Géza, Son Of Géza II Of Hungary
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Géza (1150s – after 1191) was a Hungarian royal prince and the youngest son of the King
Géza II of Hungary Géza II ( hu, II. Géza; hr, Gejza II; sk, Gejza II; 113031 May 1162) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1141 to 1162. He was the oldest son of Béla the Blind and his wife, Helena of Serbia. When his father died, Géza was still a child a ...
. Prince Géza was brother to the Kings Stephen III and
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 ...
. He was a pretender to the Hungarian throne against Béla III, but he was imprisoned from 1177 to 1189. He traveled to the
Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
during the
Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
with an army of 2,000 Hungarian warriors.


Background

Prince Géza was born in the early 1150s, the third son of King
Géza II of Hungary Géza II ( hu, II. Géza; hr, Gejza II; sk, Gejza II; 113031 May 1162) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1141 to 1162. He was the oldest son of Béla the Blind and his wife, Helena of Serbia. When his father died, Géza was still a child a ...
and his wife, Princess
Euphrosyne of Kiev Euphrosyne of Kiev (also ''Euphrosine of Novgorod'';Jirí Louda and Michael MacLagan, ''Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe'', 2nd edition (London, U.K.: Little, Brown and Company, 1999), table 89. hu, Eufrozina; 1130 ...
. In near-contemporary German chronicles – for instance,
Alberic of Trois-Fontaines Alberic of Trois-Fontaines (french: Aubri or ''Aubry de Trois-Fontaines''; la, Albericus Trium Fontium) (died 1252) was a medieval Cistercian chronicler who wrote in Latin. He was a monk of Trois-Fontaines Abbey in the diocese of Châlons-sur-M ...
–, he was also referred to as "Guithardus" or "Gotthard". After King Géza II died, there were several conflicts over the royal succession. Géza's elder brother was crowned
Stephen III of Hungary Stephen III ( hu, István, hr, Stjepan, sk, Štefan; summer of 11474 March 1172) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1162 and 1172. He was crowned king in early June 1162, shortly after the death of his father, Géza II. However, his two un ...
after their father's death in 1162, but two brothers of King Géza II briefly seized the crown, reigning as Ladislaus II and
Stephen IV of Hungary Stephen IV ( hu, IV. István, hr, Stjepan IV, sk, Štefan IV; 113311 April 1165) was King of Hungary and Croatia, ascending to the throne between 1163 and 1165, when he usurped the crown of his nephew, Stephen III. He was the third son of B ...
. Stephen III defeated his uncle in battle in 1163, regaining the control over the whole kingdom. During the reign of Stephen III, the wars against the
Byzantine Empire 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 ...
continued. Byzantine emperor,
Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Romanization of Greek, Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; "born in the purple"), w ...
, had previously competed with Géza II on many occasions, as he was determined to expand his influence over Hungary. Manuel I's mother was Saint
Piroska of Hungary Irene of Hungary (Greek: Είρήνη, born Piroska; 1088 – 13 August 1134) was a Byzantine empress by marriage to John II Komnenos. She is venerated as a saint. Life The name Piroska was a Hungarian derivation of the Latin name Prisca, lite ...
, daughter of Saint
Ladislaus I of Hungary Ladislaus I ( hu, László, hr, Ladislav, sk, Ladislav, pl, Władysław; 1040 – 29 July 1095), also known as Saint Ladislas, was King of Hungary from 1077 and King of Croatia from 1091. He was the second son of King Béla I of Hungary and ...
, and he always had a great interest in the internal affairs of Hungary. Manuel I and Stephen III eventually resolved this through a peace accord signed in 1163, in which the Hungarian King's younger brother
Béla Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''whit ...
, was to be sent to
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
in surety. During Stephen III's rule, he kept his mother Euphrosyne, and his youngest brother, Prince Géza, at court.


Pretender

After Stephen III's death in March 1172, his next eldest brother, Prince Béla, was recalled from Constantinople to ascend the throne and forestall any attempt at accession by his younger brother, Prince Géza. Within a few months, the arriving prince was crowned Béla III of Hungary on 13 January 1173 but faced opposition from his own mother, the Queen Dowager, and his brother, Prince Géza, who began conspiring against him to obtain the Crown of Hungary.
Lucas, Archbishop of Esztergom Lucas ( hu, Lukács; 1120 – 1181), also known as Luke, was a Hungarian prelate and diplomat in the 12th century. He was Bishop of Eger between 1156 and 1158, and Archbishop of Esztergom from 1158 until his death in 1181. Lucas is believed ...
, who refused to perform the coronation, delaying the ceremony for almost a year, also supported the aspirations of Géza, who aimed to continue the anti-Byzantine and pro-papal policies of Stephen III. Despite that Béla's claim – beside the Byzantine Empire – was supported by
Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...
too, and it is plausible that Géza and his domestic supporters sought assistance from the rival
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
at the turn of 1172 and 1173, but
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...
was fully engaged with his Italian and Polish campaigns during that time. After a couple of failed attempts, Béla III had them arrested in 1174. He imprisoned his mother too, but Prince Géza and his several partisans – including
Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...
and possibly Stephen, Archbishop of Kalocsa) – escaped from captivity and fled to the court of
Henry II, Duke of Austria Henry II (german: Heinrich; 1107 – 13 January 1177), called Jasomirgott, a member of the House of Babenberg,Lingelbach 1913, pp. 91–92. was Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1140 to 1141, Duke of Bavaria (as ''Henry XI'') and Margrave of Austria ...
in 1174 or 1175 to seek protection. When Henry refused to extradite Géza, Béla launched plundering raids into Austria, together with
Soběslav II, Duke of Bohemia Soběslav II (also Sobeslaus II), called ''Prince of the Peasants'' or ''King of the Peasants'' (c. 1128 – 9 or 29 January 1180), was the Duke of Bohemia from 1173 to 1178. He was the second son of Soběslav I. Supported by neither nobles nor ...
. A year later, Prince Géza tried to persuade Soběslav II of Bohemia to help him meet Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, but Soběslav seized Géza and handed him over to Béla in 1177. Béla once again imprisoned his brother, and he also put their mother, Euphrosyne, in confinement, while a certain ''
ispán The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...
'' Vata was blinded. Prince Géza languished in prison from 1177 to 1189. Euphrosyne was set free in 1186, but she was obliged to leave the kingdom for Constantinople, while Géza remained in captivity. Freedom arrived for him in 1189 due to preparations for the
Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
. That year, Frederick Barbarossa, arrived in Hungary and was received by King Béla III. Learning of Prince Géza's predicament via Béla's second spouse Margaret of France, the Holy Roman Emperor asked Béla III to allow the imprisoned Géza to lead a small Hungarian army to the Crusade as an escort, according to
Arnold of Lübeck Arnold of Lübeck (died 1211–1214) was a Benedictine abbot, a chronicler, the author of the '' Chronica Slavorum'' and advocate of the papal cause in the Hohenstaufen conflict. He was a monk at St. Ägidien monastery in Braunschweig, then from 1 ...
. Béla III allowed this, and 2,000 Hungarian soldiers left for the Holy Land under the leadership of Géza and Bishop
Ugrin Csák Ugrin (III) from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli (III.) Ugrin, hr, Ugrin Čak, sr, Угрин Чак; died in 1311) was a prominent Hungarian baron and oligarch in the early 14th century. He was born into an ancient Hungarian clan. He ac ...
.


Later life

Shortly after, Béla III ordered the Hungarian contingent to return from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
to Hungary, because he did not want to confront with his son-in-law, Emperor
Isaac II Angelos Isaac II Angelos or Angelus ( grc-gre, Ἰσαάκιος Κομνηνός Ἄγγελος, ; September 1156 – January 1204) was Byzantine Emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204. His father Andronikos Doukas Angelos was a ...
, who embroiled conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor during the early phase of the Third Crusade. While the majority of the army led by Ugrin Csák, including six ''
ispán The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...
''s returned to Hungary, Géza and his small escort, including three ''ispán''s (barons) remained in the crusader army, and participated in the subsequent battles and sieges. Géza settled down in the Byzantine Empire after the death of Emperor Frederick. It is known that Géza took a Byzantine noblewoman (possibly from the ruling
Angelos The House of Angelos (; gr, Ἄγγελος), feminine form Angelina (), plural Angeloi (), was a Byzantine Greek noble lineage which rose to prominence through the marriage of its founder, Constantine Angelos, with Theodora Komnene, the youn ...
dynasty) as wife between 1190 and 1191. According to a Greek codex kept in the
Saint Catherine's Monastery Saint Catherine's Monastery ( ar, دير القدّيسة كاترين; grc-gre, Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Katherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, ...
, translated by historian
Szabolcs de Vajay Szabolcs de Vajay (born 9 October 1921 in Budapest; died 6 July 2010 in Vevey) was a Hungarian historian and genealogist. In 1943 he left Hungary to live abroad, in Argentina, France and Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capita ...
, Géza adopted the name Ioannes (John) in the Byzantine Empire. Géza was the uncle of Empress
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 ...
, the consort of Emperor Isaac II Angelos. It is possible that Géza integrated into the Byzantine elite through her assistance and financial support. His sons – one of them, Géza–Alexios is known by name – first appeared in contemporary sources in 1210, it is plausible that Géza had died by then. In that year, a group of discontented Hungarian lords during the conspiracy (1209–10) offered the crown to them against their cousin, the ruling monarch
Andrew II of Hungary Andrew II ( hu, II. András, hr, Andrija II., sk, Ondrej II., uk, Андрій II; 117721 September 1235), also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1205 and 1235. He ruled the Principality of Halych from 1188 ...
; they lived in "Greek land". However, their envoys were captured by
Domald of Sidraga Domald of Sidraga (''Domaldus'', ''Domaldi Spalatensis'') ( 1160–1243) was a powerful and influential Croatian nobleman. He held Šibenik, Zadar, Split, Klis, Cetina and other Dalmatian counties and estates between the mid-12th and mid-13th centu ...
in
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...
in 1210. Years later, when Andrew II decided to return to Hungary from the
Fifth Crusade The Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) was a campaign in a series of Crusades by Western Europeans to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering Egypt, ruled by the powerful Ayyubid sultanate, led by al-Adil, brother of Sala ...
in early 1218, the troops of Géza's sons attacked his army when he stayed in
Nicaea Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seve ...
(now
İznik İznik is a town and an administrative district in the Province of Bursa, Turkey. It was historically known as Nicaea ( el, Νίκαια, ''Níkaia''), from which its modern name also derives. The town lies in a fertile basin at the eastern end ...
,
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
).


References


Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Geza 03 1150s births 12th-century Hungarian people Christians of the Third Crusade House of Árpád Hungarian princes Hungarian prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of Hungary Escapees from Hungarian detention Year of death uncertain Pretenders to the Hungarian throne Sons of kings