Progonos Sgouros

Progonos Sgouros (Albanian: Progon Skura, Greek: Πρόγονος Σγουρός;fl. 1294–1300) was a late 13th-century Byzantine senior military commander from Principality of Arbanon (Medieval Albania) with the rank of megas hetaireiarches.[1][2][3] He was lord of Ohrid during the Byzantine Empire's territorial control over the city.[4]

Progonos Sgouros
Allegiance Byzantine Empire
Years of servicelate 13th century
Rankmegas hetaireiarches

Biography

Progonos Sgouros was an Albanian from Durrës (Byzantine Dyrrhachion) and belonged to the prominent Skuraj family.[2][3][5][6] He was married to Eudokia, a female relative of Andronikos II Palaiologos (r. 1282–1328), becoming a gambros of the Byzantine emperor.[1][2][3]

Around 1294–1295, he restored the Church of the Virgin Peribleptos in Ohrid, at the time under Byzantine rule,[3][7] which later came to be known as St. Clement after Saint Clement of Ohrid.[1][8][9] Progonos gifted an Iconostasis of 8 panels, together with an icon of the Virgin Peribleptos of which only a fragment survived, with the iconostasis depicting the main feasts of the Church.[10] The works were painted by Eutychios and Michael Astrapas, from Thessaloniki.[4][7] A portrait of Saint Astius in the church was likely donated by him as a symbol of the close ties between Durrës and Ohrid.[5]

References
  1. Grabar 1994, p. 139.
  2. Velmans 2006: "La chiesa della Madre di Dio Periblepta, chiamata oggi San Clemente, a Ocrida, fu decorata nel 1295 per cura del grande eteriarca bizantino Arbanas Progon Sgouros, strettamente imparentato con la famiglia imperiale tramite matrimonio."
  3. Nicol 1986, p. 161 (Note #87): "An Albanian by the name of Progon Sgouros (Πρόγονος τοũ Σγούρου) and with the title of hetaireiarches restored the church of St. Clement of Ochrida about 1295."
  4. Constantinides 1992, p. 283.
  5. Christidou, Anna (2014). "Political 'expedience' and peripheral saints: assimilating St. Asteios of Dyrrachion in the Byzantine Orthodox tradition". Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies. 38 (2): 166. doi:10.1179/0307013114Z.00000000042. S2CID 153766631. Gozdanov also notes, rightly, that the prominent position of St. Asteios' portrait at St. Clement of Ohrid may also be associated with Progon Sgouros, the commissioning patron originating from Dyrrachion, and with the intention to highlight visually the close ecclesiastical ties between Dyrrachion and Ohrid
  6. Daum, Werner, ed. (1998). Albanien zwischen Kreuz und Halbmond (in German). Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde. p. 105. ISBN 9783701624614. Dieses Kloster befand sich eine Zeitlang im Besitz der Skuraj , einer bekannten albanischen Adelsfamilie . Ein Angehöriger dieses Geschlechts , Progon Skura , war Auftrag - geber der Fresken in der Klemens - Kirche in Ohrid
  7. Sakellariou 1992, p. 346.
  8. The Hellenic Ministry of Culture 1998.
  9. Sakellariou 1992, p. 338.
  10. Rice & Rice 1974, pp. 34, 45.
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