Doctoral Thesis by Ante Bećir
![Research paper thumbnail of Plemstvo kasnosrednjovjekovnoga Trogira: politička zajednica, frakcije i dinamika konflikta [The Nobility of Late Medieval Trogir: Political Community, Factions and the Conflict Dynamics]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/95381070/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Autor u doktorskoj disertaciji raščlanjuje kasnosrednjovjekovno trogirsko plemstvo u razdoblju iz... more Autor u doktorskoj disertaciji raščlanjuje kasnosrednjovjekovno trogirsko plemstvo u razdoblju između 1280. i 1420. godine kroz prizmu djelovanja političkih frakcija. Na tragu antropološke i komparativno-povijesne literature, u radu se identificiraju političke frakcije sastavljene od plemića, pučana i drugih aktera trogirskoga društvenoga i političkoga života u razmatranom razdoblju, a koje su se nadmetale oko stjecanja političke moći u okvirima onovremene trogirske političke zajednice. Političko natjecanje nerijetko je imalo za ishod eskalaciju uvijek prisutnih i latentnih društvenih sukoba u otvorene frakcijske konflikte. Politički sukobi u Trogiru odvijali su se istovremeno s procesom oblikovanja političkih institucija, koji je bio posebno intenzivan krajem 13. i početkom 14. stoljeća. Ili preciznije, politički sukobi zapravo su izravno utjecali na strukturalno i normativno oblikovanje političke zajednice tijekom 14. stoljeća, i to posebice sve do 60-ih godina 14. stoljeća kada se gradsko Veliko vijeće (generale consilium) počinje i formalno nazivati plemićko vijeće (generale consilium nobilium uirorum). U radu će se postaviti konkretan fokus na tri situacije otvorenih frakcijskih sukoba, naime u periodima 1310. – 1328., 1357. – 1358. te 1386./1387. – 1395., odnosno kontekst mletačko-ugarskoga rata i njegove konzekvence za političke odnose unutar Trogira (1409. – 1420.). Sukladno tomu, autor je nastojao što detaljnije identificirati i prozopografski rekonstruirati frakcijske aktere u svim kriznim razdobljima. U širem kronološkom kontekstu jasno se izdvajaju čimbenici kontinuiteta (plemićke frakcijske jezgre), odnosno diskontinuiteta (periferije frakcije i plemićke klijentele, kao i političke lojalnosti trogirskih frakcija u datom trenutku). Kako bi se mogla izvesti prozopografska analiza, nužno je bilo razmatrati ključne vezivne elemente u oblikovanju frakcija, a to su patronalno-klijentelistički odnosi, obiteljske i bračne veze, poslovne suradnje i prijateljstva. Međutim, kao ključni faktor izdvajaju se osobni odnosi frakcijskih aktera s frakcijskim liderom, koji je mogao nastupati ili kao „patron“ (s pozicije veće društvene moći i utjecaja) ili kao „broker“ (s pozicije ograničene društvene moći utemeljene na liderovoj sposobnosti u posredovanju unutar heterogene političke koalicije). U siječnju 1395. godine dolazi do pomirenja između zavađenih frakcija nakon posljednje faze otvorenih sukoba (1386./1387. – 1395.) koje je po svemu sudeći imalo stvarnoga efekta na stabiliziranje unutarnjih društvenih i političkih odnosa u samome Trogiru. Posljedično se početak 15. stoljeća razmatra u kontekstu nove političke stabilnosti i rata protiv Venecija kao ključnih strukturnih elemenata političke realnosti.
The doctoral dissertation analyzes the late medieval Trogir nobility in the period between 1280 and 1420 through the prism of political factions. On the trail of anthropological and comparative-historical literature, the paper identifies political factions composed of nobles, commoners and other actors of Trogir's social and political life in the considered period, which competed for the acquisition of political power within the framework of the Trogir political community of that time. Political competition often resulted in the escalation of ever-present and latent social conflicts into open factional conflicts. Political conflicts in Trogir took place simultaneously with the process of shaping political institutions, which was particularly intense at the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century. Or more precisely, political conflicts actually directly influenced the structural and normative formation of the political community during the 14th century, especially until the 60s of the 14th century, when the city's Great Council (generale consilium) began to be formally called the noble council (generale consilium nobilium uirorum). The paper will focus specifically on three situations of open factional conflicts, namely in the periods 1310-1328, 1357-1358 and 1386/1387. – 1395, that is, the context of the Venetian-Hungarian war and its consequences for political relations within Trogir (1409 – 1420). Accordingly, the author tried to identify and prosopographically reconstruct factional actors in all crisis periods in as much detail as possible. In the broader chronological context, the factors of continuity (noble faction core) and discontinuity (periphery factions and noble clientele, as well as the political loyalties of the Trogir factions at a given moment) are clearly distinguished. In order to be able to perform a prosopographical analysis, it was necessary to consider the key connecting elements in the formation of factions, namely patronal-clientelistic relations, family and marital ties, business cooperation and friendships. However, a key factor is the personal relations of the factional actors with the factional leader, who could act either as a "patron" (from a position of greater social power and influence) or as a "broker" (from a position of limited social power based on the leader's ability to mediate within a heterogeneous political coalition). In January 1395, there was a reconciliation between the warring factions after the last phase of open conflicts (1386/1387 – 1395), which apparently had a real effect on stabilizing internal social and political relations in Trogir itself. Consequently, the beginning of the 15th century is considered in the context of new political stability and the war against Venice as key structural elements of political reality.
Books by Ante Bećir
This volume presents a critical edition of the medieval financial records (introitus et exitus) o... more This volume presents a critical edition of the medieval financial records (introitus et exitus) of the Dalmatian cities of Split (Spalatum) and Trogir (Tragurium) from the 14th and 15th centuries. These documents, transcribed and analyzed, offer an invaluable insight into the economic, administrative, and social history of the Eastern Adriatic communes. The book sheds light on the fiscal structures of these Dalmatian cities, detailing the sources of municipal revenues, including taxation, leasing of communal property, trade duties, and fines, as well as municipal expenditures, such as salaries for city officials, military costs, infrastructure maintenance, and religious donations. Through the study of these financial records, the authors reconstruct the urban economy and governance mechanisms, their relationship with external political powers (Venice, Hungary, and local nobility), and the evolving administrative practices of the late medieval period. In addition to providing a comprehensive transcription of archival material, the volume includes indices of persons and places, facilitating further research into medieval Dalmatian society. By publishing these records, the authors aim to encourage broader historiographical engagement with the financial history of Eastern Adriatic urban centers, offering a foundation for future studies in economic history, urban development, and governance in the late medieval Mediterranean world.
All known records and decisions of Trogir's municipal councils from the thirteenth to the end of ... more All known records and decisions of Trogir's municipal councils from the thirteenth to the end of the fifteenth century are published in this volume, most of which survive in the seventeenth century transcriptions of Trogir historian Ivan Lučić, and only a small part in its original form. The records of city councils are an important category of medieval written traces of the past, utilized in research of various aspects of political, social and everyday life of medieval communities, but their preservation for all cities of medieval Dalmatia except Dubrovnik is rather poor. The records of Trogir city councils are thus all the more important because it turns out that this medieval commune has the largest number of surviving medieval municipal decisions after Dubrovnik.
The edition is also accompanied by an introductory study (Political Order and the Records of Trogir's Municipal Councils in the Middle Ages), which complements our knowledge of the development of Trogir political and social order between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries, relying primarily on the hitherto mostly neglected council records. The development of the political and social order in this period, as well as its transformations, are considered within the theoretical framework of medieval corporatism, which proves to be important for understanding the way local societies actually function in medieval context. The study also outlines the development of local government institutions (Curia, Major Council and the Council pro bono statu civitatis) in much more detail than before, as well as the functioning of municipal government on a daily basis. Given the fact that we still know little about these issues (with the exception of Dubrovnik and partly Split), the case of Trogir presents itself to be important comparatively when it comes to the decision-making process and its written memorization.
Edited Book by Ante Bećir
22. svezak Zbornika "Lucius". Knjižni blok podijeljen je na članke, prikaze, osvrte, izvještaje, ... more 22. svezak Zbornika "Lucius". Knjižni blok podijeljen je na članke, prikaze, osvrte, izvještaje, intervju i upute suradnicima.
Papers by Ante Bećir
Pod sjenom krila. Trogirska komuna za vrijeme venecijanske uprave 1420. – 1797. , 2024
Po ulasku mletačke vojske u Trogir 22. lipnja 1420. godine malo je tko mogao očekivati duži opsta... more Po ulasku mletačke vojske u Trogir 22. lipnja 1420. godine malo je tko mogao očekivati duži opstanak nove vlasti, a kamoli njezino višestoljetno održanje uzimajući u obzir vojne i političke potencijale Ugarskoga Kraljevstva kao i nestabilne i promjenjive političke odnose. Međutim, specifičan razvoj događaja na široj i lokalnoj razini uvjetovao je u konačnici i opstanak mletačke vlasti u Dalmaciji. Polazeći od toga, namjera je ovoga rada detaljno rekonstruirati slijed događaja na trogirskoj razini, odnosno dinamiku političkih odnosa unutar vladajućega plemićkoga sloja tijekom Mletačko-ugarskoga rata (1409. – 1420.). Međutim, lokalna dinamika odnosa predstavljala je mješavinu unutarnjih impulsa i vanjskih političkih utjecaja, prije svega Ugarske i Venecije. Stoga će se lokalni tijek zbivanja nužno razmatrati unutar širih okvira Mletačko-ugarskoga rata. Na tragu svega iznijet će se određena razmišljanja o promijenjenom društveno-političkom statusu Trogira nakon 1420. godine.
Vjesnik dalmatinskih arhiva, 2024
U ovom se radu razmatraju i rekonstruiraju sačuvani fragmenti isprava zakupâ daća trogirske komun... more U ovom se radu razmatraju i rekonstruiraju sačuvani fragmenti isprava zakupâ daća trogirske komune iz 30-ih i 40-ih godina 15. stoljeća kao sastavni dijelovi jedne izvorne knjige javnih zakupa trogirske komune iz prve polovice 15. stoljeća. Osim kao izvor za gospodarska kretanja isprave o zakupima uzimaju se u obzir i kao vrijedno vrelo za praćenje tragova društvenih odnosa u Trogiru u prvoj polovici 15. stoljeća.
Historijski zbornik, 2024
This paper explores the role of political violence by considering selected cases of social crises... more This paper explores the role of political violence by considering selected cases of social crises, specifically in Zadar, Šibenik, Trogir and Split, where the use of violence affected social and power relations. One case was chosen to represent each city, and each example provides specific insights into the "culture of violence" in late medieval Dalmatian towns, particularly in comparison to Italian communes. The article also incorporates theoretical observations and concepts regarding the influential role of violence in altering or maintaining social order, which is evident in direct interactions and confrontations.
![Research paper thumbnail of Politički konflikti i obilježja političke kulture u dalmatinskim gradovima 14. stoljeća kao „struktura dugoga trajanja“ [Political conflicts and features of the political culture in the Dalmatian towns of the 14th century as a structure of longue durée]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/119189556/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Doba (dez)integracije: društveno-političke strukture anžuvinskoga doba, 2024
This article examines the patterns of late medieval political agency and political imagery on the... more This article examines the patterns of late medieval political agency and political imagery on the selected examples from the history of the Dalmatian towns in the 14th century or during the period of the Angevin rule and influence. The paper tries to conceptualize the patterns and processes of the late medieval political culture as an informal structure of longue durée. In that regard, the paper starts out from the concept of political culture, i.e., of its two main elements – politics and the “cultural stuff ”. The author accepts the point of view, explicitly elaborated by Patrick Lantschner, that everything which pertains to the public domain is at the same time of political importance. In other words, political culture is about the (re)distribution of material, social and symbolic resources in a given public arena with its own distinctive cultural values and sets of meaning, which are “implanted” in the practicalities of medieval power games. The author goes on to consider the reality of medieval political and social conflicts, whether open or latent, as to the overall significance of the usage of collective political violence. In other words, conflicts and violence are viewed as integral aspects of the medieval political culture, which had a crucial role in the shaping of urban communities and their social realities
![Research paper thumbnail of Vrijeme i okolnosti nastanka zapisnika papinske istrage u Trogiru 1319. godine [The origins and the re-contextualization of the 1319 account of papal investigation in Trogir]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/109813549/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru, 2023
The article presents the written fragments of a papal investigation conducted in June 1319, follo... more The article presents the written fragments of a papal investigation conducted in June 1319, following the destruction of the Trogir Franciscan monastery in May 1315. The incident led to the reordering of religious communities in the city to accommodate the Franciscans. While these fragments have been sparingly used in previous papers, they have never been fully explored as separate written trace of the past. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to recontextualize the circumstances surrounding its creation and provide a qualitative analysis of the text within the broader political and cultural framework of the time. To accomplish this, it was necessary to reconstruct the political context in Trogir, as the text directly derives from it. The article emphasizes the exceptional value of these fragments and argues that they were originally part of a much larger record, of which a copy might still exist in the papal archives. Additionally, considering the alleged tyranny of Trogir podestà Matej Zorijev, the fragments are also examined as a product of late medieval political discussions on just and unjust (tyrannical) governance. Lastly, the article includes the transcription of the surviving fragments of the papal investigation from the written legacy of Ivan Lučić along with some other corresponding documents.
![Research paper thumbnail of Moderne i suvremene predodžbe srednjovjekovlja - anakronija između bajke i horora [Modern and Contemporary Images of the Middle Ages - An Anachrony between Fairy Tale and Horror]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/100582887/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Radovi Zavoda za hrvatsku povijest Filozofskoga fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, 2022
The paper provides an overview of modern and contemporary imaginings of the Middle Ages with an e... more The paper provides an overview of modern and contemporary imaginings of the Middle Ages with an emphasis on popular culture in the form of selected cases from literature, cinematography, and the video game industry in the context of the notion of anachronism in history. At the same time, it traces the idea of the "Dark Middle Ages" since the 14th century, and it considers the context in which it became very widespread from the 18th and 19th centuries until today. However, it points out and the existence of a countermyth in the form of a romantic idealization of the Middle Ages as a time of lost pre-modern innocence. Extremely ambiguous understanding of the Middle Ages between, metaphorically speaking, a fairy tale and a horror, seems at first confusing, but this article will show the structure and continuity of the latter binarity within the modern and contemporary context. At the end, it tries to give an answer to the question why the Middle Ages are imagined exactly as they are imagined, whereby these imaginings of the Middle Ages are understood as an integral part of the modern mythical discourse which legitimizes modernity by constructing an emphasized medieval otherness.
U radu se daje osvrt na moderna i suvremena zamišljanja srednjovjekovlja s naglaskom na popularnu kulturu u vidu izabranih slučajeva iz književnosti, kinematografije i industrije videoigara u kontekstu poimanja anakronije u povijesti. Pritom se prati trag ideje o „mračnom srednjem vijeku“ još od 14. stoljeća te razmatra kontekst u kojemu je ona postala vrlo raširena od 18. i 19. stoljeća do danas. Međutim, ističe se i postojanje kontramita u obliku romantičarskoga idealiziranja srednjovjekovlja
kao vremena izgubljene predmoderne nevinosti. Ekstremno dvojako razumijevanje srednjovjekovlja između, metaforički rečeno, bajke i horora čini se na prvi mah zbunjujućim, no pokazat će se u radu struktura i kontinuitet potonje binarnosti unutar modernoga i suvremenoga konteksta. Na koncu nastoji se dati odgovor na pitanje zašto se srednjovjekovlje zamišlja upravo onako kako se zamišlja, pri čemu se predodžbe o srednjovjekovlju razumijevaju kao sastavni dio modernoga mitskoga diskursa koji legitimira modernost konstrukcijom naglašene srednjovjekovne drugotnosti.
![Research paper thumbnail of Politički poredak i zapisnici komunalnih vijeća srednjovjekovnog Trogira [Political Order and the Council Records in Medieval Trogir]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/96786803/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Acta et reformationes consiliorum civitatis Tragurii (saec. XIII-XV) / Zapisnici i odluke vijećâ grada Trogira (13.-15. stoljeće), 2022
An introductory study to the edition of all known records and decisions of Trogir municipal counc... more An introductory study to the edition of all known records and decisions of Trogir municipal councils from the thirteenth to the end of the fifteenth century. It complements our knowledge of the development of Trogir political and social order between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries, relying primarily on the hitherto mostly neglected council records. The development of the political and social order in this period, as well as its transformations, are considered within the theoretical framework of medieval corporatism, which proves to be important for understanding the way local societies actually function in medieval context. The study also outlines the development of local government institutions (Curia, Major Council and the Council pro bono statu civitatis) in much more detail than before, as well as the functioning of municipal government on a daily basis. Given the fact that we still know little about these issues (with the exception of Dubrovnik and partly Split), the case of Trogir presents itself to be important comparatively when it comes to the decision-making process and its written memorization.
![Research paper thumbnail of Između "tiranije" i političkoga legitimiteta. Prilog poznavanju političke kulture kasnosrednjovjekovne Dalmacije i Hrvatske [Between "Tyranny" and Political Legitimacy. A Contribution to the Study of Political Culture in Late-Medieval Dalmatia and Croatia]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/88972585/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Povijesni prilozi, 2022
The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between the “legitimate” and “illegitimate” ... more The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between the “legitimate” and “illegitimate” government in late medieval political notions through the prism of selected examples from the late medieval history of Dalmatia and Croatia. In order to better understand the topic, the selected examples will be placed in the theoretical framework of medieval political thought. Each of the examples represents a separate point of view, thus indicating the coexistence of different political views arising from conflicting interests. In other words, what was “tyranny” for some was legitimate and justified rule to others. The factional struggles in Trogir at the beginning of the 14th century, the chronicle discourse of Miha Madijev and his portrayal of the Croatian nobles, and finally the views expressed by the ambassadors of the Trogir commoners in Venice in 1421 prove to be very telling and characteristic examples. Following their analysis and that of some other examples, the author draws certain (comparative) conclusions about medieval political culture.
Historijski zbornik, 2021
Rad istražuje primjere političkih i kaznenih egzila u kasnosrednjovjekovnim dalmatinskim gradovim... more Rad istražuje primjere političkih i kaznenih egzila u kasnosrednjovjekovnim dalmatinskim gradovima, prvenstveno one iz Trogira, Zadra i Dubrovnika. Polazeći od saznanja svjetske historiografije o egzilima u srednjem vijeku, predlaže se uspostava jasnije distinkcije između različitih tipova prisilnih migracija, i to uvidom u konkretne dalmatinske slučajeve. Dalmatinski se kontekst uspoređuje s vrlo srodnim talijanskim, radi postavljanja šireg kulturalnog konteksta, odnosno radi iznošenja određenih zaključaka o kasnosrednjovjekovnoj kulturi vlasti u gradskim zajednicama.
Vartal, 2021
Rad daje kratki osvrt na tri traktata o liječenju ptica, koji se svi zajedno pripisuju trogirskom... more Rad daje kratki osvrt na tri traktata o liječenju ptica, koji se svi zajedno pripisuju trogirskom plemiću Jakobelu Lukinome iz roda Vitturi, koji je djelovao u javnom životu Trogirske komune prije svega tijekom prve polovice 15. stoljeća. Činjenica da Jakobelo svoje rasprave posvećuje caru Sigismundu, odnosno sastavlja ih upravo po njegovome zahtjevu, ukazuje na to da su nastale tijekom 30-ih godina 15. stoljeća, a u krajnjoj liniji svakako nakon uspostave mletačke vlasti u Trogiru 1420. godine. Naime, lokalno trogirsko plemstvo praktički je u potpunosti izgubilo svoju političku moć koja je sada ležala u rukama vrhovne mletačke vlasti u Veneciji, odnosno gradskih knezova biranih iz redova mletačkoga patricijata. Upravo se Jakobelova sokolarska strast dovodi u svezu s rekonstrukcijom društvenih i političkih odnosa nakon 1420. godine, što je posljedično utjecalo na drugačije iskazivanje plemićkoga identiteta.
![Research paper thumbnail of Crkvene institucije u srednjovjekovnoj praksi: trogirski kanonici i gradske prilike u 14. stoljeću [Ecclesiastical Institutions in Medieval Practice: The Trogir Canons and City Politics in the 14th Century]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/76981983/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Croatica Christiana Periodica, 2021
Rad prikazuje djelovanje trogirskih kanonika od 1300. pa do 1360. godine u širem kontekstu politi... more Rad prikazuje djelovanje trogirskih kanonika od 1300. pa do 1360. godine u širem kontekstu političkih sukoba koji su se vodili između suprotstavljenih plemićkih frakcija unutar Trogirske komune u 14. stoljeću. Zastupa se stajalište da Trogirski kaptol u razmatranom razdoblju nije u praksi funkcionirao kao samostalna crkvena korporacija, već da su njegovi članovi bili na ovaj ili onaj način uključeni u otvorene ili latentne frakcijske sukobe. Pritom nisu upitne korporativne značajke Trogirskog kaptola, odnosno formalne djelatnosti kojima se bavi jedan kaptol, već se stavlja fokus na same kanonike i njihovo pojedinačno ili skupno djelovanje, koje se ponajprije povezuje s plemićkim frakcijama. Kanonici su bili korijenski povezani s gradskim plemićkim obiteljima, od kojih su većina njih i potjecali, a samim time i s neformalnim frakcijskim blokovima. Stoga se Kaptol ne može razmatrati kao entitet koji je odvojen od djelovanja gradskih vlasti, bez obzira na stvarna razgraničenja u jurisdikciji između crkvenih i svjetovnih institucija vlasti. Na koncu rad na trogirskom primjeru ukazuje na to kako u srednjovjekovnoj praksi može izgledati djelovanje društvenih i crkvenih institucija.
Povijesni prilozi, 2020
U radu se predstavlja najstariji sačuvani sveščić zapisnika trogirskih komunalnih vijeća koji je ... more U radu se predstavlja najstariji sačuvani sveščić zapisnika trogirskih komunalnih vijeća koji je Ivan Lučić datirao u 1316. i 1317. godinu. Uspoređujući sadržaj odluka u sveščiću s drugim poznatim izvorima, Lučićevim bilješkama i Svjedočanstvima o Trogiru, autori postavljaju tezu da rečeni sveščić zapisnika trogirskih komunalnih vijeća potječe iz 1314. i 1315., a ne iz 1316. i 1317. godine, te da svojim sadržajem završava neposredno pred rušenje trogirskoga franjevačkoga samostana i dolazak bana Mladena II. s vojskom pod grad u svibnju 1315. godine. Sukladno novoj kronologiji, autori razmatraju i politička zbivanja u Trogiru tijekom drugoga desetljeća 14. stoljeća.
Kulturna baština, 2019
Rad je nastojao uklopiti trogirske pobune s početka 14. stoljeća (1310. – 1328.) u širi europski ... more Rad je nastojao uklopiti trogirske pobune s početka 14. stoljeća (1310. – 1328.) u širi europski i naročito talijanski kontekst. Pokazalo se kako su Mletačka Republika i knezovi Bribirski presudno utjecali na dinamični razvoj političkih zbivanja u samome Trogiru, što je posljedično dovelo do eskalacije u otvoreni sukob između zavađenih trogirskih frakcija zbog suprotstavljenih mletačkih i bribirskih interesa. Rad daje pregled trogirskih sukoba, odnosno postupka izmirenja pod inicijativom Mletačke Republike.
The paper tried to fit the Trogir revolts at the beginning of the 14th century (1310. – 1328.) into a broader European, and particularly Italian context. The paper showed that Venice and the Bribirski noble kindred crucially influenced the dynamic political situation in Trogir, which escalated into an open conflict between the feuding Trogir parties because of the opposed Venetian and Bribir interests. The paper gives an overview of the Trogir conflicts and of the later conciliation brought up by the Venetian authorities.
Rostra - časopis studenata povijesti Sveučilišta u Zadru, 2019
Na temelju 106 trogirskih te 41 splitskoga težačkoga ugovora, rad analizira kolonatske i težačke ... more Na temelju 106 trogirskih te 41 splitskoga težačkoga ugovora, rad analizira kolonatske i težačke odnose na istom području, pri čemu ih uspoređuje i povezuje sa širim dalmatinskim i mediteranskim kontekstom. Pritom radnja problematizira pojmovni aparat u postojećoj literaturi koji je terminološki neujednačen te ponekad i proturječan. Pomoću izvora i literature, rad iznosi razloge koji su uvjetovali izrazitu prostorno-vremensku i strukturnu dugotrajnost kolonatskih i težačkih odnosa u Dalmaciji.
![Research paper thumbnail of Legenda o smrti kralja Zvonimira [The Legend of The Death of King Zvonimir]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/55480299/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Zbornik radova Društva studenata povijesti Hrvatskih studija "Ivan Lučić - Lucius", 2017
This paper tried to show the true origins of The Legend of the Death of King Zvonimir firstly by ... more This paper tried to show the true origins of The Legend of the Death of King Zvonimir firstly by giving an insight into the three most important literary sources which deal with the topic. Through the analysis of the main elements and motifs of the narrative, it was easier to narrow the search and to give the answer to the question – to whom did the Legend (politically) serve? That starting point comes from the point of view that reality is, in the most of cases, shaped by the political elites. The Croatian noble kindred Šubići – Bribirski were the true masters of the Croatian part of the Hungarian-Croatian Kingdom at the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century. Therefore, Damir Karbić came to the thesis that they were responsible for the outbreak of the Legend because it served as an ideological foundation for the legitimation of their real rule and other political agendas. The Legend sequentially became part of the official ideology of the Angevin rulers and the Croatian noblemen community. It was massively spread in the 19th century, in the time of the construction of the Croatian nation, by means of mass communications and because of that, it is still present. Due to that, it is necessary to make a revision of the national narrative which would not implicate a denial of the Croatian identity, rather a dismissal of the parts that were ideologically constructed.
Conference Presentations by Ante Bećir
The Sixth Biennial of MECERN. Inclusion and Exclusion in Medieval Central Europe, 2025
The presentation has examined cases of political and judicial exile in late medieval Dalmatian to... more The presentation has examined cases of political and judicial exile in late medieval Dalmatian towns (13th–15th centuries) as a typical mechanism of social exclusion. In the midst of intense political conflicts in Italian cities during the 13th century, the practice of banishment and physical exile became a widespread tool for establishing control and consolidating power. Similarly, Dalmatian towns, deeply influenced by Italian political culture, adopted exile as both a political weapon against rivals and a judicial punishment for criminals. Exiles were also used by either the Venetian or royal Hungarian central authorities on certain individuals or groups. Ultimately, this analysis situates Dalmatian exile practices within the broader framework of medieval Mediterranean political culture, demonstrating how social exclusion reinforced urban hierarchies while simultaneously shaping political identities and loyalties.
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Doctoral Thesis by Ante Bećir
The doctoral dissertation analyzes the late medieval Trogir nobility in the period between 1280 and 1420 through the prism of political factions. On the trail of anthropological and comparative-historical literature, the paper identifies political factions composed of nobles, commoners and other actors of Trogir's social and political life in the considered period, which competed for the acquisition of political power within the framework of the Trogir political community of that time. Political competition often resulted in the escalation of ever-present and latent social conflicts into open factional conflicts. Political conflicts in Trogir took place simultaneously with the process of shaping political institutions, which was particularly intense at the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century. Or more precisely, political conflicts actually directly influenced the structural and normative formation of the political community during the 14th century, especially until the 60s of the 14th century, when the city's Great Council (generale consilium) began to be formally called the noble council (generale consilium nobilium uirorum). The paper will focus specifically on three situations of open factional conflicts, namely in the periods 1310-1328, 1357-1358 and 1386/1387. – 1395, that is, the context of the Venetian-Hungarian war and its consequences for political relations within Trogir (1409 – 1420). Accordingly, the author tried to identify and prosopographically reconstruct factional actors in all crisis periods in as much detail as possible. In the broader chronological context, the factors of continuity (noble faction core) and discontinuity (periphery factions and noble clientele, as well as the political loyalties of the Trogir factions at a given moment) are clearly distinguished. In order to be able to perform a prosopographical analysis, it was necessary to consider the key connecting elements in the formation of factions, namely patronal-clientelistic relations, family and marital ties, business cooperation and friendships. However, a key factor is the personal relations of the factional actors with the factional leader, who could act either as a "patron" (from a position of greater social power and influence) or as a "broker" (from a position of limited social power based on the leader's ability to mediate within a heterogeneous political coalition). In January 1395, there was a reconciliation between the warring factions after the last phase of open conflicts (1386/1387 – 1395), which apparently had a real effect on stabilizing internal social and political relations in Trogir itself. Consequently, the beginning of the 15th century is considered in the context of new political stability and the war against Venice as key structural elements of political reality.
Books by Ante Bećir
The edition is also accompanied by an introductory study (Political Order and the Records of Trogir's Municipal Councils in the Middle Ages), which complements our knowledge of the development of Trogir political and social order between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries, relying primarily on the hitherto mostly neglected council records. The development of the political and social order in this period, as well as its transformations, are considered within the theoretical framework of medieval corporatism, which proves to be important for understanding the way local societies actually function in medieval context. The study also outlines the development of local government institutions (Curia, Major Council and the Council pro bono statu civitatis) in much more detail than before, as well as the functioning of municipal government on a daily basis. Given the fact that we still know little about these issues (with the exception of Dubrovnik and partly Split), the case of Trogir presents itself to be important comparatively when it comes to the decision-making process and its written memorization.
Edited Book by Ante Bećir
Papers by Ante Bećir
U radu se daje osvrt na moderna i suvremena zamišljanja srednjovjekovlja s naglaskom na popularnu kulturu u vidu izabranih slučajeva iz književnosti, kinematografije i industrije videoigara u kontekstu poimanja anakronije u povijesti. Pritom se prati trag ideje o „mračnom srednjem vijeku“ još od 14. stoljeća te razmatra kontekst u kojemu je ona postala vrlo raširena od 18. i 19. stoljeća do danas. Međutim, ističe se i postojanje kontramita u obliku romantičarskoga idealiziranja srednjovjekovlja
kao vremena izgubljene predmoderne nevinosti. Ekstremno dvojako razumijevanje srednjovjekovlja između, metaforički rečeno, bajke i horora čini se na prvi mah zbunjujućim, no pokazat će se u radu struktura i kontinuitet potonje binarnosti unutar modernoga i suvremenoga konteksta. Na koncu nastoji se dati odgovor na pitanje zašto se srednjovjekovlje zamišlja upravo onako kako se zamišlja, pri čemu se predodžbe o srednjovjekovlju razumijevaju kao sastavni dio modernoga mitskoga diskursa koji legitimira modernost konstrukcijom naglašene srednjovjekovne drugotnosti.
The paper tried to fit the Trogir revolts at the beginning of the 14th century (1310. – 1328.) into a broader European, and particularly Italian context. The paper showed that Venice and the Bribirski noble kindred crucially influenced the dynamic political situation in Trogir, which escalated into an open conflict between the feuding Trogir parties because of the opposed Venetian and Bribir interests. The paper gives an overview of the Trogir conflicts and of the later conciliation brought up by the Venetian authorities.
Conference Presentations by Ante Bećir
The doctoral dissertation analyzes the late medieval Trogir nobility in the period between 1280 and 1420 through the prism of political factions. On the trail of anthropological and comparative-historical literature, the paper identifies political factions composed of nobles, commoners and other actors of Trogir's social and political life in the considered period, which competed for the acquisition of political power within the framework of the Trogir political community of that time. Political competition often resulted in the escalation of ever-present and latent social conflicts into open factional conflicts. Political conflicts in Trogir took place simultaneously with the process of shaping political institutions, which was particularly intense at the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century. Or more precisely, political conflicts actually directly influenced the structural and normative formation of the political community during the 14th century, especially until the 60s of the 14th century, when the city's Great Council (generale consilium) began to be formally called the noble council (generale consilium nobilium uirorum). The paper will focus specifically on three situations of open factional conflicts, namely in the periods 1310-1328, 1357-1358 and 1386/1387. – 1395, that is, the context of the Venetian-Hungarian war and its consequences for political relations within Trogir (1409 – 1420). Accordingly, the author tried to identify and prosopographically reconstruct factional actors in all crisis periods in as much detail as possible. In the broader chronological context, the factors of continuity (noble faction core) and discontinuity (periphery factions and noble clientele, as well as the political loyalties of the Trogir factions at a given moment) are clearly distinguished. In order to be able to perform a prosopographical analysis, it was necessary to consider the key connecting elements in the formation of factions, namely patronal-clientelistic relations, family and marital ties, business cooperation and friendships. However, a key factor is the personal relations of the factional actors with the factional leader, who could act either as a "patron" (from a position of greater social power and influence) or as a "broker" (from a position of limited social power based on the leader's ability to mediate within a heterogeneous political coalition). In January 1395, there was a reconciliation between the warring factions after the last phase of open conflicts (1386/1387 – 1395), which apparently had a real effect on stabilizing internal social and political relations in Trogir itself. Consequently, the beginning of the 15th century is considered in the context of new political stability and the war against Venice as key structural elements of political reality.
The edition is also accompanied by an introductory study (Political Order and the Records of Trogir's Municipal Councils in the Middle Ages), which complements our knowledge of the development of Trogir political and social order between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries, relying primarily on the hitherto mostly neglected council records. The development of the political and social order in this period, as well as its transformations, are considered within the theoretical framework of medieval corporatism, which proves to be important for understanding the way local societies actually function in medieval context. The study also outlines the development of local government institutions (Curia, Major Council and the Council pro bono statu civitatis) in much more detail than before, as well as the functioning of municipal government on a daily basis. Given the fact that we still know little about these issues (with the exception of Dubrovnik and partly Split), the case of Trogir presents itself to be important comparatively when it comes to the decision-making process and its written memorization.
U radu se daje osvrt na moderna i suvremena zamišljanja srednjovjekovlja s naglaskom na popularnu kulturu u vidu izabranih slučajeva iz književnosti, kinematografije i industrije videoigara u kontekstu poimanja anakronije u povijesti. Pritom se prati trag ideje o „mračnom srednjem vijeku“ još od 14. stoljeća te razmatra kontekst u kojemu je ona postala vrlo raširena od 18. i 19. stoljeća do danas. Međutim, ističe se i postojanje kontramita u obliku romantičarskoga idealiziranja srednjovjekovlja
kao vremena izgubljene predmoderne nevinosti. Ekstremno dvojako razumijevanje srednjovjekovlja između, metaforički rečeno, bajke i horora čini se na prvi mah zbunjujućim, no pokazat će se u radu struktura i kontinuitet potonje binarnosti unutar modernoga i suvremenoga konteksta. Na koncu nastoji se dati odgovor na pitanje zašto se srednjovjekovlje zamišlja upravo onako kako se zamišlja, pri čemu se predodžbe o srednjovjekovlju razumijevaju kao sastavni dio modernoga mitskoga diskursa koji legitimira modernost konstrukcijom naglašene srednjovjekovne drugotnosti.
The paper tried to fit the Trogir revolts at the beginning of the 14th century (1310. – 1328.) into a broader European, and particularly Italian context. The paper showed that Venice and the Bribirski noble kindred crucially influenced the dynamic political situation in Trogir, which escalated into an open conflict between the feuding Trogir parties because of the opposed Venetian and Bribir interests. The paper gives an overview of the Trogir conflicts and of the later conciliation brought up by the Venetian authorities.
In the light of that, this presentation has shortly explored the agency of informal urban factions and their ultimate role in the process of the institutional shaping of the Late Medieval Dalmatian town communities. Also, various types of primary sources from the Late Medieval Dalmatian towns which lay at the historian's disposal for the reconstruction of informal networks have been considered – and the ultimate level of their usefulness for this type of a basically prosopographical analysis.
Since the Dalmatian cities functioned as semi-autonomous communes with their own government and legal codes, their political structures were in a basic sense similiar to the ones in Italian communes. Moreover, the factionalism and political conflicts which engulfed central and northern Italy, especially between the middle of the 13th and the middle of the 14th century, were also present in the Dalmatian cities. That is especially the case in the towns of Trogir, Split and Šibenik. Internal conflicts within the cities shaped a political landscape marked by shifting alliances and local power struggles between oligarchic factions within the patrimonial and hereditary urban elites.
But the late medieval story of Dalmatia changed drastically after the establishment of long-term Venetian rule in the beginning of the 15th century. Since the Dalmatian communities became a part of the Venetian Republic – they had no choice but to share their fortune with the rest of the cities in the Venetian Stato da mar. From then on, Venetian political culture was systematically embedded in the political and social tissue of the Dalmatian communities – and that kind of influence and control lasted for nearly four centuries. Hence, the political heritage of Venice is the most apparent from our contemporary perspective, judging by the stone lions of Saint Marc across the Eastern Adriatic. However, we must never forget the very vibrant and socially dynamic world of the semi-autonomous Dalmatian cities and their place in the phenomenon we refer to as the medieval Mediterranean commune.
The internal social dynamics within the Dalmatian Towns and Cities had deep historical roots and continuity, taking into consideration the patrimonial character of dalmatian power elites, very much similiar to the political and social elites in Italian Communes. Therefore, to really understand what is happening in every Dalmatian Town, we need detailed and thorough case studies for each Town. Changes in supreme overlordship of the Town and Cities in the 14th Century never really changed the long term and ongoing structures and processess in the communes. That would, however, change drastically with the establishment of the Venetian Rule at the beginning of the 15th Century.
It is known that in late medieval cities, especially in Italy, one can trace open and latent political conflicts between opposing political groups that were almost always extremely informal and personalized, where only a few (such as the Florentine Parte Guelpha) were able to realize their own corporate existence. By looking into the political situation in Trogir between the 13th and 15th centuries, the historian actually comes across very similar processes, which opens the urgent need for a comparative consideration of the Trogir case. The increased dynamics of open political conflicts in Trogir during the 14th century leads to the conclusion that (in the words of Patrick Lantschner), it was a volatile conflict system characterized by a higher level of political instability (like, for example, Bologna). In addition to fitting the Trogir case into the broader comparative context of the story about the dynamics of political conflicts in late medieval cities, especially in the context of Italian communes, it is necessary to sharpen research tools for in-depth micro-analysis. Namely, on the basis of theoretical (primarily anthropological) literature, i.e. historiographical production that actively implements theoretical concepts, answers to a whole series of questions can be obtained, such as what factions are in general, how factions arise and how they are shaped, how factions function in the political arenas, and how factions can be recognized and identified in historical sources. Theoretical concepts therefore build on the results of empirical research, that is, enable a "thick description" and detailed reconstruction of Trogir's political factions in the period from the end of the 13th to the beginning of the 15th century, whose activities fit into the wider context of late medieval urban political culture. However, the possibilities of considering informal political groupings in the Late-Medieval Croatia certainly go beyond Trogir itself, which is considered here above all as a grateful "case-study" that contributes to a better understanding of the structures and power relations in the kingdom of Dalmatia and Croatia in the late Middle Ages.
After the entry of the Venetian army into Trogir on June 22, 1420, few could have expected a longer survival of the new government, let alone its centuries-long maintenance, taking into account the military and political potentials of the vast Kingdom of Hungary. However, the specific development of events on a wider and local level ultimately conditioned the survival of the Venetian government in Dalmatia. Based on this, the intention of this presentation is to reconstruct in detail the sequence of events at the local Trogir level, ie the dynamics of political relations within the ruling aristocratic class as the basic power structure in the city during the Venetian-Hungarian war (1409-1420). However, the local dynamics of relations represented a mixture of internal impulses and external political influences, primarily Hungary and Venice. Therefore, the local course of events will necessarily be considered within the broader framework of the Venetian-Hungarian war. Following all this, certain conclusions will be drawn about the changed socio-political status of Trogir after 1420.
Cilj izlaganja bio je prikazati odnos između „legitimne“ i „nelegitimne“ vlasti u kasnosrednjovjekovnim političkim poimanjima kroz prizmu izabranih primjera iz kasnosrednjovjekovne povijesti Dalmacije i Hrvatske. S ciljem jasnijega razumijevanja tematike, izdvojeni slučajevi razmotreni su unutar misaonih i teoretskih okvira srednjovjekovne političke misli, a to je ključno za smještanje izabranih dalmatinsko-hrvatskih primjera u širi srednjovjekovni kontekst. Naime, svaki potonji primjer predstavlja jedan zaseban kut gledanja, čime se želi ukazati na supostojanje različitih političkih shvaćanja, koja proizlaze iz suprotstavljenih interesa. Drugim riječima, ono što je za jedne „tiranija“, za druge je legitimna i opravdana vlast. Pritom, pak, ne treba posebno navoditi kako u srednjem vijeku „središnja vlast“ nije jedini centar moći, a ponekad nije čak ni najsnažniji, već da postoji čitav niz lokalnih i regionalnih struktura moći koje teže monopoliziranju vlasti. U tom se kontekstu u novijoj historiografiji poseban naglasak stavlja na policentričnost srednjovjekovnih društava. Imajući prethodno na umu, frakcijske borbe u Trogiru početkom 14. stoljeća, kroničarski diskurs Mihe Madijeva i njegovo portretiranje hrvatskih velikaša, te na koncu stavovi koje iznose poklisari trogirskoga puka u Veneciji 1421. godine predstavljaju vrlo zahvalne i ogledne primjere. Na tragu raščlambe spomenutih primjera, izvedeni su određeni (komparativni) zaključci o srednjovjekovnoj političkoj kulturi.