SERVIA, AUSTRIA, TURKEY, AND RUSSIA. 145 



The Servians acknowledged the supremacy of the Byzantine 

 Emperor HeracUus, subject to the right of choosing their own 

 Chiefs and Rulers, but during the declining years of the Roman 

 Empire in the East, the increasing powers of the Rulers of Servia, 

 and the ever enlarging boundaries of the territory which they 

 governed, were objects of disquiet at the seat of the Empire at 

 Constantinople, and the cause of frequent wars, which weakened 

 still more the decayed Empire of the East, and on the death of 

 Heraclius the Servfans refused to recognise their vassalage to the 

 Byzantine Emperor, and practically succeeded in establishing their 

 national independence. 



In the tenth century a jealous rivalry sprang up between the 

 ancient kingdoms of Bulgaria and Servia,* and the former intrigued 

 by encouraging rival Pretenders to the Servian Throne. In 924 

 war broke out between them, which was disastrous to both nations, 

 for the Byzantine Emperor took advantage of their mutual exhaus- 

 tion by war, and easily subjected Bulgaria and Servia to the supre- 

 macy, once more, of the Eastern Empire. 



The Servians did not suffer for many years the supremacy of the 

 Eastern Empire, for in a few years they regained their independ- 

 ence under the heroic Voyolav, and in the twelfth century they 

 became reunited into one State under Stefan Nemanya, who not 

 only closed the internecine war, but overthrew all foreign influence. 



FROM 1356 TO 1717. 



In the middle of the fourteenth century the Empire of Servia, 

 under its Ruler, Stefan-Dooshan the Mighty, the grandson of Stefan 

 Nemanya, was acknowledged to be an extensive and powerful 

 State, for it extended from the Adriatic to the Black Sea, and 

 arnongst the countries which recognised its rule were Bosnia, Mace- 

 donia, Albania, Epirus, Dalmatia, Thessaly, and Bulgaria. 



Stefan-Dooshan assumed the Imperial title of Czar, and the 

 alliance and influence of Servia was sought by the most power- 

 ful Sovereigns of Europe, and his reign, from 1333 to 1356, was the 

 most glorious period of Servian history and of her national inde- 

 pendence. Actuated, however, by an unbridled ambition, the 



* Exactly nine centuries subsequently history repeated itself. In 1886 Servia, 

 jealous of Bulgaria, intrigued, and finally attacked Bulgaria, and, but for the interven- 

 tion of Austria Bulgaria would have subjected Servia by a victorious war. 



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