Adrian ( hu, Adorján; died after 1201) was a Hungarian prelate at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, who served as
bishop of Transylvania
:''There is also a Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Alba Iulia and a Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.''
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia ( hu, Gyulafehérvári Római Katolikus Érsekség) is a Latin Church Cath ...
at least from 1192 to 1201. Prior to that, he had preeminent role in the establishment of a permanent royal chancellery in the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
.
Chancellor
Adrian was born into a wealthy noble family, but his origin is unknown. He was styled as grand provost of
Esztergom
Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Danu ...
in 1183. Thereafter, Adrian studied at the
Abbey of St Genevieve
The Abbey of Saint Genevieve (French: ''Abbaye Sainte-Geneviève'') was a monastery in Paris. Reportedly built by Clovis, King of the Franks in 502, it became a centre of religious scholarship in the Middle Ages. It was suppressed at the time of t ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, alongside other Hungarian clergymen
Job
Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...
, Michael and Bethlehem, from around 1183 to 1184. In the latter year, the abbot
Stephen of Tournai
Stephen of Tournai, (18 March 1128 - 11 September 1203), was a Canon regular of Sainte-Geneviève (Paris), and Roman Catholic canonist who became bishop of Tournai in 1192.
Biography
He was born at Orléans in 1128; died at Tournai in September ...
wrote a letter to
Béla III of Hungary
Béla III ( hu, III. Béla, hr, Bela III, sk, Belo III; 114823 April 1196) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1172 and 1196. He was the second son of King Géza II and Géza's wife, Euphrosyne of Kiev. Around 1161, Géza granted Béla a ...
to inform him that one of those clerics, Bethlehem, died of illness, while his three companions, including Adrian were present on his deathbed. Historian
György Györffy
György Györffy (26 September 1917 – 19 December 2000) was a Hungarian historian, and member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( hu, MTA).
Biography
Györffy was born in Szucság (Suceagu, today part of Baciu, Romania), Hungary the son o ...
argued Adrian was one of the high-born clerics, who were sent by Béla III to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
to benefit from higher education.
By 1185, Job and Adrian returned to the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
. While the former was elected
Archbishop of Esztergom
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...
, Adrian was referred to as a royal notary in 1185. Still in that year, he was appointed chancellor of the royal court. He held the office at least until 1186. Beside that, he functioned as provost of
Buda
Buda (; german: Ofen, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Budim, Будим, Czech and sk, Budín, tr, Budin) was the historic capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and since 1873 has been the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest, on the ...
. Adrian is first mentioned as royal chancellor, when the monarch donated lands to the family of his daughter
Margaret
Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian.
Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
's nanny and Adrian was responsible to compile the letter of donation. Job and Adrian were jointly sent to the Kingdom of France as envoys of Béla III, in order to find a bride for the king (whose wife
Agnes had died in the year 1184). They negotiated with King
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
concerning the issue. Finally, Béla married
Henry II's widowed daughter-in-law,
Margaret of France, in the summer of 1186. Under Adrian then
Katapán, renewing the temporary reforms of
Kalán Bár-Kalán
Kalán from the kindred Bár-Kalán ( hu, Bár-Kalán nembeli Kalán, la, Calanus Coelius or ''Juvencius Coelius''; died late 1218) was a prelate and royal official in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. He was bis ...
, the final form of royal diplomas and a royal chancellery independent of the royal chapel (''capella'') were established. These reforms showed a strong French literary and cultural influence, replacing the previous
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
-style.
Bishop of Transylvania
Adrian was replaced as royal chancellor in 1188 at the latest, when
Saul Győr
Saul from the kindred Győr ( hu, Győr nembeli Saul; died early 1202) was a prelate in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. He was Bishop of Csanád (now Cenad in Romania) between 1188 and 1192, then Archbishop of Ka ...
is mentioned in this capacity. By 1192, Adrian was elected bishop of Transylvania. According to a non-authentic charter, he held the dignity already in 1190. His last known predecessor in that office is
Paul
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...
, who is referred to as bishop in 1181. It is possible that Adrian became Bishop of Transylvania in 1187 or 1188, when Paul elevated into the position of
Archbishop of Kalocsa
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...
.
Adrian was the bishop during that time, when the diocese was first called as "''Transylvanus''", which name was preserved for centuries. His episcopal activity was completely covered by a jurisdictional conflict with the newly founded the
collegiate chapter In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a ...
of
Szeben
Szeben was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in central Romania (southern Transylvania). The capital of the county was Nagyszeben (present-day Sibiu).
Geography
Szeben County shared borders wit ...
(present-day Sibiu,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
). The "free" provostry was established by Béla III in 1189 with the intention to grant a separate church representation to the
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons (german: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen''; ro, Sași ardeleni, sași transilvăneni/transilvani; hu, Erdélyi szászok) are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania ( ...
, who gradually settled down in the southern part of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
since the reign of
Géza II Géza is a Hungarian given name and may refer to any of the following:
* Benjamin Géza Affleck
* Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians
* Géza I of Hungary, King of Hungary
* Géza II of Hungary, King of Hungary
* Géza, son of Géza II of Hungar ...
.
Papal legate
300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the pope's legate.
A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title ''legatus'') is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic ...
Gregorius de Sancto Apostolo
Gregorius or ''The Good Sinner'' is a Middle High German narrative poem by Hartmann von Aue. Written around 1190 in rhyming couplets, it tells the story of a child born of the incestuous union of a brother and sister, who is brought up in a mona ...
, and later the
Roman Curia confirmed the foundation too in 1191. However, Adrian contested the jurisdiction of a certain "P.", the provost of Szeben over the territory of his diocese, who claimed that all South-Transylvanian Germans (''Flandrenses'') were subordinated under his suzerainty. Upon the instruction of
Pope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III ( la, Caelestinus III; c. 1106 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, ...
, Gregorius recalled that when he asked Béla, who resided in
Veszprém
Veszprém (; german: Weißbrunn, sl, Belomost) is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county (comitatus or 'megye') of ...
with his barons then, responded that when he founded the provostry of Szeben, he had no intention of subordinating all Transylvanian Germans under the collegiate chapter, only those who were settled in the uninhabited wilderness given by his predecessor Géza II – that is, in the region of Altland (in the valley of the river
Olt
Olt or OLT may refer to:
People:
* Károly Olt (1904–1985), Hungarian politician
* Mike Olt (born 1988), American baseball player
Places:
* Olt County, a county (județ) of Romania
* Olt (river), a river in Romania
** Olt Defile, a defile that ...
or Alt). Sometime between 1191 and 1196, papal legate Gregorius clarified the content of the establishment and jurisdiction according to the interpretation described above. Despite the resolution, the conflict between the diocese and the collegiate chapter continued in the subsequent years. Upon the request of Adrian, the newly crowned
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...
confirmed Gregorius' charter in 1198. In the next year, the pope permitted Adrian that if the archbishop of Esztergom, the provost of Szeben or the German clerics commit a violation of rights against him, or there is a suspicion of this, he can summon them to the
Apostolic See
An apostolic see is an episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the apostles of Jesus or to one of their close associates. In Catholicism the phrase, preceded by the definite article and usually capitalized, refers to the S ...
, since the right of collection of
tithe
A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...
and parochial rights related to the Germans belongs to him in the area of the bishop's jurisdiction. Innocent's letter reveals that Job, Archbishop of Esztergom also tried to curtail the jurisdiction of the bishopric over German-inhabited areas.
Simultaneously, Adrian also had a harsh and violent conflict with the
Kolozsmonostor Abbey
The Kolozsmonostor Abbey was a Benedictine Christian monastery at Kolozsmonostor in Transylvania in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary (now Mănăștur in Cluj-Napoca in Romania). According to modern scholars' consensus, the monastery was establish ...
, disputing the
Benedictines
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
' privileges and exemptions. According to a bull of
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of importa ...
from June 1222, Adrian once attacked the abbey with his soldiers, destroying its buildings, confiscating its privilege letters and capturing the abbot. His successor
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
followed the same method against the Kolozsmonostor Abbey years later. Adrian is last mentioned as a living person in 1201. A non-authentic charter refers to him as the incumbent bishop in 1202. He died by 1204, when William succeeded him.
Identification theory
Hungarian folklorist Gyula Sebestyén identified Adrian with the chronicler
Anonymus
Anonymus is the Latin spelling of anonymous, traditionally used by scholars in the humanities for any ancient writer whose name is not known, or to a manuscript of their work. Such writers have left valuable historical or literary records through ...
, author of the ''
Gesta Hungarorum
''Gesta Hungarorum'', or ''The Deeds of the Hungarians'', is the earliest book about Hungarian history which has survived for posterity. Its genre is not chronicle, but ''gesta'', meaning "deeds" or "acts", which is a medieval entertaining li ...
''. According to Sebestyén, the author uses the French transliteration of antique names in many cases in his work, while his remark "now ... the Romans graze on the goods of Hungary" refers to his conflict with the collegiate chapter of Szeben.
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Adrian, Bishop of Transylvania
1200s deaths
12th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Hungary
13th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Hungary
12th-century Hungarian people
13th-century Hungarian people
Medieval Hungarian diplomats
Year of birth unknown
Bishops of Transylvania