The Greek emperor Alexios in the first vitae of St Simeon Nemanja

References to the Byzantine Emperor Alexios III Angelos in the first saints' lives of the Nemanjic dynasty reveal how political circumstances influenced historiographical criteria. The study highlights that St Sava's Vita of St Simeon Nemanja, written as a prologue for Studenica Monastery's Typikon, includes mentions of Alexios III, while Stefan the First Crowned's Vita omits such references entirely. This discrepancy suggests that both writers adapted their historical and commemorative texts to reflect contemporary political dynamics, demonstrating how official narratives can be shaped by external factors.

Pirivatric, S. (2016). The Greek emperor Alexios in the first vitae of St Simeon Nemanja. Zbornik Radova Vizantoloskog Instituta, (53), 161–178. https://doi.org/10.2298/zrvi1653161p