Agnes of Poland
Encyclopedia
Agnes of Poland was a Polish princess member of the House of Piast and by marriage Princess
of Pereyaslavl
and Volynia and Grand Princess
of Kiev
since 1168.
She was the daughter of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland
, by his second wife Salomea
, daughter of Henry, Count of Berg.
who visited the court of Dowager Duchess Salomea in Łęczyca between 1140 and early 1141; in his reports, he mentioned that Agnes was three years old. As in 1138 Salomea gave birth the future Casimir II the Just
, Agnes was born a year earlier.
She was probably named after the wife of his half-brother Władysław II, Agnes of Babenberg
, even though it's unwillingness to Salomea of Berg. It's also possible that she was named after his father's half-sister Agnes, Abbess of Gandersheim and Quedlinburg.
In 1141 Salomea of Berg organized a meeting in Łęczyca, where his eldest sons (Bolesław IV and Mieszko III
), and the lords had to decide, among other things, the future of Agnes. They had two options: sent her to the Benedictine monastery in Zwiefalten
(where her older sister Gertruda was already a nun) or married her with one of the ruling princes of that time. Eventually it was decided the alliance with Kievan Rus'
, and thus gain an ally against Władysław II. According to the majority of historians, the chosen groom was Prince Mstislav Iziaslavich
. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that ten years later he married Agnes. The second view as a candidate for the hand of Agnes was one of the sons of the Grand Prince of Kiev, Vsevolod II Olgovich
. Soon after, he reject the proposal of the Junior Dukes and their mother and choose the alliance with Władysław II, reinforced in 1142 when his eldest son Bolesław married with Vsevolod II's daughter Zvenislava.
Władysław II wasn't invited to the Łęczyca meeting, despite the fact that, as the High Duke, he had the final voice on Agnes' engagement. In retaliation for this omission, in the winter of 1142-1143 he supported Kievan military actions against Salomea and her sons. The first clash between the brothers was a complete success by the High Duke.
of Pereyaslavl
, eldest son of Grand Prince
Iziaslav II of Kiev
. The Chronicler Wincenty Kadłubek, who knew the Piast-Rurikids affinities, explicitly described in his Chronica Poloniae
that Agnes was given to Mstislav as wife. Further confirmation of this fact where: Mstislav's eldest son was called nephew of Casimir II the Just, and the relationship existing between Roman the Great and Leszek the White is described as cousins in the second degree. In addition, Roman is named jątrwią (wife's brother), of Leszek in the Hypatian Codex
. Therefore, is Mstislav had to marry with any of Bolesław III's daughters, the only one who could marry was Agnes.
During her marriage, Agnes bore her husband three sons: Roman the Great
, Vsevolod and Vladimir. Mstislav's firstborn son, Sviatoslav, is considered by the majority of historians an illegitimate child.
After Grand Prince Iziaslav II's death, Mstislav lost his Principality of Pereyaslavl (1155) and took refuge with his wife in Poland
. However, the next year he was able to return and conquer Lutzk (during 1155-1157) and Volynia (during 1157-1170). In May 1168, after the death of Rostislav Mstislavich
, Mstislav became in the Grand Prince of Kiev and Agnes in the Grand Princess consort.
However, Mstislav II's reign was short-lived: in December 1169 a great coalition of Rurikid princes led by Prince Andrei I Bogolyubsky of Vladimir-Suzdal
and his son Mstislav was created against him. Unable to defend Kiev, Mstislav II fled to Volynia, leaving his family at the mercy of his enemies. Two months later (February 1170), Mstislav II was able to recover Kiev thanks to the citizenship, who favored his rule; but in April of that year he was again expelled from Kiev, this time for good. The deposed Grand Prince retired to his domains in Volynia, where he died on 19 August 1170.
, was exiled by his half-brothers as a result of the allegations that he was illegitimate. Then Casimir II the Just invaded Brest and restored him in his domains. The Chronicle of the Chapter of Kraków informs about an expedition of Casimir II into Kievan Rus'
in 1182.
Agnes's later fate is unknown. It's also unknown where she died or where she was buried.
From her three sons, only the eldest, Roman the Great and Vsevolod of Bielsk leave descendants. Vsevolod bloodline apparently ended with his four grandchildren, although it's seemed that one of them, Roman, was the direct ancestor of the Princely House of Drutskoy-Sokolinsky, who became extant in the 19th century.
Roman the Great, Agnes' eldest son, reunited almost all the paternal heritage and in 1203 he could conquer Kiev and became in the Grand Prince, but two years later he was killed in battle, leaving two minor sons. The eldest of this sons, Daniel, could conquer Kiev
in 1239 and was named King
of Galicia in 1253. Vasylko, Daniel's younger brother, succeeded him in Galicia in 1260 and his bloodline ended with his two children.
Daniel's descendants maintain the rule over Galicia until 1349, when Poland absorved the Kingdom. Apparently his bloodline ended with his great-great-granddaughter Euphemia, wife of Liubartas of Lithuania
.
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
of Pereyaslavl
Pereyaslavl
Pereyaslavl can refer to:* Pereslavl-Zalessky - a town in the Yaroslavl Oblast in Russia * Pereyaslavl Ryazansky - renamed Ryazan in 1778...
and Volynia and Grand Princess
Grand Princess
Grand Princess is a Grand-class cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises. Built in 1998 by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani in Monfalcone , Italy, at a cost of approximately US$450 million, she was the largest and most expensive passenger ship ever built at the time...
of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
since 1168.
She was the daughter of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, by his second wife Salomea
Salomea of Berg
Salomea of Berg was a German noblewoman and by marriage Duchess of Poland.She was the daughter of Swabian Count Henry of Berg Castle by his wife Adelaide of Mochental , probably a sister of Margrave Diepold III of Vohburg...
, daughter of Henry, Count of Berg.
Early years
Agnes was the penultimate child and youngest daughter of her parents. The date of birth is known thanks to Ortlieb, benedictine monk of ZwiefaltenZwiefalten
Zwiefalten is a municipality in the district of Reutlingen, located halfway between Stuttgart and Lake Constance. The former Zwiefalten Abbey dominates the town...
who visited the court of Dowager Duchess Salomea in Łęczyca between 1140 and early 1141; in his reports, he mentioned that Agnes was three years old. As in 1138 Salomea gave birth the future Casimir II the Just
Casimir II the Just
Casimir II the Just was a Lesser Polish duke at Wiślica during 1166–1173, and at Sandomierz since 1173. He became ruler over the Polish Seniorate Province at Kraków and thereby High Duke of Poland in 1177; a position he held until his death, interrupted once by his elder brother and predecessor...
, Agnes was born a year earlier.
She was probably named after the wife of his half-brother Władysław II, Agnes of Babenberg
Agnes of Babenberg
Agnes of Babenberg , was a German noblewoman, a scion of the Franconian House of Babenberg and by marriage High Duchess of Poland and Duchess of Silesia....
, even though it's unwillingness to Salomea of Berg. It's also possible that she was named after his father's half-sister Agnes, Abbess of Gandersheim and Quedlinburg.
In 1141 Salomea of Berg organized a meeting in Łęczyca, where his eldest sons (Bolesław IV and Mieszko III
Mieszko III the Old
Mieszko III the Old , of the royal Piast dynasty, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1138 and High Duke of Poland, with interruptions, from 1173 until his death....
), and the lords had to decide, among other things, the future of Agnes. They had two options: sent her to the Benedictine monastery in Zwiefalten
Zwiefalten
Zwiefalten is a municipality in the district of Reutlingen, located halfway between Stuttgart and Lake Constance. The former Zwiefalten Abbey dominates the town...
(where her older sister Gertruda was already a nun) or married her with one of the ruling princes of that time. Eventually it was decided the alliance with Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
, and thus gain an ally against Władysław II. According to the majority of historians, the chosen groom was Prince Mstislav Iziaslavich
Mstislav II of Kiev
Mstislav II Izyaslavich , Kniaz' of Pereyaslav, Volodymyr-Volynsky and Velikiy Kniaz of Kiev . Son of Izyaslav Mstislavich, Velikiy Kniaz' of Kiev....
. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that ten years later he married Agnes. The second view as a candidate for the hand of Agnes was one of the sons of the Grand Prince of Kiev, Vsevolod II Olgovich
Vsevolod II of Kiev
Vsevolod II Olgovich was the Prince of Chernigov and Grand Prince of Kiev , son of Oleg Svyatoslavich, Prince of Chernigov....
. Soon after, he reject the proposal of the Junior Dukes and their mother and choose the alliance with Władysław II, reinforced in 1142 when his eldest son Bolesław married with Vsevolod II's daughter Zvenislava.
Władysław II wasn't invited to the Łęczyca meeting, despite the fact that, as the High Duke, he had the final voice on Agnes' engagement. In retaliation for this omission, in the winter of 1142-1143 he supported Kievan military actions against Salomea and her sons. The first clash between the brothers was a complete success by the High Duke.
Marriage
Probably between the end of 1149 and 1151, Agnes married with Prince Mstislav IziaslavichMstislav II of Kiev
Mstislav II Izyaslavich , Kniaz' of Pereyaslav, Volodymyr-Volynsky and Velikiy Kniaz of Kiev . Son of Izyaslav Mstislavich, Velikiy Kniaz' of Kiev....
of Pereyaslavl
Pereyaslavl
Pereyaslavl can refer to:* Pereslavl-Zalessky - a town in the Yaroslavl Oblast in Russia * Pereyaslavl Ryazansky - renamed Ryazan in 1778...
, eldest son of Grand Prince
Grand Prince
The title grand prince or great prince ranked in honour below emperor and tsar and above a sovereign prince .Grand duke is the usual and established, though not literal, translation of these terms in English and Romance languages, which do not normally use separate words for a "prince" who reigns...
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...
. The Chronicler Wincenty Kadłubek, who knew the Piast-Rurikids affinities, explicitly described in his Chronica Poloniae
Chronica seu originale regum et principum Poloniae
Chronica seu originale regum et principum Poloniae is a Latin history of Poland written by Wincenty Kadłubek between 1190 and 1208 CE. The work was probably commissioned by Casimir II of Poland...
that Agnes was given to Mstislav as wife. Further confirmation of this fact where: Mstislav's eldest son was called nephew of Casimir II the Just, and the relationship existing between Roman the Great and Leszek the White is described as cousins in the second degree. In addition, Roman is named jątrwią (wife's brother), of Leszek in the 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'...
. Therefore, is Mstislav had to marry with any of Bolesław III's daughters, the only one who could marry was Agnes.
During her marriage, Agnes bore her husband three sons: Roman the Great
Roman the Great
Roman Mstislavich , also Roman Mstyslavych or Roman the Great, was a Rus’ prince, Grand Prince of Kiev ....
, Vsevolod and Vladimir. Mstislav's firstborn son, Sviatoslav, is considered by the majority of historians an illegitimate child.
After Grand Prince Iziaslav II's death, Mstislav lost his Principality of Pereyaslavl (1155) and took refuge with his wife in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. However, the next year he was able to return and conquer Lutzk (during 1155-1157) and Volynia (during 1157-1170). In May 1168, after the death of Rostislav Mstislavich
Rostislav I of Kiev
Rostislav Mstislavich , Kniaz' of Smolensk , Novgorod and Velikiy Kniaz of Kiev . He was the son of Mstislav I of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden....
, Mstislav became in the Grand Prince of Kiev and Agnes in the Grand Princess consort.
However, Mstislav II's reign was short-lived: in December 1169 a great coalition of Rurikid princes led by Prince Andrei I Bogolyubsky of Vladimir-Suzdal
Vladimir-Suzdal
The Vladimir-Suzdal Principality or Vladimir-Suzdal Rus’ was one of the major principalities which succeeded Kievan Rus' in the late 12th century and lasted until the late 14th century. For a long time the Principality was a vassal of the Mongolian Golden Horde...
and his son Mstislav was created against him. Unable to defend Kiev, Mstislav II fled to Volynia, leaving his family at the mercy of his enemies. Two months later (February 1170), Mstislav II was able to recover Kiev thanks to the citizenship, who favored his rule; but in April of that year he was again expelled from Kiev, this time for good. The deposed Grand Prince retired to his domains in Volynia, where he died on 19 August 1170.
Death and Aftermaths
The last mention of Agnes as a living person comes from the Chronica Poloniae of Wincenty Kadłubek. Sviatoslav, Prince of BrestBrest, Belarus
Brest , formerly also Brest-on-the-Bug and Brest-Litovsk , is a city in Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the city of Terespol, where the Bug River and Mukhavets rivers meet...
, was exiled by his half-brothers as a result of the allegations that he was illegitimate. Then Casimir II the Just invaded Brest and restored him in his domains. The Chronicle of the Chapter of Kraków informs about an expedition of Casimir II into Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
in 1182.
Agnes's later fate is unknown. It's also unknown where she died or where she was buried.
From her three sons, only the eldest, Roman the Great and Vsevolod of Bielsk leave descendants. Vsevolod bloodline apparently ended with his four grandchildren, although it's seemed that one of them, Roman, was the direct ancestor of the Princely House of Drutskoy-Sokolinsky, who became extant in the 19th century.
Roman the Great, Agnes' eldest son, reunited almost all the paternal heritage and in 1203 he could conquer Kiev and became in the Grand Prince, but two years later he was killed in battle, leaving two minor sons. The eldest of this sons, Daniel, could conquer Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in 1239 and was named King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
of Galicia in 1253. Vasylko, Daniel's younger brother, succeeded him in Galicia in 1260 and his bloodline ended with his two children.
Daniel's descendants maintain the rule over Galicia until 1349, when Poland absorved the Kingdom. Apparently his bloodline ended with his great-great-granddaughter Euphemia, wife of Liubartas of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.