Géza II of Hungary
Encyclopedia
Géza II (1130, Tolna – 31 May 1162), King of Hungary
, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama (1141–1162). He ascended the throne as a child and during his minority the kingdom was governed by his mother and uncle. As ruler, he was one of the most powerful monarchs of Hungary, and intervened successfully in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries.
and his wife, Helena of Raška
. He was only a baby when his mother introduced him and his brother Ladislaus
to the barons assembled in Arad
in order to persuade them to massacre her husband's opponents.
He was crowned three days after his father's death on 13 February 1141. As he was still a minor, his mother served as regent of the kingdom, helped by her brother (his uncle), Beloš
. She faced challenges from Boris
, the son of King Coloman's adulterous queen, who disputed Géza's claim to the throne.
In April 1146, Boris managed to occupy the fortress of Pozsony
. Hungarian troops eventually reoccupied the fortress, but Henry II, Duke of Austria
, intervened in the struggles on behalf of the pretender. Géza personally led his armies against the Austrian troops and defeated them on 11 September.
In 1146, Géza married Euphrosyne
, sister of Grand Prince Iziaslav II of Kiev
.
In June 1147, the Crusader
Army of King Conrad III of Germany
passed through Hungary without major conflicts, then King Louis VII of France
arrived in the country, followed by the pretender Boris, who had secretly joined the French Crusaders. Although King Louis VII refused to extradite the pretender to Géza, he did promise to take him abroad under close custody.
In 1148, Géza sent troops to his brother-in-law Iziaslav II against Prince Vladimir of Chernihiv. In 1149, he assisted his maternal uncle, Duke Uroš II of Raška against the Byzantine Empire
. In 1150, Géza sent new troops to Iziaslav, who had been struggling against Prince Yuri I of Suzdal
, but his brother-in-law was not able to maintain his rule in Kiev. In the same year, the Serbian and Hungarian armies were defeated by the Byzantine troops, therefore Duke Uroš II had to accept Byzantine rule over Raška
.
In the autumn of 1150, Géza led his armies against Prince Vladimirko of Halicz
(son-in-law of the late King Coloman), but the prince managed to persuade Géza's advisors to convince their king to give up the campaign. It can be found in a Ruthenian chronicle Hypatian Codex
, where at the date of 1150 one can read: The Hungarian King Géza II crossed the mountains and seized the stronghold of Sanok
with its governor as well as many villages in Przemyśl
area. In 1152, Géza and Iziaslav II joined together against Halych, and defeated Volodymyrko's
armies at the San River. Géza had to return to his kingdom because, during his campaign, Boris attacked the southern territories of Hungary supported by Byzantine troops. However, Géza would defeat the pretender and made a truce with the Byzantine Empire
.
In 1154, he supported the rebellion of Andronikos Komnenos
against Emperor Manuel I
and laid siege to Barancs
, but the emperor had overcome his cousin's conspiracy and liberated the fortress.
In 1157, Géza's younger brother, Stephen
conspired against him supported by their uncle, Beloš. After Géza defeated their conspiracy, Stephen fled to the court of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
. Géza sent envoys to the emperor and promised to assist him with troops against Milan
prompting Frederick to refuse any support from Stephen, who then fled to Constantinople
. Stephen was followed, in 1159, by Géza's other brother, Ladislaus
, who had also conspired against Géza.
In 1161, inspired by the new Archbishop of Esztergom, Lukács, Géza not only acknowledged the legitimacy of Pope Alexander III
instead of Antipope Victor IV
, who had been supported by Emperor Frederick I, but he also renounced the right of investiture
.
He was buried in Székesfehérvár
.
(c. 1130 – c. 1193), daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev
and his second wife, Liubava Dmitrievna
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King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama (1141–1162). He ascended the throne as a child and during his minority the kingdom was governed by his mother and uncle. As ruler, he was one of the most powerful monarchs of Hungary, and intervened successfully in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries.
Early years
Géza was the eldest son of King Béla II of HungaryBéla II of Hungary
Béla II the Blind , King of Hungary and Croatia . Still as a child, Béla was blinded by his uncle, King Coloman who wanted to ensure the succession of his own son, the future King Stephen II...
and his wife, Helena of Raška
Helena of Raška
Helena of Serbia was Queen consort of Hungary through her marriage with Béla II, who ruled 1131–1141.-Life:Helena was the daughter of Duke Uroš I of Rascia and his wife, Anna Diogene-Vukanović...
. He was only a baby when his mother introduced him and his brother Ladislaus
Ladislaus II of Hungary
Ladislaus II , King of Hungary. As a younger son, he was able to ascend to the throne only with the assistance of the Byzantine Empire against his nephew, King Stephen III after his brother's death...
to the barons assembled in Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
in order to persuade them to massacre her husband's opponents.
He was crowned three days after his father's death on 13 February 1141. As he was still a minor, his mother served as regent of the kingdom, helped by her brother (his uncle), Beloš
Beloš Vukanović
Beloš , a member of the Vukanović dynasty of Serbia, was the Regent of Hungary 1141-1146 alongside his sister Helen, who was married to Béla II with whom she had a son, Géza II, still an infant. He held the title of dux, and was the viceregal of Croatia 1142-1158 and 1163. Beloš, as a member of...
. She faced challenges from Boris
Boris Kalamanos
Boris Kalamanos was a pretender who claimed the Hungarian throne. He desperately tried to assert his claims with the assistance of Poland, the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, but he failed and died in exile.-His descent:...
, the son of King Coloman's adulterous queen, who disputed Géza's claim to the throne.
In April 1146, Boris managed to occupy the fortress of Pozsony
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
. Hungarian troops eventually reoccupied the fortress, but Henry II, Duke of Austria
Henry II, Duke of Austria
Henry II , Count Palatine of the Rhine, 1140–1141, Margrave of Austria from 1141 to 1156 and, as Henry XI, also Duke of Bavaria from 1141 to 1156, Duke of Austria, 1156–1177, was a prince of the Babenberg dynasty....
, intervened in the struggles on behalf of the pretender. Géza personally led his armies against the Austrian troops and defeated them on 11 September.
King of Hungary
As an adult, Géza had a reputation as a well-respected king, whose nobles did not dare to scheme against him. The power and valor of his army was also commented upon, and Géza did not hesitate to involve himself in politics.In 1146, Géza married Euphrosyne
Euphrosyne of Kiev
Euphrosyne of Kiev was Queen consort of Hungary.Euphrosyne was the first daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and his second wife, Liubava Dmitrievna...
, sister of Grand Prince Iziaslav II of Kiev
Iziaslav II of Kiev
Iziaslav II Mstislavich , Prince of Pereyaslav , Prince of Turov , Prince of Rostov , Prince of Vladimir and Volyn , Pereyaslavl , Velikiy Kniaz of Kiev , was the oldest son of Mstislav Vladimirovich, Kniaz' , and...
.
In June 1147, the Crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
Army of King Conrad III of Germany
Conrad III of Germany
Conrad III was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, and Agnes, a daughter of the Salian Emperor Henry IV.-Life and reign:...
passed through Hungary without major conflicts, then King Louis VII of France
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
arrived in the country, followed by the pretender Boris, who had secretly joined the French Crusaders. Although King Louis VII refused to extradite the pretender to Géza, he did promise to take him abroad under close custody.
In 1148, Géza sent troops to his brother-in-law Iziaslav II against Prince Vladimir of Chernihiv. In 1149, he assisted his maternal uncle, Duke Uroš II of Raška against the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. In 1150, Géza sent new troops to Iziaslav, who had been struggling against Prince Yuri I of Suzdal
Yuri Dolgoruki
Prince Yuri I Dolgorukiy , also known as George I of Rus, was the founder of Moscow and a key figure in the transition of political power from Kiev to Vladimir-Suzdal following the death of his elder brother Mstislav the Great...
, but his brother-in-law was not able to maintain his rule in Kiev. In the same year, the Serbian and Hungarian armies were defeated by the Byzantine troops, therefore Duke Uroš II had to accept Byzantine rule over Raška
Raška (state)
Principality of Serbia or Serbian Principality was an early medieval state of the Serbs ruled by the Vlastimirović dynasty, that existed from ca 768 to 969 in Southeastern Europe. It was established through an unification of several provincial chiefs under the supreme rule of a certain Višeslav,...
.
In the autumn of 1150, Géza led his armies against Prince Vladimirko of Halicz
Volodymyrko Volodarovych
Volodymyrko Volodarovych - Galician prince , son of Volodar Rostyslavych....
(son-in-law of the late King Coloman), but the prince managed to persuade Géza's advisors to convince their king to give up the campaign. It can be found in a Ruthenian chronicle Hypatian Codex
Hypatian Codex
The Hypatian Codex is a compendium of three chronicles: the Primary Chronicle, Kiev Chronicle, and Galician-Volhynian Chronicle. It is the most important source of historical data for southern Rus'...
, where at the date of 1150 one can read: The Hungarian King Géza II crossed the mountains and seized the stronghold of Sanok
Sanok
Sanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
with its governor as well as many villages in Przemyśl
Przemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
area. In 1152, Géza and Iziaslav II joined together against Halych, and defeated Volodymyrko's
Volodymyrko Volodarovych
Volodymyrko Volodarovych - Galician prince , son of Volodar Rostyslavych....
armies at the San River. Géza had to return to his kingdom because, during his campaign, Boris attacked the southern territories of Hungary supported by Byzantine troops. However, Géza would defeat the pretender and made a truce with the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
.
In 1154, he supported the rebellion of Andronikos Komnenos
Andronikos I Komnenos
Andronikos I Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1183 to 1185). He was the son of Isaac Komnenos and grandson of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.-Early years:...
against Emperor Manuel I
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
and laid siege to Barancs
Branicevo
Braničevo can refer to:* Braničevo , a geographical region in Serbia.* Braničevo District, a district in Serbia.* Braničevo , a village in Serbia, in the Golubac municipality....
, but the emperor had overcome his cousin's conspiracy and liberated the fortress.
In 1157, Géza's younger brother, Stephen
Stephen IV of Hungary
Stephen IV , King of Hungary . In his youth, he rebelled against his brother, King Géza II of Hungary and had to flee to the Court of the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel I Komnenos...
conspired against him supported by their uncle, Beloš. After Géza defeated their conspiracy, Stephen fled to the court of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
. Géza sent envoys to the emperor and promised to assist him with troops against Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
prompting Frederick to refuse any support from Stephen, who then fled to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. Stephen was followed, in 1159, by Géza's other brother, Ladislaus
Ladislaus II of Hungary
Ladislaus II , King of Hungary. As a younger son, he was able to ascend to the throne only with the assistance of the Byzantine Empire against his nephew, King Stephen III after his brother's death...
, who had also conspired against Géza.
In 1161, inspired by the new Archbishop of Esztergom, Lukács, Géza not only acknowledged the legitimacy of Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
instead of Antipope Victor IV
Antipope Victor IV
Antipope Victor IV may refer to:* Antipope Victor IV * Antipope Victor IV...
, who had been supported by Emperor Frederick I, but he also renounced the right of investiture
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
.
He was buried in Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
.
Marriage and children
# 1146: Euphrosyne of KievEuphrosyne of Kiev
Euphrosyne of Kiev was Queen consort of Hungary.Euphrosyne was the first daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and his second wife, Liubava Dmitrievna...
(c. 1130 – c. 1193), daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev
Mstislav I of Kiev
Mstislav I Vladimirovich the Great was the Grand Prince of Kiev , the eldest son of Vladimir II Monomakh by Gytha of Wessex...
and his second wife, Liubava Dmitrievna
- King Stephen III of HungaryStephen III of HungaryStephen III , King of Hungary King of Croatia and Dalmatia . He ascended the throne as a child and he had to stand up against his uncles who usurped the crown supported by the Byzantine Empire...
(1147 – 4 March 1172). - King Béla III of HungaryBéla III of HungaryBéla III was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was educated in the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I who was planning to ensure his succession in the Byzantine Empire till the birth of his own son...
(1148 – 23 April 1196). - Elisabeth (c. 1149 – after 1189), wife of Duke Frederick of BohemiaFrederick of BohemiaFrederick was the duke of Olomouc from 1164 and then duke of Bohemia from 1172 to 1173 and again from 1178 to his death. He was the son of King Vladislaus II, who abdicated in 1172 in his favour...
. - Duke GézaGéza, royal prince of HungaryGéza was a Hungarian royal Prince, son of the King Géza II of Hungary. Prince Géza was brother of the King's Stephen III and Béla III of Hungary...
(c. 1150 – before 1210). - Arpad, died young.
- Odola (1156 – 1199), wife of Duke Sviatopluk of Bohemia.
- HelenaHelena of HungaryHelena of Hungary was the daughter of King Géza II of Hungary and his wife, Euphrosyne of Kiev, daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev by his second wife, Liubava Dmitrievna.-Life:...
(c. 1158 – 25 May 1199), wife of Duke Leopold V of AustriaLeopold V, Duke of AustriaLeopold V , the Virtuous, was a Babenberg duke of Austria from 1177 and of Styria from 1192 until his death...
. - Margaret (Margit) (1162 – ?), born posthumously; wife firstly of Isaac Macrodukas and secondly of András, Obergespan of Somogy.
Sources
- Engel, Pat. Realm of St Stephen: a History of Medieval Hungary, 2001
- Kristó Gyula — Makk Ferenc: Az Árpád-ház uralkodói (IPC Könyvek, 1996)
- Korai Magyar Történeti Lexikon (9–14. század), főszerkesztő: Kristó Gyula, szerkesztők: Engel Pál és Makk Ferenc (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1994)
- Magyarország Történeti Kronológiája I. – A kezdetektől 1526-ig, főszerkesztő: Benda Kálmán (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1981)
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