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. ...

(

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 me ...

) of

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

. He ruled alone between September 1434 and August 1435, jointly with Iliaș of Moldavia from August 1435 to May 1443, alone from May 1443 to May 1444, in association with his brother Petru 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, ini ...

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

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, Russia, Wallachia and Moldavia, and later Romania, Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. Boyars were ...

s and of the Wallachian

Vlad II Dracul. 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 Mounta ...

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 ...

, 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 regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...

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, Kilia, Vaslui, and

Covurlui The Covurlui Plain is located in Galați County, Romania, having an altitude varying between 60 and 200 metres. Its name is derived from the river Covurlui and has a Cuman origin. Before World War II World War II or the Second W ...

. 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 o ...

, Vol. I, 1991 *

A. D. Xenopol Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol (; March 23, 1847, Iaşi – February 27, 1920, Bucharest) was a Romanian historian, philosopher, professor, economist, sociologist, and author. Among his many major accomplishments, he is the Romanian historian credi ...

, ''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