Sultan Ahmed III | Martyria

Theatrum No. II (XVIII) / 2024 Constantin Alexandru Popa

The play The Happiest Man on Earth dramatises the final days of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, from his deposition by the envoy of Sultan Ahmed III to his execution and that of his sons in Istanbul, exploring through intense dialogue the themes of faith, power, gold and paternal sacrifice. The audience is presented with the portrait of a lucid martyr who refuses to renounce his faith despite pressure from the sultan and the betrayal of Ștefan Cantacuzino, choosing death alongside his sons rather than survival at the cost of renouncing the Christian faith.

Ars Christiana No. I (XVII) / 2024 A film like a lament: ‘Ecce Homo Brâncoveanu’ Elena Dulgheru

Dan Pița’s film Ecce Homo Brâncoveanu (2024) re-enacts the martyrdom of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu and his family, drawing on a Christian lament and a historical parable, with Dorel Vișan in the role of the steward Cantacuzino. The review highlights a low-budget film with laudable iconic ambitions, but one marred by modest set design, uneven acting and insufficient resources.

Studia Humanitatis No. I (XI) / 2021 On the deposition and beheading of Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu: details from the domestic chronicles Dr. Oana-Mădălina Popescu

The study analyses the causes of the deposition and beheading of Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu (15 August 1714), based on domestic narrative sources — the chronicles of Radu Popescu, the Anonymous Chronicle, the accounts of Anton-Maria del Chiaro and Dimitrie Cantemir — and the Ottoman documents published by Mihai Maxim, demonstrating that the Cantacuzino family orchestrated the voivode’s downfall through intrigues, forgeries and denunciations, with the aim of seizing the rule of Wallachia.

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