Constantin Brâncoveanu's sabres - Săbiile lui Constantin Brâncoveanu - by Teişani the Tired
Constantin Brâncoveanu was Prince (Domn / Voivode) of Wallachia (Ţara Rumânească) from 1688 to 1714. He was a rich man, hence the Ottomans called him „altın bey / golden prince". Arrested in the spring of 1714 by the Ottomans and taken to Constantinople under suspicion of collaborating with the Russians, he was executed together with his 4 sons (he also had 7 daughters and wife Maria) on the 15/26th of August 1714.
The following written is based on the articles in "Buletinul Comisiei Monumentelor Istorice" 1926,1931,1935. So if you don't like something here, blame them
.
● - this dot will represent the precious stones that intrerrupt the inscription on the blades.
His trusted aid, Manu Apostol, had managed to move most of the family treasure to Brașov shortly before Brâncoveanu's arrest. It's inventory mentions 16 sabres, 10 of them as turkish, and silvered. The sabres are mentioned once more in a late-1714 inventory when the treasure was confiscated by imperial authorities - "Zehen mit Silber beschlagene Säbel. zwei silberne Säbel. , vir mit Silber beschlagene Säbel. Ein Beschlacht auf einen türckhischen Säbel, silber vergolt, mit türckhischen Sleinen beselzt". And again in 1715 when some were sold. The looting of Brâncoveanu's treasure is well known, Ottomans being reported to sell them even in Moldova. By 1720 just 2 sabers remained unsold in Transylvania. Returning from exile, Brâncoveanu's wife, Maria, apoints Gheorghe Hrisogon de Trapezunt / Gheorge Trapezuntul (who managed the prince's Vienese and Venetian possessions, †1739 of diabetes) to represent the family's interest. He talks to the Austrians about compensations for the widow, and the imperial authorities eventualy agree. However, Trapezunt is not happy regarding the value of some of the treasure items, that were to be compensated. For example the initial inventory mentioned "silvered sabre", yet the apraisal document failed to mention the "silvered" part. These sabres were valued by the Austrians at 5-6 florins, yet Trabezunt says that "any common merchant carries a sword worth about 10 to 30 and 50 thalers, it is hard to believe that a prince of Brâncoveanu's status would sent a such a (meaning low value)sabre for safe-keeping". He also found it curious that one with a jasper stone handle was valued at only 3 florins.
Gheorghe Hrisogon de Trapezunt (1720?) - "E primieriante per le sciable nell' inuentario uenendo specificale d'argento, nella stima non si fa menzione d'argento, ma uengono stimate di 5 a sei fiorini, che ogni ordinario mercante porta almeno sciabla da 10 a 30 e 50 taleri, e un Principe di qualita, come il Brancouano, pare cosa dificile da credersi [saluo miglior sentimento] hauer mandalo in deposito per sicurezza di tal ualore. Una poi fra le altre si dice con pomolo di petra hiaspide stimata di 4 fiorini".
In 1823-24, Robert Walsh - Narrative of a Journey from Constantinople to England", page 270-271, the following: "The name of Bessaraba is still cherished in Wallachia. A sword which had belonged to him was brought to me for sale; it had on the blade his name in letters of gold, with the following inscription: +ΘΕΟΤΟΚΕ ΔΕΣΠΟΙΝΑ ΣΚΈΠΈ ΦΡΟΥΡΊ ΦΥ[Λ]ΑΤΤΕ ΑΠΌ ΠΆΝΤΩΝ ΕΧΤΡΏΝ ΤΏΝ ΕΥΕΒΕΣΤΑΤΏ ΕΝΔΟΣΟΤΑΤΏ ΚΑΙ ΕΚΛΑΜΠΡΌΤΑΤΏ ΑΥΘΕΝΤΙ ΙΩΆΝΟΥ ΙΩΝΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΊΝΩ ΠΑΣΆΡΑ [ΜΠΑ]Ν ΒΩΙΒΩΔΑ+, meaning "Birth giver of God, keeper, watch over and guard from foes the all-glorious and all-shining lord, Ioan, Ioan (sic) Voivode Constantin Basaraba.
◍ - L'Armeria Reale di Torino
Medalion with the image of Mary and baby Jesus, and two candles
Blade inscription......................."CY ΒΑCΙΛΕΥ ΑΗΤΤΗΤΕ' ΛΟΓΕ ΘΕΟΥΠΑΝΤΑΝΑΞ ΤΟΝΓΕMONI ΚΑΙ ΠΙΣΤΟΑΥΘΕΝΤΙ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟ"
Blade inscription as is..............."CYΒΑCΙΛΕΥΑΗΤΤΗΤΕΛΟΓΕΘΕΟΥΠΑΝΤΑΝΑΞ ΤΟΝΓΕMONIΚΑΙΠΙΣΤΟΑΥΘΕΝΤΙΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟ"
Greek......................................"Σύ, βασιλεύ άήττητε, λόγε Θεού, παντάναξ, τω ήγεμόνι χαί πιστό αύθέντη Κωνσταντίνω"
English...................................."[Oh Crist] Thou, invincible King, Word of God, Master of all things, come to the aid of the powerful and faithful autocrat Constantine"
French...................................."[O Christ] Toi roi invincible, Verbe de Dieu, maître de toute chose [sois secourable] au chef et fidele autocrate Constantin!"
In 1857, Victor Langlois publishes in "Revue archéologique I, pp. 292-294" a study entitled "Notice sur le sabre de Constantin XIV (sic), dernier empereur de Constantinopole, conserve a l'Armeria Reale de Turin" (Teisani's note: Langlois / Langlets' article is also referenced in "The Catholic Institute Magazine, Volumele 2-3, 1857, page 155" (see the attached picture). It's about a sabre with Damascus steel blade, brought from Constantinople by Baron Tecco, former Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and later given as a gift to King Victor Emmanuel. Baron Tecco had bought it (with a considerable sum of money) from a local merchant, whom had acquired it from the guard of Mehmed II's tomb. Langlois believed that the sabre belonged to the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, based on the gold inlay inscription, "Thou invincible King, Word of God, Master of all things, come to the aid of the powerful and faithful autocrat Constantine". It is only on one side of the blade.
However, in 1874, Giovani Veludo, publishes an article entitled "La spada di Constantino Paeologo, ultimo imperatore di Constantinopoli" in which he argues that, based on the blade's shape (curved), it could not have belonged to Paleologos, since the Byzantines used straight blades on their swords. Teisani's note, based on this,
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...9&postcount=13, it might be a false assumption. He also argues that the inscribed verses (yes, they are verses), match the 16th-17th century style. Finaly the "ο ηγεμων" and "ο αύθέντης" excludes the possibility of a Byzantine emperor. Why? Marinescu argues that emperor Constantine titled himself differently, "Κωνσταντίνος εν Χριστώ τω Θεώ πιστός βασιλεύς και αυτοκράτωρ Ρωμαίων ο Παλαιολόγο". On the other hand, Wallachian ruler, Constantin Brâncoveanu, in letters from the orthodox patriarch
was titled as such. Further proof is in Brâncoveanu's portrets by Alessandro della Via in Venice, and on a map of Wallachia made during 1694-1699 by stolnicul Constantin Cantacuzino, published at Padova in 1700 (and an Austrian copy of Cantacozino's, by Schierendorff in 1707, resides at the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Viena).
The Venetian portret title says: ✶ ΊΩΆΝΝΗΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΊΝΟΣ ΜΠΑΣΑΡΆΜΠΑΣ Μ