Stephen II (or Ștefan II), (c. 1410 – 13 July 1447) was a

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

(

Voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the ...

) of

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...

. He ruled alone between September 1434 and August 1435, jointly with

Iliaș of Moldavia Iliaş or Ilie I (20 July 1409 – 23 April 1448) was Prince (Voivode) of Moldavia twice: from January 1432 to October 1433 and with his brother Stephen II from August 1435 to May 1443. Life The son of Prince Alexandru cel Bun and Ana Neacş ...

from August 1435 to May 1443, alone from May 1443 to May 1444, in association with his brother

Petru Petru is a given name, and may refer to: * Petru I of Moldavia (Petru Mușat, 1375–1391), ruler of Moldavia * Petru Aron (died 1467), ruler of Moldavia * Petru Bălan (born 1976), Romanian rugby union footballer * Petru Cărare (1935–2019), wr ...

from May 1444 to 1445, and alone until July 1447.

Life

He was the son of

Alexander the Good Alexander the Good ( ro, Alexandru cel Bun or ''Alexandru I Mușat''; c. 1375 – 1 January 1432) was a Voivode (Lord) of Moldavia, reigning between 1400 and 1432, son of Roman I Mușat. He succeeded Iuga to the throne, and, as a ruler, init ...

and a concubine, Stanca. He deposed his brother Iliaș I with the assistance several boyars and of the

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...

Vlad II Dracul Vlad II ( ro, Vlad al II-lea), also known as Vlad Dracul () or Vlad the Dragon (before 1395 – November 1447), was Voivode of Wallachia from 1436 to 1442, and again from 1443 to 1447. He is internationally known as the father of Vlad the Im ...

. In exchange for

Pokuttya Pokuttia, also known as Pokuttya or Pokutia ( uk, Покуття, Pokuttya; pl, Pokucie; german: Pokutien; ro, Pocuția), is a historical area of East-Central Europe, situated between the Dniester and Cheremosh rivers and the Carpathian Moun ...

the

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in C ...

, to whom Iliaș had pledged his allegiance, also recognised him, and

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Władysław III agreed to capture Iliaș and hold him in prison. Iliaș was eventually freed in 1435, and returned at the head of an army, engaging his brother in several battles; the indecisive one in ''Podraga'' or ''Podagra'' (the present-day village of Podriga in Drăgușeni) brought Władysław III's mediation: an agreement was reached for Stephen and Iliaș to share the throne, with Stephen as ruler over the southeastern part of Moldavia, in

Tecuci Tecuci () is a municipiu, city in Galați County, Romania, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. It is situated among wooded hills, on the right bank of the Bârlad River, and at the junction of railways from Galați, Bârlad, and Mără ...

, Kilia,

Vaslui Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara. History Archaeological surveys indicate ...

, and Covurlui. In 1443, Iliaș breached their agreement, and Stephen caught him and gouged out his eyes. Blinded, Iliaș sought refuge in Poland, while Stephen remained prince, taking as his associate an illegitimate brother, Petru II. He was killed in 1447 by the son of Iliaș, Roman II, who had ensured Polish support during his refuge in Pokuttya.Ștefănescu, p. 105; Xenopol, p.127-128

Notes

References

*Ștefan Ștefănescu, ''Istoria medie a României'',

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

, Vol. I, 1991 * A. D. Xenopol, ''Istoria romînilor din Dacia Traiană'', Vol. III, cap. 3, Iaşi, 1896 {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephen 02 of Moldavia 1447 deaths Rulers of Moldavia Year of birth unknown 15th-century Romanian people

Life

See also

Notes

References