Ladislaus II of Hungary
Encyclopedia
Ladislaus II (1131 – 14 January 1163), 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. Although the majority of the Hungarian nobles accepted his rule based on the tradition that gave precedence to the eldest male member of the royal family ahead of the deceased king's son, the head of the Catholic Church in Hungary did not accept the legitimacy of his rule.
and his wife, Helena of Raška
. He was only a baby when his mother introduced him and his brother, Géza
, to the barons assembled in Arad
in order to persuade them to massacre her husband's opponents, which he did at the age of 4.
After the occupation of Bosnia
, his father named Ladislaus the duke of the province in 1137, although the province was governed by the administrators appointed by the king. When King Béla II died on 13 February 1141, Ladislaus' brother, Géza II, ascended the throne. In 1152, the king organised a separated ducal household for Ladislaus and their younger brother, Stephen
.
Géza II wanted to ensure the succession of his son Stephen
; consequently, his relationship with his brothers deteriorated. In 1157, Duke Stephen tried to organise a conspiracy against the king supported by their maternal uncle, Beloš, but Géza overcame them and Duke Stephen fled to the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
. In 1159, Stephen again conspired against Géza II but, following his failure, he joined Ladislaus in Constantinople
.
In the imperial court of Constantinople, Ladislaus, in contrast to his brother, did not want to surrender totally to Manuel I Komnenos, and he refused to marry a niece of the Emperor.
had been crowned, he decided to begin a campaign against Hungary in order to have his niece's husband, Duke Stephen
, ascend the throne. On hearing the Emperor's demand, the Hungarian barons sent an embassy to his camp and offered to accept Ladislaus' rule pursuant to the Hungarian custom which gave precedence to the eldest male member of the royal family over a deceased king's son. The Emperor accepted the barons' offer and sent Ladislaus to Hungary.
By the time Ladislaus arrived in Székesfehérvár, his nephew, King Stephen III, had escaped to Pozsony
, and Ladislaus was proclaimed king. However, Lukas, Archbishop of Esztergom, who remained loyal to the young king, denied Ladislaus' coronation; therefore he was crowned by Mikó, Archbishop of Kalocsa in July 1162. On the occasion of his coronation, Ladislaus granted Tercia pars Regni (i.e., one third of the Kingdom of Hungary) to his brother, Stephen.
As Archbishop Lukas still denied the legitimacy of Ladislaus' rule and excommunicated him, Ladislaus had the Archbishop arrested. Ladislaus set Archbishop Lukas free on 25 December 1162, at the request of Pope Alexander III
, but the prelate did not want to absolve the king.
Ladislaus may have died of poisoning and was buried in Székesfehérvár
. In medieval times, he was not counted as a king (being only an anti-king), so Ladislaus III
was also counted as Ladislaus II in the 13th century.
The terms Nobilissimus (most noble) and nobilissima familia (most noble family)
have been used since the 11th century for the King of Hungary and his family, but it were then only a few, among them also Ladislaus II, which were mentioned in official documents as such.
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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...
. As a younger son, he was able to ascend to the throne only with the assistance of 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...
against his nephew, King Stephen III
Stephen III of Hungary
Stephen 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...
after his brother's death. Although the majority of the Hungarian nobles accepted his rule based on the tradition that gave precedence to the eldest male member of the royal family ahead of the deceased king's son, the head of the Catholic Church in Hungary did not accept the legitimacy of his rule.
Early years
Ladislaus was the second 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, Géza
Géza II of Hungary
Géza II , , King of Hungary, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama . He ascended the throne as a child and during his minority the kingdom was governed by his mother and uncle...
, 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, which he did at the age of 4.
After the occupation of Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
, his father named Ladislaus the duke of the province in 1137, although the province was governed by the administrators appointed by the king. When King Béla II died on 13 February 1141, Ladislaus' brother, Géza II, ascended the throne. In 1152, the king organised a separated ducal household for Ladislaus and their 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...
.
Géza II wanted to ensure the succession of his son Stephen
Stephen III of Hungary
Stephen 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...
; consequently, his relationship with his brothers deteriorated. In 1157, Duke Stephen tried to organise a conspiracy against the king supported by their maternal uncle, Beloš, but Géza overcame them and Duke Stephen fled to the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
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....
. In 1159, Stephen again conspired against Géza II but, following his failure, he joined Ladislaus in 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:...
.
In the imperial court of Constantinople, Ladislaus, in contrast to his brother, did not want to surrender totally to Manuel I Komnenos, and he refused to marry a niece of the Emperor.
King of Hungary
When the Emperor Manuel I Komnenos was informed that King Géza II had died on 31 May 1162 and his son Stephen IIIStephen III of Hungary
Stephen 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...
had been crowned, he decided to begin a campaign against Hungary in order to have his niece's husband, Duke 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...
, ascend the throne. On hearing the Emperor's demand, the Hungarian barons sent an embassy to his camp and offered to accept Ladislaus' rule pursuant to the Hungarian custom which gave precedence to the eldest male member of the royal family over a deceased king's son. The Emperor accepted the barons' offer and sent Ladislaus to Hungary.
By the time Ladislaus arrived in Székesfehérvár, his nephew, King Stephen III, had escaped to 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...
, and Ladislaus was proclaimed king. However, Lukas, Archbishop of Esztergom, who remained loyal to the young king, denied Ladislaus' coronation; therefore he was crowned by Mikó, Archbishop of Kalocsa in July 1162. On the occasion of his coronation, Ladislaus granted Tercia pars Regni (i.e., one third of the Kingdom of Hungary) to his brother, Stephen.
As Archbishop Lukas still denied the legitimacy of Ladislaus' rule and excommunicated him, Ladislaus had the Archbishop arrested. Ladislaus set Archbishop Lukas free on 25 December 1162, at the request 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:...
, but the prelate did not want to absolve the king.
Ladislaus may have died of poisoning and 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...
. In medieval times, he was not counted as a king (being only an anti-king), so Ladislaus III
Ladislaus III of Hungary
Ladislaus III was King of Hungary. and Croatia .He was the only son of King Emeric, King of Hungary and his queen, Infanta Constance of Aragon....
was also counted as Ladislaus II in the 13th century.
The terms Nobilissimus (most noble) and nobilissima familia (most noble family)
Nobilissima familia (Hungary)
The terms Nobilissimus and nobilissima familia have been used since the 11th century for the King of Hungary and his family...
have been used since the 11th century for the King of Hungary and his family, but it were then only a few, among them also Ladislaus II, which were mentioned in official documents as such.
Marriage and daughter
# ?: Unknown- Maria (? – ?), wife of Niccolò Michieli, patrician of VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
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)
- G. Vég, Magyarország királyai és királynői, Maecenas, 1990.
- Magyarország Történeti Kronológiája I. – A kezdetektől 1526-ig, főszerkesztő: Benda Kálmán (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1981)
- (primary source) The Hungarian Illuminated Chronicle, A. West, trans., Corvina, 1969.
- (primary source) John Kinnamos, Deeds of John and Manuel Comnenus, C.M. Brand, trans., Columbia University Press, 1976.
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