The imaginary king who changed the real world - Matteo Salvadore

Prevodilac: Ivana Krivokuća Lektor: Kristina Radosavljević

In 1165, copies of a strange letter began to circulate throughout Western Europe.

Godine 1165, kopije čudnog pisma počele su da kruže širom Zapadne Evrope.

It spoke of a fantastical realm,

Govorilo je o fantastičnom carstvu

containing the Tower of Babel and the Fountain of Youth—

u kome se nalazi Vavilonska kula i Fontana mladosti,

all ruled over by the letter’s mysterious author: Prester John.

a kojima je vladao misteriozni autor pisma: prezviter Jovan.

Today, we know that this extraordinary king never existed.

Danas znamo da ovaj izuzetni kralj nikada nije postojao.

But the legend of this mythical kingdom and its powerful ruler

Ali legenda o ovom mitskom kraljevstvu i njegovom moćnom vladaru

would impact the decisions of European leaders for the next 400 years.

uticaće na odluke evropskih lidera tokom narednih 400 godina.

Prester John’s myth would propel the age of exploration,

Mit o prezviteru Jovanu će pokrenuti doba istraživanja,

inspire intercontinental diplomacy, and indirectly begin a civil war.

podstaći interkontinentalnu diplomatiju, i posredno otpočeti građanski rat.

When Prester John’s letter appeared, Europe was embroiled in the Crusades.

Kada se pojavilo pismo prezvitera Jovana, Evropa je bila uvučena u krstaške ratove.

In this series of religious wars,

U tom nizu verskih ratova,

Europeans campaigned to seize what they regarded as the Christian Holy Land.

Evropljani su nastojali da zauzmu

ono što su smatrali hrišćanskom svetom zemljom.

The Church vilified any faith outside of Christianity,

Crkva je osuđivala svaku veru koja nije bila hrišćanska,

including that of the Jewish and Muslim communities populating the region.

uključujući zajednice Jevreja i muslimana koji su živeli u ovoj oblasti.

Crusaders were eager to find Christian kingdoms to serve as allies in their war.

Krstaši su žudeli da pronađu hrišćanska kraljevstva

koja bi im bila saveznici u ratu.

And they were particularly interested in rumors of a powerful Christian king

Naročito su ih zanimale glasine o moćnom hrišćanskom kralju

who had defeated an enormous Muslim army in the Far East.

koji je porazio ogromnu muslimansku vojsku na Dalekom istoku.

In fact, it was a Mongol horde including converted Christian tribes

Zapravo je mongolska horda, u kojoj su bila preobraćena hrišćanska plemena,

that had routed the army.

preusmerila vojsku.

But news of this victory traveled unreliably.

Ali vesti o ovoj pobedi putovale su na nepouzdane načine.

Merchants and emissaries filled gaps in the story

Trgovci i izaslanici popunjavali su praznine u priči

with epic poems and Biblical fragments.

epskim pesmama i biblijskim odlomcima.

By the time the story reached Europe,

Kada je priča stigla do Evrope,

the Mongol horde had been replaced with a great Christian army,

mongolsku hordu je zamenila velika hrišćanska vojska

commanded by a king who shared the Crusader’s vision

pod komandom kralja koji je imao istu krstašku viziju

of marching on Jerusalem.

marširanja na Jerusalim.

And when a letter allegedly written by this so-called “Prester John” appeared,

Kada se pojavilo pismo koje je navodno napisao taj takozvani „prezviter Jovan“,

European rulers were thrilled.

evropski vladari su bili oduševljeni.

While the letter’s actual author remains unknown,

Mada stvarni autor pisma ostaje nepoznat,

its stereotypes about the East and alignment with European goals

njegovi stereotipi o Istoku i poklapanja sa evropskim ciljevima

indicate it was a Western forgery.

ukazuju na to da je u pitanju zapadnjački falsifikat.

But despite the letter’s obvious origins as European propaganda,

Ali uprkos očiglednom poreklu pisma kao evropskoj propagandi,

the appeal of Prester John’s myth was too great for the Crusaders to ignore.

privlačnost mita o prezviteru Jovanu

bila je prevelika da bi ga krstaši zanemarili.

Before long,

Nedugo potom,

European mapmakers were guessing the location of his mythical kingdom.

evropski crtači mapa nagađali su lokaciju njegovog mitskog kraljevstva.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, European missionaries went East,

U 13. i 14. veku, evropski misionari su otišli ​​na Istok,

along the newly revived Silk Road.

nedavno obnovljenim Putem svile.

They weren’t searching for the letter’s author,

Nisu tragali za autorom pisma,

who would have been over a century old; but rather, for his descendants.

koji bi tada već bio star više od jednog veka,

već za njegovim potomcima.

The title of Prester John was briefly identified

Ime prezvitera Jovana nakratko je pripisivano

with several Central Asian rulers,

nekolicini srednjeazijskih vladara,

but it soon became clear that the Mongols were largely non-Christian.

ali je uskoro postalo jasno da Mongoli velikom većinom nisu hrišćani.

And as their Empire began to decline,

Kako je njihovo carstvo počelo da propada,

Europeans began pursuing alternate routes to the Far East,

Evropljani su počeli da traže alternativne pravce ka Dalekom istoku,

and new clues to Prester John’s location.

kao i nove tragove o lokaciji prezvitera Jovana.

At the same time these explorers went south,

U isto vreme kada su ovi istraživači krenuli ka jugu,

Ethiopian pilgrims began traveling north.

etiopijski hodočasnici su počeli da putuju prema severu.

In Rome, these visitors quickly attracted the interest

U Rimu su ovi posetioci brzo privukli interesovanje

of European scholars and cartographers.

evropskih akademika i kartografa.

Since Ethiopia had been converted to Christianity in the 4th century,

Pošto je Etiopija prešla u hrišćanstvo u 4. veku,

the stories of their African homeland fit perfectly into Prester John’s legend.

priče o njihovoj afričkoj domovini

savršeno su se uklapale u legendu o prezviteru Jovanu.

Portuguese explorers scoured Africa for the kingdom,

Portugalski istraživači su pretraživali Afriku da bi našli kraljevstvo,

until a mix of confusion and diplomacy finally turned myth into reality.

sve dok mešavina zbrke i diplomatije konačno nije pretvorila mit u stvarnost.

The Ethiopians graciously received their European guests,

Etiopljani su ljubazno primili svoje evropske goste

who were eager to do business with the ruler

koji su snažno želeli da sarađuju sa vladarom

they believed to be Prester John.

za koga su smatrali da je prezviter Jovan.

Though the Ethiopians were initially confused by the Portuguese’s

Mada su Etiopljani bili najpre zbunjeni

zbog neobičnog portugalskog imena za njihovog cara,

unusual name for their Emperor,

they were savvy enough to recognize the diplomatic capital it afforded them.

bili su dovoljno pametni da prepoznaju diplomatski kapital koji im je to pružalo.

The Ethiopian diplomats played the part of Prester John’s subjects,

Etiopijske diplomate su odigrale ulogu podanika prezvitera Jovana,

and the Portuguese triumphantly announced an alliance with the fabled sovereign—

i Portugalci su trijumfalno objavili savez sa legendarnim vladarom -

over 350 years after the European letter had begun the search.

više od 350 godina otkad je potraga započela evropskim pismom.

But this long-awaited partnership was quickly tested.

Ali ovo dugo iščekivano partnerstvo ubrzo je stavljeno na proveru.

A decade later, the Sultanate of Adal,

Deceniju kasnije je Adalski sultanat,

a regional power supported by the Ottoman Empire, invaded Ethiopia.

regionalna sila koju je podržavalo Otomansko carstvo, napao Etiopiju.

The Portuguese sent troops that helped Ethiopians win this conflict.

Portugalci su poslali trupe

koje su pomogle Etiopljanima da pobede u ovom sukobu.

But by this time,

Ali u tom trenutku bilo je jasno

it was clear that Ethiopia was not the powerful ally Europe had hoped.

da Etiopija nije moćan saveznik kakvom se Evropa nadala.

Worse still, the increasingly intolerant Roman Catholic Church

Što je još gore, sve netolerantnija Rimokatolička crkva

now deemed the Ethiopian sect of Christianity heretical.

sada je etiopsku sektu hrišćanstva smatrala jeretičkom.

Their subsequent attempts to convert the people

Njihovi kasniji pokušaji preobraćanja naroda

they once revered as ideal Christians

koje su ranije poštovali kao idealne hrišćane

would eventually spark a civil war,

na kraju će pokrenuti građanski rat,

and in the 1630s, Ethiopia cut ties with Europe.

a 1630-ih je Etiopija prekinula veze s Evropom.

Over the next two centuries,

Tokom naredna dva veka,

the legend of Prester John slowly faded into oblivion—

legenda o prezviteru Jovanu polako je odlazila u zaborav,

ending the reign of a king who made history despite having never existed.

okončavši vladavinu kralja koji je stvarao istoriju

uprkos tome što nikad nije ni postojao.