A fortress, not a town: a crag over the Vardar where the river cuts the Demir Kapija gorge, strengthened by Chrysos into his seat.
It beat off Alexios III's sieges of 1197. A small settlement lies below.
Who holds it
- Name
- Dobromir Chrysos
- Title
- Lord
- Confidence
- high
Lord in 1200
Dobromir Chrysos.
How things stand that morning
Chrysos's seat.
Charter
No charter; customary rights under the emperor's officials.
Council
Chrysos.
Communities
Chrysos's household and Vlach band.
Fairs and markets
No fair recorded.
Militia
Townsmen's watch on the walls; no numbers.
Walls and castle
The crag fortress, with Chrysos's new works.
Trade and crafts
Toll and control of the Vardar road.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Choniates through modern accounts.
Primary sources for Chrysos
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- History of Niketas Choniates, Niketas Choniates (about 1185 to 1217, in stages, with a final revision in exile at Nicaea after 1204). The central narrative for the Byzantine Empire under Alexios III Angelos: the Bulgarian and Vlach war under Kaloyan, the breakaway of Ivanko in the Rhodopes and his capture by treachery in 1200, Dobromir Chrysos at Prosek and Strumica and the emperor's campaign and settlement with him, the Cuman raids into Thrace, John Komnenos the Fat's one-day revolt at Constantinople on 31 July 1200, the loosening of imperial control in the provinces and the rise of Leo Sgouros, and the court's fiscal abuses. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.