Stjepan Držislav

Stephen Držislav
The "pleter" with inscription of Stephen Držislav, 10th century.
King of Croatia
Reign	969–997
Coronation	988
Predecessor	Mihajlo Krešimir II
Successor	Svetoslav Suronja
Died	997
Burial	Church of St. Stephen, Solin
Issue	Svetoslav Krešimir III Gojslav
Royal House	House of Trpimirović
Father	Mihajlo Krešimir II
Mother	Jelena of Zadar
Religion	Christian

Stephen Držislav (Croatian: Stjepan Držislav, Latin: Dirzislaus) (died 997) was King of Croatia from 969 AD until his death in 997. He was a member of the Trpimirović dynasty. He ruled from Biograd with Godemir as his Ban.

Stjepan Držislav was a son of king Mihajlo Krešimir II and his wife, queen Jelena of Zadar. Jelena acted as a regent for the young king from 969 until her death on 8 October 976. In a war of Byzantine emperor Basil II against Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria, Stjepan Držislav allied with the Byzantines. After the Byzantine Emperor Basil II managed to defend every single coastal Adriatic City during Samuil's rampage towards Zadar in 986, the cities were returned to Croatian control. Samuil, however, invaded central Croatia and conquered the territories of Bosnia between the rivers of Drina and Bosna. Samuil pursued some of his cousins during the war and they often sought help in Croatia. King Držislav had taken fourteen of them, gave them hospitality and a residence near Klis. According to the Archbishop of Split Martin, in 994 they collected money for the construction of the Orthodox St. Michael church in Solin.

In an effort to compensate and award Držislav for his alliance, the Eastern Roman Emperor named Stjepan Držislav Patriarch and an Exarch of Dalmatia, which gave him formal authority over the Theme of Dalmatia. Stjepan Držislav received royal insigia as an act of recognition from the Byzantine Emperor. He was crowned by the Archbishop of Split in Biograd in 988.