Ioan Iacob Heraclid
Encyclopedia
Ioan Iacob Heraclid (1511–1563), also known as Jacob Heraclides, was a Greek
soldier and ruler of Moldavia
from November 1561 to November 1563, most notable for being the first officially Protestant
monarch in Eastern Europe
.
or Samos
, he was the adopted son of a Despot of Samos (from whom he acquired his full name, along with a claim for legitimacy). Educated by John Laskarides, a scholar descended from the Imperial
family of the Laskarides (see List of Byzantine emperors), Heraclid travelled over much of Europe. He fought as a mercenary
in the Holy Roman Empire
armies of Charles V
, in his war against Henry II of France
(the Italian War of 1551
).
After their defeat in the Battle of Renty
(1554), the Despot passed through Brussels
on his way to Wittenberg
. He had already adhered to Protestantism, and was an acqaintance of Philipp Melanchthon
and other religious leaders.
, pretending to be a relative of Ruxandra's, Lăpuşneanu's wife. Heraclid befriended the usurper Moţoc and was forced to flee, first to Braşov
, and then to the Transylvania
n estate
of Albert Laski. Laski was soon convinced to aid Heraclid in his bid for the throne, and even to pawn
his lands as a loan to Despot.
Heraclid gathered military support - we see mention of a Hungarian
or Transylvanian mercenary named Anton Szekelyi, and a Burgundian one named Roussel. His first attempt was obstructed by Lăpuşneanu's Polish overlord, Sigismund II of Poland. With help from Emperor Ferdinand I
and the powerful Jewish trader Joseph Nasi
, Despot managed to defeat the Moldavian forces in November 1561. Such a successful intervention was without precedent in Moldavian history, although it had been announced by the progressive decay of Princes' authority in the previous decade.
Manifestly breaking apart with tradition, Heraclid ruled as Despot of Moldavia, and it was the adoption of this unusual title that established his Romanian
tautological
moniker - Despot Vodă (The Despot Voivode or Despot the Voivode). He soon appeased the Ottoman Empire
, Moldavia's suzerain
, by agreeing to pay a tribute
that was raised to the sum of 50,000 scudi, and maneuvered in Istanbul
-proper by ensuring Valois
support through the French ambassador
to the Porte.
He made Lutheranism
the state Church, offending the native Eastern Orthodox
. They viewed him as an iconoclast
due to his rhetoric against images, even though he did not, in fact, destroy any icon
s. This, together with Despot's decision to marry another foreigner (a Pole), new and increased taxes and the omnipotence of his foreign retinue
led to a boyar
conspiracy
instigated by high dignitary (hatman) Ştefan Tomşa
. In the meantime, his postponement of debt payments angered Albert Laski. Faced with a large-scale rebellion, Heraclid retreated to the fortress in Suceava
and withstood a three-month siege
. At the end of it, Despot was captured and was struck to death with a mace by Tomşa himself.
school, intended as a Renaissance
academy
, led by the Transylvania
n scholar Ioannes Sommerus
(who was also to be his biographer). The institution did not survive Despot's overthrow.
Heraclid is the central figure of Despot-Vodă, an 1879 tragedy
by Vasile Alecsandri
.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
soldier and ruler of Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
from November 1561 to November 1563, most notable for being the first officially Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
monarch in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
.
Early life
Born on either CreteCrete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
or Samos
Samos Island
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional...
, he was the adopted son of a Despot of Samos (from whom he acquired his full name, along with a claim for legitimacy). Educated by John Laskarides, a scholar descended from the Imperial
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...
family of the Laskarides (see List of Byzantine emperors), Heraclid travelled over much of Europe. He fought as a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
armies of Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, in his war against Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
(the Italian War of 1551
Italian War of 1551
The Italian War of 1551 , sometimes known as the Habsburg-Valois War, began when Henry II of France, who had succeeded Francis I to the throne, declared war against Charles V with the intent of recapturing Italy and ensuring French, rather than Habsburg, domination of European...
).
After their defeat in the Battle of Renty
Battle of Renty
The Battle of Renty was fought on August 12, 1554, between France and the Holy Roman Empire at Renty, a northern French secondary theatre of the Italian Wars. The French were led by Francis, Duke of Guise, while the Imperial forces were led by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg.On August 8, the French...
(1554), the Despot passed through Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on his way to Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
. He had already adhered to Protestantism, and was an acqaintance of Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...
and other religious leaders.
In Moldavia
He came to Moldavia in 1556, in service to Voivode Alexandru LăpuşneanuAlexandru Lapusneanu
Alexandru Lăpuşneanu was Prince of Moldavia between September 1552 and 18 November 1561 and then between October 1564 and 5 May 1568....
, pretending to be a relative of Ruxandra's, Lăpuşneanu's wife. Heraclid befriended the usurper Moţoc and was forced to flee, first to Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, and then to the Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
n estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
of Albert Laski. Laski was soon convinced to aid Heraclid in his bid for the throne, and even to pawn
Pawnbroker
A pawnbroker is an individual or business that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral...
his lands as a loan to Despot.
Heraclid gathered military support - we see mention of a Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
or Transylvanian mercenary named Anton Szekelyi, and a Burgundian one named Roussel. His first attempt was obstructed by Lăpuşneanu's Polish overlord, Sigismund II of Poland. With help from Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
and the powerful Jewish trader Joseph Nasi
Joseph Nasi
Don Joseph Nasi was a Jewish diplomat and administrator, member of the House of Mendes, and influential figure in the Ottoman Empire during the rules of both Sultan Suleiman I and his son Selim II...
, Despot managed to defeat the Moldavian forces in November 1561. Such a successful intervention was without precedent in Moldavian history, although it had been announced by the progressive decay of Princes' authority in the previous decade.
Manifestly breaking apart with tradition, Heraclid ruled as Despot of Moldavia, and it was the adoption of this unusual title that established his Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
tautological
Tautology (rhetoric)
Tautology is an unnecessary or unessential repetition of meaning, using different and dissimilar words that effectively say the same thing...
moniker - Despot Vodă (The Despot Voivode or Despot the Voivode). He soon appeased the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, Moldavia's suzerain
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
, by agreeing to pay a tribute
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
that was raised to the sum of 50,000 scudi, and maneuvered in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
-proper by ensuring Valois
Valois Dynasty
The House of Valois was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, succeeding the House of Capet as kings of France from 1328 to 1589...
support through the French ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the Porte.
He made Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
the state Church, offending the native Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
. They viewed him as an iconoclast
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
due to his rhetoric against images, even though he did not, in fact, destroy any icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
s. This, together with Despot's decision to marry another foreigner (a Pole), new and increased taxes and the omnipotence of his foreign retinue
Retinue
A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble or royal personage, a suite of "retainers".-Etymology:...
led to a boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
conspiracy
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
instigated by high dignitary (hatman) Ştefan Tomşa
Stefan Tomsa
Ştefan Tomşa or Ştefan VII was the ruler of Moldavia in 1563 and 1564.-Career:Tomşa served as hatman and came to power as leader of a boyar revolt against the Lutheran Ioan Iacob Heraclid, whose attempts to impose the new usages in Moldavia offended the Eastern Orthodox sensibilities of nobles...
. In the meantime, his postponement of debt payments angered Albert Laski. Faced with a large-scale rebellion, Heraclid retreated to the fortress in Suceava
Suceava
Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
and withstood a three-month siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
. At the end of it, Despot was captured and was struck to death with a mace by Tomşa himself.
Legacy
In 1562, Heraclid founded the CotnariCotnari
Cotnari is a village and the center of the eponymous commune in Iaşi County, Romania, in the informal region of Moldova. It is located north-west of Iaşi and south of Hârlău, in a major wine-producing region of Romania, and is famous for the wine variety known as Grasă de Cotnari...
school, intended as a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
, led by the Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
n scholar Ioannes Sommerus
Ioannes Sommerus
Johann Sommer or in Latin Ioannes Sommerus was a Transylvanian Saxon Protestant theologian, poet and Despot Vodă's biographer.In 1562 he enrolled at University of Frankfurt, but did not graduate...
(who was also to be his biographer). The institution did not survive Despot's overthrow.
Heraclid is the central figure of Despot-Vodă, an 1879 tragedy
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
by Vasile Alecsandri
Vasile Alecsandri
Vasile Alecsandri was a Romanian poet, playwright, politician, and diplomat. He collected Romanian folk songs and was one of the principal animators of the 19th century movement for Romanian cultural identity and union of Moldavia and Wallachia....
.