i

ii 

Editor in chief
Zoran Hamović

Editorial board
Dušan T. Bataković
Smilja Marjanović-Dušanić (editor)
Vojislav Pavlović
Aleksandar Palavestra
Danica Popović
Veljko Stanić

Pictorial editor
Milena Lakićević

Translation revised by
Aleksandar Z. Savić

Copyright © Clio, 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical
methods without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor may it be
distributed in any manner or by any means whatsoever without such permission.

Publishing of this book is supported by Ministry of Education,

Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia
 iii

Marko Popović
Smilja Marjanović-Dušanić
Danica Popović

Daily Life in
Medieval Serbia

Translated by
Charles Robertson
iv Daily Life in Medieval Serbia
Contents v

Contents

List of Abbreviations.......................................................................... ix

Maps..................................................................................................xiii

Introduction.................................................................................... xvii

Part One: Framing the Everyday

1. Life in the Palaces of the Sovereign and the Nobility.................... 2

The unfortified ruler’s palace.............................................................. 8
The fortified refuge............................................................................ 12
The fortified palace............................................................................ 14
Urban residences – palaces in the city.............................................. 19
The itinerant prince........................................................................... 22
The structure and décor of the court
complex – public and private............................................................ 25

2. Life in the Towns and Cities......................................................... 32

3. Life in Rural Communities.......................................................... 61

Rural settlements.............................................................................. 64
The village house............................................................................... 67
Life in the rural household............................................................... 71
vi Daily Life in Medieval Serbia

Privacy in the rural household......................................................... 73

4. Life in the Family . ....................................................................... 75

5. Life as a Soldier............................................................................ 90
The military service of the landed classes......................................... 93
Mercenary forces............................................................................... 97
Logistical support........................................................................... 102
The construction and defence of fortresses.................................... 103
The warrior’s equipment ................................................................ 106
Spiritual warfare.............................................................................. 108
Leaving for war, and returning from it........................................... 109

6. Life in the Monastic Communities............................................ 113

Life in the coenobium..................................................................... 114
Eremitic monasticism .................................................................... 126

Part Two: The Body and Society

1. Diet............................................................................................. 135

2. Dress and Personal Adornment................................................. 153

3. Feast Days – Between Public and Private.................................. 164

4. Leisure........................................................................................ 174

5. Sickness and Medical Treatment............................................... 181

Diseases........................................................................................... 183
Medicines and physicians............................................................... 186
Miraculous healing......................................................................... 189
Hospitals.......................................................................................... 191

6. Death.......................................................................................... 193
Contents vii

Part Three: Knowledge of the World

1. Medieval Man and the Natural World....................................... 205

2. Literacy and Life Cum Libro....................................................... 219

3. Life on the Move......................................................................... 231

Roads and methods of transport.................................................... 235

Notes................................................................................................ 244

Bibliography.................................................................................... 271

Index................................................................................................ 295