Glad (duke)

From Freepedia

Glad was, according to the Gesta Hungarorum, a Dux, ruler in the territory of Banat, during the 9th and 10th centuries. He also ruled part of south Transilvania, and Vidin region. His residence was city of Vidin and he was a vassal of the Bulgarian tzar Simeon. Glad had authority over the Slavs and Vlachs, which consisted most of the population of mentioned regions at the time.

Glad was defeated by the Hungarians during the 10th century. The Hungarians sent an army against Duke Glad and subdued the population between the Mures and Timis rivers. When they tried to pass the Timis river Glad came against them with a great army including Cuman, Bulgarian and Vlach support. On the following day Glad was defeated by the Hungarians. The Hungarian attack against the duke Glad in Banat is dated in 934.

One of his descendants, Ahtum, was a duke of Banat and the last ruler who opposed to the establishment of Hungarian kingdom in the 11th century, but he was too, defeated by the Hungarian Crown.

In Banat there are still today villages Gladna and Galad, which probably were named after duke Glad. Town Kladovo near Danube in Serbia was also named after duke Glad (Old name of town was probably Gladovo). In the 15th century, near the river Zlatica in Banat, fortress Galad was built. Fortress gained that name because place where it was founded was named Galad. There was also a record about Glad monastery (Galadmonostra) in 1426.

The name Glad could be of Slavic, Latin, or Celtic origin, thought meaning of the name is not clear. Near the Baltic Sea there are places named Gladichov, Gladyšov, near the river Biese, and Gladišov near the river Radgošć. In Balkan region, places with names similar to name Glad could be found in area, where the earliest Slavic names appeared: Gladnica, Gladnić, Gladnik, Gladojević, Gladović, Gladovići, Glade, Gladov do, Gladova vrtača, Gladov vrh, Gladov krš (all in Republika Srpska), Gladište (in Montenegro), Gladišev Dol (in Metohia). All over Europe there are placenames like Galati, Galata, Galatia, Galicia, Calatis, attesting the presence of the Celts (Gauls), or the name could come from latin Gladius or Gladiator.

Main historical source about duke Glad is historical chronicle known as Gesta Hungarorum, written by Peter, a high priest in Buda, during the time of Hungarian King Bela III in the late 12th century.

Literature

• Jovan M. Pejin, Iz prošlosti Kikinde, Kikinda, 2000.
• Prof.dr Radmilo Petrovic, Vojvodina, Beograd, 2003.

See also

• Banat
• Rulers of Vojvodina

External links

• Gesta Hungarorum
• Gesta Hungarorum
• Map