Stefan, the son of the Holy Prince Lazar of Serbia (1371–1389) and Princess Milica, was born at his father's court in Kruševac at the end of 1377. Before him his parents had from God five daughters, who were called: Mara, Dragana, Jelena, Teodora and Olivera. Great was the joy at the Prince's court when a son and heir was born to him. In honor of this the Prince built in his capital Kruševac a church to the Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stefan (called Lazarica), for at baptism he gave his son the name Stefan. And this name of Christ's Holy Protomartyr Stefan was borne by all the Serbian Nemanjić rulers, and even by the honorable father, the Prince himself, who was called Stefan Lazar. The parents raised the child Stefan in all piety and purity and in all learning, divine and human. Of this the biographer Constantine the Philosopher speaks thus: "And what shall I say of the child who shone forth from them, showing in himself very many and most excellent of their qualities, and himself surpassing all who came after? So it was fitting that he be many-sided, a fruit beyond nature of trees planted by the springs of waters. While still young he was extraordinary, and was in all things brought up by the pious, and from day to day he showed that he would advance in all things, in word and in deed, in which he especially distinguished himself. He learned every knowledge and skill, whether of divine or human wisdom. Whatever he touched, he soon showed himself in it better than his teachers." In particular the young prince Stefan studied the heavenly wisdom of the divine books of Holy Scripture, for he read them always diligently and with love, from early youth to the very end of his earthly life. From them he especially learned to guard his bodily and spiritual purity and to distribute abundant alms to others. Therefore the biographer Constantine, wishing to express in one word the whole life's work and labor of Saint Stefan, says this: "And his work was unceasing almsgiving and frequent reading of the divine words." And what a guardian of spiritual and bodily purity Stefan was may be seen from this, that he "despised and hated the love of women and music," wholly rejecting bodily pleasures. How much Stefan loved the divine books and delighted in them may be seen also from this, that throughout his whole life, especially later when he became ruler, he took care for "the copying of books, which he read with zeal and love, drawing wisdom from them, with a desire that kept increasing and with profit from those readings; for he loved books exceedingly, as no one else in royal power and worldly glory."2 Stefan, according to the words of the Hilandar monk Grigorije, a contemporary of the Despot,3 having become ruler of Serbia, offered divine books to his people as well, desiring "by their wisdom to adorn manners and speech, and by their grace to enlighten the soul and draw it toward the knowledge of God." And although he ruled the land and commanded the army, he nevertheless took such care for books as though he had no other cares and affairs.4 Besides Holy Scripture the young Stefan was taught also other books of piety and of the wisdom of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church and of the old biographers, historians and