Roman II Igorevich
Encyclopedia
Roman II Igorevich was a Rus'
prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty
). He was prince of Zvenigorod (1206–1208, 1210–1211), and of Halych (1208, 1208–1209).
of Putivl, by his wife (possibly Evfrosinia Yaroslavna), a daughter of prince Yaroslav Volodimerovich
of Halych.
In 1206, the infant prince Daniil Romanovich of Halych fled to his patrimony of Volodymyr-Volynskyi
when grand prince Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich of Kiev
organized a campaign against Halych. Shortly afterwards, the Galicians asked Roman’s brother Vladimir Igorevich
to rule Halych. On receiving the information, Vladimir Igorevich rode to Halych, and occupied it. At the same time, Roman went to Zvenigorod. Both Roman and his brothers had blood ties to the extinct dynasty of Halych whose last member prince Vladimir II Yaroslavich of Halych (who had died in 1198) was their maternal uncle.
In 1206, their third brother Svyatoslav Igorevich
was taken captive by duke Leszek I of Cracow
. In 1208, Roman and his brother Vladimir Igorevich quarreled; Roman rode to the Hungarians and with their help defeated his elder brother. Roman therefore occupied Halych forcing his brother flee to Putivl.
On September 4, Rostislav Rurikovich
, the son of grand prince Rurik Rostislavich of Kiev
, occupied Halych and the townsmen drove out Roman. However, Rostislav Rurikovich’s father probably died soon after that date, and the Galicians expelled him and installed Roman with his brother. Since Roman had usurped power from his elder brother, Vladimir Igorevich, we may assume that he ruled with his younger brother Svyatoslav Igorevich who had returned from captivity.
In 1209, after king Andrew II of Hungary
learnt of the “lawlessness and revolt” of the Galicians, he dispatched Benedek (the Voivode of Transylvania) against Halych. Voivode Benedek captured the town and took Roman captive while he was washing in the bathhouse and carted him off to Hungary
. Andrew II refused to appoint a prince to Halych; the atrocities the Hungarian troops inflicted on the Galicians suggest that the king wished to avenge himself on them for breaking their promise. Voivode Benedek tormented the people, and he and his men also gave vent to their lust by defiling married women, nun
s, and the wives of priests.
Sometime in the early part of 1210, it seems, Roman escaped from Hungary. He evidently returned to Putivl. Shortly afterwards, the Galicians sent messengers to the three brothers admitting that they had sinned against them and begging them to save Halych from the tormentor. The three brothers set out against Benedek and drove out him from Halych. They evidently returned to the same towns that they had ruled before their quarrel.
According to the chronicler, the three brothers conspired to do away with the Galician boyar
s and, as chance presented itself, killed some 500 of them. They were also accused of plundering the boyars’ estates, of handing over their daughters to marry slaves, and of giving their patrimonies to outsiders from the Chernigov lands. Because a faction of boyars championed Daniil Romanovich’s return, the three brothers undoubtedly removed the hostile boyars from their domains and replaced them with Chernigov druzhinniki
and loyal Galicians. Because of these outrages, some boyars fled to Hungary and beseeched king Andrew II to let them have Daniil Romanovich and to help them seize Halych. The king answered their pleas by dispatching a great force with the young prince.
Significantly, Daniil Romanovich’s attacking forces were made up mostly of non-Galicians: except for the boyars who organized the revolt, the troops backing them constituted the Hungarians, the Poles
, and the princes of Volhynia
. Vladimir Igorevich dispatched his son Izyaslav Vladimirovich to bring the Cumans. After the nomad
s routed the Hungarians besieging Zvenigorod, Roman Igorevich rode out to seek help from Kiev
. While passing by the hostile town of Shumsk
, enemy soldiers captured him and handed him over to Daniil Romanovich. After Vladimir Igorevich had fled from Halych, the boyars of Volodymyr-Volynskyi and Halych, along with the Hungarians, installed Daniil Romanovich on the throne.
The Hungarians proposed to take Roman, his brother Svyatoslav Igorevich and a certain Rostislav (who may have been Roman’s son) that they had taken captive to the king. But the Galicians bribed the commanders to turn over the captives to them. In September, the Galicians hanged the three princes.
Rus' (people)
The Rus' were a group of Varangians . According to the Primary Chronicle of Rus, compiled in about 1113 AD, the Rus had relocated from the Baltic region , first to Northeastern Europe, creating an early polity which finally came under the leadership of Rurik...
prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty
Rurik Dynasty
The Rurik dynasty or Rurikids was a dynasty founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who established himself in Novgorod around the year 862 AD...
). He was prince of Zvenigorod (1206–1208, 1210–1211), and of Halych (1208, 1208–1209).
His life
Vladimir was the youngest son of prince Igor SvyatoslavichIgor Svyatoslavich
Igor Svyatoslavich the Brave was a Rus’ prince...
of Putivl, by his wife (possibly Evfrosinia Yaroslavna), a daughter of prince Yaroslav Volodimerovich
Yaroslav Osmomysl
Yaroslav Osmomysl was the most famous Prince of Halych from the first dynasty of its rulers, which descended from Yaroslav I's eldest son. His sobriquet, meaning "Eight-Minded" in Old East Slavic, was granted to him in recognition of his wisdom...
of Halych.
In 1206, the infant prince Daniil Romanovich of Halych fled to his patrimony of Volodymyr-Volynskyi
Volodymyr-Volynskyi
Volodymyr-Volynsky is a city located in Volyn Oblast, in north-western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Volodymyr-Volynsky District, the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
when grand prince Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich of Kiev
Vsevolod IV of Kiev
Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich the Red was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Daniil...
organized a campaign against Halych. Shortly afterwards, the Galicians asked Roman’s brother Vladimir Igorevich
Vladimir III Igorevich
Vladimir III Igorevich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Peter...
to rule Halych. On receiving the information, Vladimir Igorevich rode to Halych, and occupied it. At the same time, Roman went to Zvenigorod. Both Roman and his brothers had blood ties to the extinct dynasty of Halych whose last member prince Vladimir II Yaroslavich of Halych (who had died in 1198) was their maternal uncle.
In 1206, their third brother Svyatoslav Igorevich
Svyatoslav III Igorevich
Svyatoslav III Igorevich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Adrian. He was prince of Peremyshl , and of Volodymyr-Volynskyi .-His early life:...
was taken captive by duke Leszek I of Cracow
Leszek I the White
Leszek I the White , also listed by some sources as Leszek II the White, was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland from 1194 until his death, except for the short periods following when he was deposed as Polish ruler...
. In 1208, Roman and his brother Vladimir Igorevich quarreled; Roman rode to the Hungarians and with their help defeated his elder brother. Roman therefore occupied Halych forcing his brother flee to Putivl.
On September 4, Rostislav Rurikovich
Rostislav II of Kiev
Rostyslav Rurykovych , Prince of Torchesk , Grand Prince of Kiev , Prince of Vyshhorod , Prince of Halych . Son of Rurik Rostislavich.-References:...
, the son of grand prince Rurik Rostislavich of Kiev
Rurik Rostislavich
Ruryk Rostislavich , Prince of Novgorod , Belgorod Kievsky, presently Bilohorodka , Grand Prince of Kiev , Prince of Chernigov...
, occupied Halych and the townsmen drove out Roman. However, Rostislav Rurikovich’s father probably died soon after that date, and the Galicians expelled him and installed Roman with his brother. Since Roman had usurped power from his elder brother, Vladimir Igorevich, we may assume that he ruled with his younger brother Svyatoslav Igorevich who had returned from captivity.
In 1209, after king Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
learnt of the “lawlessness and revolt” of the Galicians, he dispatched Benedek (the Voivode of Transylvania) against Halych. Voivode Benedek captured the town and took Roman captive while he was washing in the bathhouse and carted him off to Hungary
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...
. Andrew II refused to appoint a prince to Halych; the atrocities the Hungarian troops inflicted on the Galicians suggest that the king wished to avenge himself on them for breaking their promise. Voivode Benedek tormented the people, and he and his men also gave vent to their lust by defiling married women, nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s, and the wives of priests.
Sometime in the early part of 1210, it seems, Roman escaped from Hungary. He evidently returned to Putivl. Shortly afterwards, the Galicians sent messengers to the three brothers admitting that they had sinned against them and begging them to save Halych from the tormentor. The three brothers set out against Benedek and drove out him from Halych. They evidently returned to the same towns that they had ruled before their quarrel.
According to the chronicler, the three brothers conspired to do away with the Galician 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....
s and, as chance presented itself, killed some 500 of them. They were also accused of plundering the boyars’ estates, of handing over their daughters to marry slaves, and of giving their patrimonies to outsiders from the Chernigov lands. Because a faction of boyars championed Daniil Romanovich’s return, the three brothers undoubtedly removed the hostile boyars from their domains and replaced them with Chernigov druzhinniki
Druzhina
Druzhina, Drużyna or Družyna in the medieval history of Slavic Europe was a retinue in service of a chieftain, also called knyaz. The name is derived from the Slavic word drug with the meaning of "companion, friend". -Early Rus:...
and loyal Galicians. Because of these outrages, some boyars fled to Hungary and beseeched king Andrew II to let them have Daniil Romanovich and to help them seize Halych. The king answered their pleas by dispatching a great force with the young prince.
Significantly, Daniil Romanovich’s attacking forces were made up mostly of non-Galicians: except for the boyars who organized the revolt, the troops backing them constituted the Hungarians, the Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, and the princes of Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...
. Vladimir Igorevich dispatched his son Izyaslav Vladimirovich to bring the Cumans. After the nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
s routed the Hungarians besieging Zvenigorod, Roman Igorevich rode out to seek help from 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....
. While passing by the hostile town of Shumsk
Shumsk
Shumsk is a city in Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. It is administrative center of the Shumsk Raion. Population is 5,161 ....
, enemy soldiers captured him and handed him over to Daniil Romanovich. After Vladimir Igorevich had fled from Halych, the boyars of Volodymyr-Volynskyi and Halych, along with the Hungarians, installed Daniil Romanovich on the throne.
The Hungarians proposed to take Roman, his brother Svyatoslav Igorevich and a certain Rostislav (who may have been Roman’s son) that they had taken captive to the king. But the Galicians bribed the commanders to turn over the captives to them. In September, the Galicians hanged the three princes.
Ancestors
Sources
- Benda, Kálmán (General Editor): Magyarország történeti kronológiája - A kezdetektől 1526-ig /A Historical Chronology of Hungary - From the Beginnings to 1526/; Akadémiai Kiadó, 1981, Budapest; ISBN963-05-2661-1 (the part of the book which describes the events of the period from 1197 to 1309 was written by László Solymosi).
- Dimnik, Martin: The Dynasty of Chernigov - 1146-1246; Cambridge University Press, 2003, Cambridge; ISBN 978-0521-03981-9.