Simeon Uroš

Simeon Uroš
Emperor of Serbs and Greeks (pretender)
Fresco from 1346, Visoki Dečani
Ruler of Epirus
Reign	1359–66
Predecessor	Nikephoros II Orsini
Successor	Thomas Preljubović
Ruler of Thessaly
Reign	1360–70
Predecessor	Nikephoros II Orsini
Successor	John Uroš
Born	c. 1326 Kingdom of Serbia
Died	1370
Spouse	Thomais Orsini
Issue	John Uroš Stefan Uroš Maria
Dynasty	Nemanjić
Father	Stephen Uroš III of Serbia
Mother	Maria Palaiologina, Queen of Serbia
Religion	Eastern Orthodoxy

Simeon Uroš (Serbian Cyrillic: Симеон Урош, Greek: Συμεών Ούρεσης; c. 1326–1370), nicknamed Siniša (Синиша), was the Emperor of Epirus from 1359 to 1366, and of Thessaly from 1359 until his death in 1370. He initially governed Epirus and Acarnania under his half-brother Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55) from 1348 until Dušan's death in 1355, when Simeon ruled these regions as self-proclaimed Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks in rivalry with his nephew Stefan Uroš V.

Simeon Uroš was the son of King Stefan Dečanski (r. 1322–31) by his second wife, Maria Palaiologina, the daughter of the Byzantine prince and rebel John Palaiologos who had joined Dečanski's raids in Macedonia in 1326, the same year Simeon Uroš was born. His older, half-brother, Dušan was crowned "Young king" (designated heir) in 1322 during the crowning of their father.

Stefan Dušan was crowned King in September 1331, after months of civil war. Dušan exploited the Byzantine civil war and made major gains beginning in 1342. Having all of Macedonia under his rule, Stefan Dušan was proclaimed "Emperor of Serbs and Greeks" in September 1345, then crowned as such in April 1346. Dušan, as an emperor, granted Byzantine titles upon his magnates. Simeon Uroš and Jovan Asen were given the despot title, while others were given the sebastokrator and kesar titles.

With the Serbian conquest of Epirus, Acarnania and Thessaly by 1348, Simeon Uroš was given the governorship of Epirus and Thessaly. Simeon Uroš consolidated his position with the local aristocracy by marrying Thomais Orsini, the daughter of the former ruler of Epirus, John II Orsini.