Nicolae Pătrașcu
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Nicolae Pătrașcu, Petrașco, or Petrașcu, also styled Nicolae Vo(i)evod (
Church Slavonic Church Slavonic is the conservative Slavic liturgical language used by the Eastern Orthodox Church in Belarus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia. The ...
and
Romanian Cyrillic The Romanian Cyrillic alphabet is the Cyrillic alphabet that was used to write the Romanian language and Church Slavonic until the 1830s, when it began to be gradually replaced by a Latin-based Romanian alphabet.Cyrillic remained in occasional ...
: or ; 1580 – late 1627), was the titular
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. The ...
of
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
, an only son of
Michael the Brave Michael the Brave ( or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593–1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Transylvani ...
and
Lady Stanca ''Lady'' is a term for a woman who behaves in a polite way. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the female counterpart of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. "Lady" is a ...
, and a putative grandson of Pătrașcu the Good. His early childhood coincided with Michael's quick rise through the ranks of boyardom, peaking in 1593, when Michael became Prince and Nicolae his heir apparent. As he began a quest to emancipate Wallachia from the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, Michael used his son as a party to alliances with the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
and the Principality of Transylvania, proposing him as either a hostage or a matrimonial guarantee. While entering the
Long Turkish War The Long Turkish War (, ), Long War (; , ), or Thirteen Years' War was an indecisive land war between the Holy Roman Empire (primarily the Habsburg monarchy) and the Ottoman Empire, primarily over the principalities of Wallachia, Transylvania, ...
on the Christian side, Michael also negotiated a settlement with the Ottomans, again offering Nicolae as a guarantee. With the strengthening of Michael's alliance with the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
in 1599, Nicolae participated in Michael's conquest of Transylvania. In December 1599 he was sent back to Wallachia to rule as Prince, while Michael took direct charge of Transylvania and then conquered
Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
. Some records suggest that Nicolae was considered, or considered himself, a
Prince of Moldavia This is a list of monarchs of Moldavia, from the first mention of the medieval polity east of the Carpathians and until its disestablishment in 1862, when it united with Wallachia, the other Danubian Principality, to form the modern-day state of ...
, though that title was more likely held by a cousin, Marcu Cercel. In late 1600, the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
and Moldavia invaded Wallachia and chased out Nicolae, replacing him with
Simion Movilă Simion Movilă (after 1559 14 September 1607), a boyar of the Movilești family, was twice Prince of Wallachia (November 1600 – June 1601; October 1601 – July 1602) and Prince of Moldavia from July 1606 until his death. Family He was the gra ...
. Michael was also chased out of Transylvania by his former ally
Giorgio Basta Giorgio Basta, Count of Huszt, Gjergj Basta or Gheorghe Basta (1550 – 1607) was an Kingdom of Naples, Italian general, diplomat, and writer of Arbëreshë people, Arbëreshë Albanian origin, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to com ...
and a large faction of the
Hungarian nobility The Kingdom of Hungary held a Nobility, noble class of individuals, most of whom owned landed property, from the 11th century until the mid-20th century. Initially, a diverse body of people were described as noblemen, but from the lat ...
. In negotiating his peace with the latter, he sent Nicolae and Stanca as hostages. They were assigned ownership of Gilău, but, following clashes between Basta and the Hungarians, were taken by the latter to a harsher imprisonment in
Făgăraș Citadel Făgăraș Citadel ( , , ) is a History, historic Ancient monument, monument in Făgăraș, Brașov County, Romania. History The construction of the fortress started in 1310, on the site of a wooden fortification with earth Rampart (fortificat ...
. Basta assassinated Michael in August 1601, but then liberated the family, with the ostensibly pro-Habsburg Nicolae still vying for the Wallachian throne. In 1602, the Wallachian crown went to Radu Șerban of Coiani, who had previously been Nicolae's ''
Paharnic The ''Paharnic'' (plural: ''Paharnici''; also known as ''Păharnic'', ''Paharnec'', or ''Păharnec''; Moldavian dialect: ''ceașnic'', , ''pakharnikos'', , ''paharnik'') was a Historical Romanian ranks and titles, historical Romanian rank, one of ...
''. Mutilated by his rival, Nicolae settled in the
Archduchy of Austria The Archduchy of Austria (; ) was a major Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, principality of the Holy Roman Empire and the nucleus of the Habsburg monarchy. With its capital at Vienna, the archduchy was centered at the Empire's southeastern periph ...
, joining the regional court of Ferdinand Habsburg. He later moved to Habsburg Hungary, living mostly in Tyrnau with his own retinue. He litigated over his father's assets, which had been confiscated by the Empire, and set out to redeem his memory, while also involving himself in conspiracies for the recovery of Wallachia. From 1610, he reconciled with Radu Șerban, becoming his ''
Postelnic ''Postelnic'' (, plural: ''postelnici,'' from the Slavic ''postel'', "bed"; cf. Russian '' postelnichy'') was a historical rank traditionally held by boyars in Moldavia and Wallachia, roughly corresponding to the position of '' chamberlain''. I ...
'' and assisting with his expedition into Burzenland. He welcomed the older Prince in exile, after he was deposed by the Ottomans in 1611, and two years later married his daughter, Ana. From then until 1620, the two former Princes participated in anti-Ottoman projects that also involved the Duke of Nevers, the
Movilești The House of Movileşti, also Movilă or Moghilă (, Cyrillic: Могила), was a family of boyars in the principality of Moldavia, which became related through marriage with the Mușatin family – the traditional House of Moldavian sovereig ...
, and Gaspar Graziani. During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
, which began after Ferdinand took the imperial throne in 1619, Nicolae and Radu Șerban joined a Habsburg coalition against
Gabriel Bethlen Gabriel Bethlen (; 1580 – 15 November 1629) was Prince of Transylvania from 1613 to 1629 and Duke of Opole from 1622 to 1625. He was also King-elect of Hungary from 1620 to 1621, but he never took control of the whole kingdom. Bethlen, sup ...
's Transylvania. They themselves were chased out of Tyrnau by Bethlen's offensive, and both died of
gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...
within seven years of each other, leaving the family in destitution. In the 1640s, Nicolae's son Mihai was asked by Wallachian Prince
Matei Basarab Matei Basarab (; 1588, Brâncoveni, Olt – 9 April 1654, Bucharest) was the voivode (prince) of Wallachia from 1632 to 1654. Reign Much of Matei's reign was spent fighting off incursions from Moldavia, which he successfully accomplished in 1 ...
to become his crown prince, but this request did not suit Habsburgs policies, and was dropped. Nicolae's widow and his daughter Ilinca were allowed passage, and repatriated both Princes' remains, which were buried together at
Comana Monastery Comana Monastery () is a Romanian Orthodox monastery in Comana, Giurgiu, Comana, Giurgiu County, Romania. In 1461, the original Comana Monastery was founded and built by Vlad Țepeș (Vlad the Impaler) as a monastery-fortress. Having fallen into ...
. Ilinca went on to marry a high-ranking boyar, Istratie Leurdeanu.


Name

In a document which uses the courtly language,
Church Slavonic Church Slavonic is the conservative Slavic liturgical language used by the Eastern Orthodox Church in Belarus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia. The ...
, Nicolae describes himself as: ("
By the Grace of God By the Grace of God (, abbreviated D.G.) is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. In England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was formally added to the royal sty ...
'' Io'' Niecolaie
Voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
and
Hospodar ''Gospodar'' or ''hospodar'', also ''gospodin'' as a diminutive, is a term of Slavic origin, meaning "lord" or " master". The compound (, , , sh-Latn-Cyrl, gospodar, господар, ) is a derivative of ''gospod'' / ''gospodin'', , or when spe ...
of the Entire Hungro-Wallachian Country"). Historian
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet and playwright. Co-founder (in 1910) of the Democratic Nationalist Party (PND), he served as a member of Parliament ...
highlights the exotic nature of Nicolae's baptismal name, in its temporal context. The last Prince of Wallachia to have been crowned under that name was the 14th-century Nicolae Alexandru, whose memory had faded, and it was only used since by the pretender Nicolaus Bassaraba. The latter, a scion of the
Craiovești The House of Craiovești (), later House of Brâncovenești (), was a boyar family in Wallachia who gave the country several of its Princes and held the title of Ban of Oltenia (whether of Strehaia or Craiova) for ca. 60 years. History The fir ...
, had made his most successful bid for the throne in 1563–1564. Iorga proposes that both Bassaraba and Pătrașcu were in fact named in honor of their supposed common ancestor,
Neagoe Basarab Neagoe Basarab (; – 15 September 1521) was the Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between 1512 and 1521. Born into the boyar family of the Craiovești (his reign marks the climax of the family's political influence) as the son of Pârvu Craioves ...
, both of them with a synophone. Scholar Ștefan Mihăilescu believes that Michael the Brave may have named his son in direct homage to
Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
, whom he credited as his personal protector. A period witness and biographer,
Balthasar Walther Balthasar Walther (1558 – c. 1631) was a Silesian physician and Christian Kabbalist of German ethnicity. Born in Liegnitz in modern Poland, Walther was a significant influence on the thought of the German theosopher Jakob Böhme. As an itinerant ...
, contrarily reports that Pătrașcu celebrated his
name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, as well as Christian communities elsewhere. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively t ...
on the Feast of Saint Peter (June 29). In Moldavia, the Prince was generally known as ''Neculai'' or ''Nicola'', although one Moldavian document of 1600 refers to him as ''Petru Vodă'' ("Peter the Voivode"). The derivative Pătrașcu appears in Nicolae's signatures in
Neo-Latin Neo-LatinSidwell, Keith ''Classical Latin-Medieval Latin-Neo Latin'' in ; others, throughout. (also known as New Latin and Modern Latin) is the style of written Latin used in original literary, scholarly, and scientific works, first in Italy d ...
, which style him as ''Nicolaus Petrasko Waiwoda'' or ''Nicolaus Petrascus Waiwoda''. The registers of the '' Hof-Bibliothek'', also kept in Latin, name him as ''Nicolaus Petrascus'' or ''Nicolaas Petrash''. In Tuscan sources, his name appeared more simply as ''Petraschi Vaivoda''. Some of the Romanian writs issued after his departure refer to him as ''Pătrașco Voevod'', or merely as '' Jupan Necula''. Another early Romanian record, preserved by Nicolae's tombstone, cites him as ''Petrașco Niculae''.


Biography


Origins and early life

Various scholarly disputes surround the origins of Nicolae's father Michael the Brave, or ''Mihai Viteazul'', who passed himself off as a son of Pătrașcu the Good, from the Drăculești princely clan, and therefore also as a half-brother of
Petru Cercel Petru II Cercel (''Peter Earring'' or ''Earring Peter''; c. 1545 – March 1590) was a Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia from 1583 to 1585, legitimate son to Pătrașcu cel Bun and alleged half-brother of Mihai Viteazul. A polyglot and a minor figu ...
. Some historians accept that he was Prince Pătrașcu's son, or at least a member of his house. Others simply list Michael's paternal roots as disputed. Nicolae's grandmother was Teodora (Tudora), Pătrașcu's alleged mistress. A native or resident of
Orașul de Floci Orașul de Floci, also ''Cetatea de Floci'' or ''Târgul de Floci'', is a lost city of Wallachia, now in Romania. ''Floci'', in this context, means "wool"; the name refers to the local sheep and wool market. The city was located at the confluenc ...
, she was of Greek ethnicity and reportedly worked as a barmaid. In the 16th century, Wallachia was a
tributary state A tributary state is a pre-modern state in a particular type of subordinate relationship to a more powerful state which involved the sending of a regular token of submission, or tribute, to the superior power (the suzerain). This token often ...
of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, which had an important say in its political life. From beginnings as an itinerant merchant, Michael joined the boyar aristocracy in 1588, when he served as lesser '' Ban'' in
Mehedinți County Mehedinți County () is a county () of Romania on the border with Serbia and Bulgaria. It is mostly located in the historical province of Oltenia, with one municipality (Orșova) and three communes (Dubova, Mehedinți, Dubova, Eșelnița, and Svi ...
, then as ''
Stolnic ''Stolnic'' was a '' boier'' (Romanian nobility) rank and the position at the court in the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The title approximately corresponds to seneschal and is borrowed from the Slavic title ''stolnik'' (from ...
''. According to contemporary writers such as Germanico Malaspina, Nicolae looked to be aged 12 or 13 in 1599–1600, meaning that he was born in 1586 or 1587. Mihăilescu has "year unknown". According to his research, the only reliable date to go by is 1584, the year of Michael's marriage to
Lady Stanca ''Lady'' is a term for a woman who behaves in a polite way. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the female counterpart of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. "Lady" is a ...
; Nicolae was the couple's eldest child. Historian Radu Mârza gives Nicolae's birth year as "approx. 1584", while other documentary evidence pushes the date back to ca. 1575. Stanca, who had been previously married to ''
Postelnic ''Postelnic'' (, plural: ''postelnici,'' from the Slavic ''postel'', "bed"; cf. Russian '' postelnichy'') was a historical rank traditionally held by boyars in Moldavia and Wallachia, roughly corresponding to the position of '' chamberlain''. I ...
'' Dumitru of Vâlcănești, was a relative of the Buzești boyars. She was also mother of Michael's daughter, Florica, who may have been born to another woman. Historians disagree on whether Florica was born ca. 1585 or much earlier. She was promised in marriage to several European monarchs, but eventually wed boyar Preda "Floricoiu" of Cepturoaia. Stanca's brother was Dragomir of Cârțoclești, who was briefly Michael's ''Stolnic''; this made her aunt of another boyar, ''
Spatharios The ''spatharii'' or ''spatharioi'' (singular: ; , literally " spatha-bearer") were a class of Late Roman imperial bodyguards in the court in Constantinople in the 5th–6th centuries, later becoming a purely honorary dignity in the Byzantine Emp ...
'' Balea, who acted as her caretaker. Historians have often assumed that Stanca was the sister of ''
Vornic Vornic was a historical rank for an official in charge of justice and internal affairs. He was overseeing the Royal Court. It originated in the Slovak '' nádvorník''. In the 16th century in Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrilli ...
'' Dragomir Dobromirescu, but later research proved that there was no relation between them. Genealogist Constantin Gane also describes Stanca as the daughter of ''
Logothete Logothete (, ''logothétēs'', pl. λογοθέται, ''logothétai''; Med. , pl. ''logothetae''; ; ; ; , ''logotet'') was an administrative title originating in the eastern Roman Empire. In the middle and late Byzantine Empire, it rose to become ...
'' Radu of Drăgoești and a niece of Dobromirescu, though other historians reject that hypothesis. Michael, rising to become Great ''Ban'' of
Oltenia Oltenia (), also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions – with the alternative Latin names , , and between 1718 and 1739 – is a historical province and geographical region of Romania in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Da ...
, fell afoul of the ruling Prince, Alexander the Wicked. According to legend, he miraculously evaded execution, then left into self-exile. It is probable that Nicolae and Stanca remained behind in Oltenia. Walther reports that Pătrașcu went into hiding with a band of
Gypsies {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , ...
, while Stanca was sent to live with the "women of the land". Michael eventually took the throne in 1593, with crucial backing from the Ottoman potentate Andronikos Kantakouzenos. The latter is often assumed to have been a brother of Teodora, which would establish a genealogical link between Nicolae and the emerging
Cantacuzino family The House of Cantacuzino (; ) is a Romanian aristocratic family of Greek origin. The family gave a number of princes to Wallachia and Moldavia, and it claimed descent from a branch of the Byzantine Kantakouzenos family, specifically from Byzanti ...
. The interpretation remains controversial. Nicolae followed his family to
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, and probably lived with them in the princely court of Piața cu Flori. An oral tradition records that he owned two pet
deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
, which he raised on the castle grounds. Michael grew somewhat estranged from his wife, and kept several official mistresses. One of these was Tudora, wife of the scribe Fiera Leurdeanu, who gave birth to a daughter. Named Marula, she later became wife of '' Clucer'' Socol Cornățeanu. One tradition refers to another Wallachian, the alleged son of Michael and brother of Nicolae, who ended up serving the Ottoman Empire as ''Hazar Pasha''. Nicolae's stay in Bucharest ended in 1594, when Michael rebelled against the Ottoman Empire. Wallachia joined the Holy League and the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
, opening a new theater in the
Long Turkish War The Long Turkish War (, ), Long War (; , ), or Thirteen Years' War was an indecisive land war between the Holy Roman Empire (primarily the Habsburg monarchy) and the Ottoman Empire, primarily over the principalities of Wallachia, Transylvania, ...
. The
Ottoman Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...
responded to the revolt by ransacking Bucharest, during which time one of Nicolae's deer was killed and the other lost. The princely family fled to the fortress town of
Gherghița Gherghița is a commune in Prahova County, Muntenia, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the w ...
, although rumor soon spread that they had been sent as hostages to the Principality of Transylvania. According to Mârza, the new developments had pushed Michael into using his own family as pawns in a "complexity of diplomatic games".


Becoming Prince

Michael eventually defeated the Ottoman intruders at Călugăreni in August 1595. Sources differ as to what Nicolae and Stanca were doing during that interval. Some authors believe that they remained in Gherghița until autumn 1596, when they finally moved to the second capital,
Târgoviște Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște'') is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița (river), Ialomița River. Târgoviște was ...
. Walther visited the place in June 1597, in time for Pătrașcu's name day, and composed an epigram for the occasion. From such accounts, scholar
Nicolae Bălcescu Nicolae Bălcescu () (29 June 181929 November 1852) was a Romanian Wallachian soldier, historian, journalist, and leader of the 1848 Wallachian Revolution. Early life Born in Bucharest to a family of low-ranking nobility, he used his mother ...
deduces that he was Pătrașcu's tutor—a claim seen as inaccurate by historian Dan Simonescu, who finds it more likely that Walther was a diplomatic envoy. In 1599, Walther wrote that the Prince sent "his woman, his children and all that he held dear" to safety in
Hermannstadt Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the ...
. Other reports of the period suggests that Michael began negotiating a truce with the Ottomans, during which he offered to send Nicolae as a hostage to
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. According to this narrative, Nicolae was still in Transylvania. Upon receiving news of Wallachia's rapprochement with the Ottomans, Transylvanian Princess Maria Christina ordered Michael's entire family to be quietly arrested. They remained hostages until January or February 1596. Walther also suggests that Maria Christina's returning husband,
Sigismund Báthory Sigismund Báthory (; 1573 – 27 March 1613) was Prince of Transylvania several times between 1586 and 1602, and Duchy of Racibórz, Duke of Racibórz and Duchy of Opole, Opole in Silesia in 1598. His father, Christopher Báthory, ruled Transy ...
, adhered to Michael's conciliatory lines. In July 1597, both were more openly negotiating with
Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Mehmed III Mehmed III (, ''Meḥmed-i sālis''; ; 26 May 1566 – 22 December 1603) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1595 until his death in 1603. Mehmed was known for ordering the execution of his brothers and leading the army in the Long Turkish ...
. The latter promised recognition for Michael, and for Nicolae as his rightful successor. Around that time, Michael also negotiated the terms of a new alliance with Transylvania, promising that he would marry Nicolae to a sister of Transylvanian magnate
István Jósika Baron István Jósika de Branyicska, also Ștefan Jósika or Ștefan Iojică (? – 11 September 1598)Markó 2006, p. 110. was a Hungarian nobility, Hungarian noble in the Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Principality of Transylvan ...
; Florica, meanwhile, was to marry Jósika's son. The project was suppressed when Sigismund Báthory refused to commit to the Holy League, prompting Michael to seek a matrimonial alliance with the
Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
and
Hohenzollerns The House of Hohenzollern (, ; , ; ) is a formerly royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) German dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenburg, Prussia, the German Empire, and Romania. ...
. Michael was especially worried when Mehmed asked for Nicolae to be sent as hostage, pushing him back into rebellion. In 1598, he proposed that Florica marry
Emperor Rudolf Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the Hou ...
, and also tried to arrange Nicolae's wedding to
Marie of Prussia Marie of Prussia (; 15 October 1825 – 17 May 1889) was Queen of Bavaria by marriage to Maximilian II of Bavaria, and the mother of Kings Ludwig II and Otto of Bavaria. Life Born and raised in Berlin, she was the daughter of Prince Wilh ...
. That year, Nicolae was given his first official assignment, which involved greeting Imperial envoys as they arrived in Târgoviște. In late 1597, Michael had also sent for Marcu Cercel, his alleged nephew, who had spent his childhood in Transylvania. According to the chronicler Ciro Spontone, Marcu was virtually adopted by the Prince, and was also being considered a suitor for Marula or Florica. Some scholars argue that, at some point in 1598 or 1599, Nicolae was dispatched to Transylvania, enrolling at the Jesuit Academy in Clausenburg. Mihăilescu believes that the school gave him his proficiency in
Neo-Latin Neo-LatinSidwell, Keith ''Classical Latin-Medieval Latin-Neo Latin'' in ; others, throughout. (also known as New Latin and Modern Latin) is the style of written Latin used in original literary, scholarly, and scientific works, first in Italy d ...
. However, Mârza cautions, no document shows whether Nicolae actually attended courses, but only that Michael had wanted him to enroll. In any case, this period ended with a sudden worsening of relations between the Holy League and Transylvania, with
Andrew Báthory Andrew Báthory (; ; 1562 or 1563 – 3 November 1599) was the Cardinal-deacon of Sant'Adriano al Foro from 1584 to 1599, Prince-Bishop of Warmia from 1589 to 1599, and Prince of Transylvania in 1599. His father was a brother of Stephen Báthor ...
taking over as the latter country's Prince. The deterioration prompted Michael to begin his conquest of Transylvania. Nicolae was by his father's side during the victory at Șelimbăr (October 1599), and was then present for the
fealty An oath of fealty, from the Latin (faithfulness), is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Definition In medieval Europe, the swearing of fealty took the form of an oath made by a vassal, or subordinate, to his lord. "Fealty" also r ...
ceremonies at
Alba Iulia Alba Iulia (; or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; ; ) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the river Mureș (river), Mureș in the historical region of Transylvania, it has a ...
. For several months, Michael oscillated between the Habsburgs, who demanded his total submission, and the Ottomans, from whom he could expect recognition as Transylvanian Prince. In his dealings with either side, he offered to send Nicolae as a hostage. Meanwhile, Michael's reign in Wallachia was under threat, with a new offensive started by the Ottoman Army, which again tried to penetrate into Wallachia. The expedition notably included a pretender known as Cremonese Basarab, who was probably Nicolaus Bassaraba's son. In early December, Michael ordered Nicolae back to Târgoviște by way of
Bran Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the component of a Cereal, cereal grain consisting of the hard layersthe combined aleurone and Fruit anatomy#Pericarp layers, pericarpsurrounding the endosperm. Maize, Corn (maize) bran also includes the p ...
, assigning him a 6,000-strong guard under the command of Pongrác Szennyey. According to Gane, Stanca was made a regent, which allowed Michael to spend more time with his Transylvanian mistress, Velica Genga. Nicolae Pătrașcu was the reigning Prince of Wallachia between December 1599 and September 1601. For this reason, Michael's unification of Wallachia and Transylvania is described by various historians as mostly a
dynastic union A dynastic union is a type of union in which different states are governed beneath the same dynasty, with their boundaries, their laws, and their interests remaining distinct from each other. It is a form of association looser than a personal un ...
. According to Constantin Rezachevici, Nicolae was a full lord of his country, but his father was the "higher point of reference". As noted by Iorga, Nicolae's "full and uncontested" rule over Wallachia was meant to free Michael's had in claiming the throne of Transylvania (where he was formally governor on behalf of the Habsburgs). He was also using the separation of offices as an instrument against Rudolf's demands. In early 1600, when Rudolf demanded Nicolae as a hostage, Michael replied that this would mean statelessness for Wallachia. Nicolae's reign over Wallachia was assisted by a Boyar Council. Andronikos Kantakouzenos, Nicolae's putative uncle, was reportedly his tutor; he also managed the country's fiscal affairs, as '' Vistier'', while Miroslav of Râfov was ''Logothete''. Șerban of Coiani, who would later play a significant role in Wallachian history, was Nicolae's ''
Paharnic The ''Paharnic'' (plural: ''Paharnici''; also known as ''Păharnic'', ''Paharnec'', or ''Păharnec''; Moldavian dialect: ''ceașnic'', , ''pakharnikos'', , ''paharnik'') was a Historical Romanian ranks and titles, historical Romanian rank, one of ...
''. At least one document confirms that
Radu Buzescu Radu Buzescu was a boyar (noble) of Wallachia during the reign of Michael the Brave. He took part in important political and military events at the time. His brothers were Preda and Stroe Buzescu, the three forming the group of the Buzești brot ...
was the acting ''Postelnic''.


In Moldavia

From his campsite in Transylvania, Michael set his sights on
Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
, which was governed by a hostile
Movilești The House of Movileşti, also Movilă or Moghilă (, Cyrillic: Могила), was a family of boyars in the principality of Moldavia, which became related through marriage with the Mușatin family – the traditional House of Moldavian sovereig ...
regime, closely allied with the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
. Initially, Michael pursued matrimonial diplomacy: Nicolae was to marry a daughter of the Moldavian Prince
Ieremia Movilă Ieremia Movilă ( ; c. 1555 – 10 July 1606) was a Voivode (Prince) of Moldavia between August 1595 and May 1600, and again between September 1600 and July 10, 1606. At the time, Moldavia was a vassal province of the Polish-Lituania CommonWealth ...
. The latter refused the offer, as he was instead pushing for his brother,
Simion Movilă Simion Movilă (after 1559 14 September 1607), a boyar of the Movilești family, was twice Prince of Wallachia (November 1600 – June 1601; October 1601 – July 1602) and Prince of Moldavia from July 1606 until his death. Family He was the gra ...
, to take the Wallachian throne. Michael began preparing for war, but could only hope to succeed if he created a rift between Poland and the Movilești. Around December 1599, he was considering a matrimonial alliance with the ''
Szlachta The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...
'', through both Nicolae and Florica. Early the following year, he offered to send Nicolae as a hostage to
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
.
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
Sigismund Vasa refused to accept, and informed Michael that he could still expect retaliation. Michael led his combined Wallachian–Transylvanian force into a storming of Moldavia. His son reportedly joined in the effort, traveling with the Wallachian army along the
Trotuș River The Trotuș () is a river in eastern Romania, a right tributary of the river Siret (river), Siret. It emerges from the Ciuc Mountains in the Divisions of the Carpathians, Eastern Carpathians and joins the Siret in Pufești, Domnești-Sat near Adju ...
on May 5, 1600. Some twenty days later, Ieremia fled Moldavia, leaving the Wallachians in control; Nicolae had regained Târgoviște by that time. Various historians agree that Nicolae was selected by Michael to be the new Moldavian ruler. Rezachevici nuances this verdict, arguing that Michael in fact groomed Nicolae and his heirs to rule as a single dynasty over all three countries. A contemporary testimony by the Polish diplomat Andrzej Tarnowski argues the same, namely that Michael expected Sigismund Vasa to recognize "Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania s belongingto his son Nicolae, and to his heirs of the male gender." In June, as he rearranged the Moldavian Orthodox Church, placed under Archbishop Dionysus Rallis, Michael received the
oath of office An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Suc ...
from other hierarchs. The group, including
Anastasie Crimca Anastasius (, secular name Ilie Crimca, ; 1550–1629) was a Moldavian Eastern Orthodox clergyman, as well as a calligrapher, illuminator, and writer. Born in Suceava, he was the Metropolitan of Moldavia (1608–1617; 1619–1629) and the found ...
, who took over as Bishop of Rădăuți, swore his allegiance not just to Michael, but also to Nicolae. This also appears in one oath by the newly appointed '' pârcălab'' of
Suceava Suceava () is a Municipiu, city in northeastern Romania. The seat of Suceava County, it is situated in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of Bukovina and Western Moldavia, Moldavia, northeastern Romania. It is the largest urban ...
. An interpretation of Nicolae's role in Moldavia is found in 18th-century variant of '' Letopisețul Cantacuzinesc'', which claims that Michael ordered Radu Buzescu to arrange Nicolae's departure for
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
. The same source reports that Michael changed his mind as the expedition was starting, and instead placed Moldavia under a regency. According to historian N. Grigoraș, the Moldavian move may have been vetoed by Stanca, although some of the Moldavian boyars had proved welcoming. One contemporary account claims that Michael no longer wanted "his little son" as ruler of a "a borderland, for he was still fearful of Ieremia Voivode". As noted by Rezachevici, this may in fact refer to his awareness that the
Polish army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...
of
Stanisław Żółkiewski Stanisław Żółkiewski (; 1547 – 7 October 1620) was a Polish people, Polish szlachta, nobleman of the Lubicz coat of arms, a magnate, military commander, and Chancellor (Poland), Chancellor of the Polish Crown in the Polish–Lithuanian C ...
was preparing the reconquest of Moldavia. Under this Wallachian ascendancy, Moldavia's throne was most probably being prepared for Marcu Cercel. The regency council which then emerged is generally believed to have comprised Andronikos, ''
Hetman ''Hetman'' is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders (comparable to a field marshal or imperial marshal in the Holy Roman Empire). First used by the Czechs in Bohemia in the 15th century, ...
''
Udrea Băleanu Udrea Băleanu, also known as Băleanul, Banul Udrea, or Udrea of Băleni (? – ca. May 1601), was a Wallachian and Moldavian statesman and military commander. He was especially noted as a key supporter, and alleged uncle, of the unifying List of ...
, ''Spatharios'' Negrea, and '' Armaș'' Sava. By June 1600 Nicolae was also styling himself "ruler over the whole Country of Transylvania". In July, Michael requested from Rudolf that he and Nicolae be recognized as joint rulers of all three countries, and that their dynasty, including female descendants, be left to rule "to the end of time". On September 12, Rudolf finally issued a writ recognizing Michael and Nicolae as lifetime governors of Transylvania and as Princes of the other two countries. Over those months, however, Michael had lost Transylvania to an insurgency headed by the Imperial warlord
Giorgio Basta Giorgio Basta, Count of Huszt, Gjergj Basta or Gheorghe Basta (1550 – 1607) was an Kingdom of Naples, Italian general, diplomat, and writer of Arbëreshë people, Arbëreshë Albanian origin, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to com ...
, and assisted by the
Hungarian nobility The Kingdom of Hungary held a Nobility, noble class of individuals, most of whom owned landed property, from the 11th century until the mid-20th century. Initially, a diverse body of people were described as noblemen, but from the lat ...
; Moldavia was also reconquered by the Poles and the Movilești (''see Battle of Mirăslău'', ''
Moldavian Magnate Wars The Moldavian Magnate Wars, or Moldavian Ventures, refer to the period at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century when the magnates of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth intervened in the affairs of Moldavia, clashing ...
''). He was forced back into Wallachia when the Poles began their march on Bucharest. Shortly before the
battle of Bucov The Battle of Bucov or Teleajen, Teleajen River (called battle of Bukowo in Polish historiography) was fought during the Moldavian Magnate Wars between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Wallachia, Principality of Wallachia, on October ...
, he pledged to send Stanca and his children, including Nicolae, as hostages to Transylvania, hoping to secure a truce with Basta. Michael obtained guarantees that his family would not be imprisoned by his enemies, the
Transylvanian Saxons The Transylvanian Saxons (; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen'' or simply ''Soxen'', singularly ''Sox'' or ''Soax''; Transylvanian Landler dialect, Transylvanian Landler: ''Soxn'' or ''Soxisch''; ; seldom ''sa ...
, but Basta denied his other requests, including that they would be dispatched to
Făgăraș Citadel Făgăraș Citadel ( , , ) is a History, historic Ancient monument, monument in Făgăraș, Brașov County, Romania. History The construction of the fortress started in 1310, on the site of a wooden fortification with earth Rampart (fortificat ...
.


As hostage

Despite the pledge, Michael was also very unwilling to send his family abroad, and procrastinated to October 1600. Florica only arrived on December 30, and Teodora, also promised as a hostage, never left Wallachia. Nicolae finally presented himself at Lécfalva on October 16, accompanied by Archbishop Dionysus and ''Vistier'' Stoica Rioșeanu. All three pledged their loyalty to Rudolf and expressed criticism of Michael's policies. On October 17, Nicolae and his mother were honored guests at
Corona Corona (from the Latin for 'crown') most commonly refers to: * Stellar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun or another star * Corona (beer), a Mexican beer * Corona, informal term for the coronavirus or disease responsible for the COVID-19 ...
, on their way to a gilded imprisonment in the castle of Gilău (Gela). In their dialogue with Michael, the Hungarians offered Gilău as a permanent family ''
demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land subinfeudation, sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. ...
''. After Bucov, Simion Movilă took over Nicolae's throne, in what was in practice an alternative dynastic union between Wallachia and Moldavia. Michael remained an exile, seeking to renew his fealty toward the Habsburgs. He departed for
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, where he was to seek additional support from Rudolf and made peace with Basta. This interval presented an opportunity for the Hungarian nobles, who denounced Basta and took control over much of Transylvania. Nicolae and Stanca, now their prisoners, were removed from Gilău and dispatched to the more secluded Făgăraș. Some of Michael's supporters in Transylvania acknowledged in March 1601 that the family was healthy and satisfied, but a
Mantuan Mantuan may refer to: *Mantuan, adjective describing things of or relating to Mantua *Mantuan dialect, one of the Eastern Lombard dialects *Baptista Mantuanus Baptista Spagnuoli Mantuanus, O.Carm (, English: Battista the Mantuan or simply Mant ...
report of April claimed otherwise. Stanca later complained to her mother-in-law that the entire family had been mistreated, and other records suggest that their mobile possession were arbitrarily confiscated. Michael tried to have them released into Rudolf's custody, and proposed that Nicolae become his ambassador in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
. Despite his revival of the Holy League, Michael was having secret dealings with the Ottomans, to whom he sent a number of peace offerings in exchange for recognition as Prince. Again during the early months of 1601, he offered to send his son, "who is now kept under lock at Făgăraș", to Istanbul. The Ottomans demanded Nicolae from the Hungarian nobles, their nominal allies. The request was denied, because Nicolae's captors expected to hold him as a leverage against Michael, and also because of Stanca's passionate opposition to the plan. In August 1601, with Imperial backing, Michael was able to defeat the rebels at Guruslău. News of this pushed the Wallachian boyars into a successful anti-Movilești rebellion, which technically restored Nicolae on the throne. They sent envoys to Michael's camp, who also reached Făgăraș on their way. Nicolae's fortunes were overturned within a month, following Michael's killing on Basta's orders, at
Câmpia Turzii Câmpia Turzii (; ; ) is a municipality in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania, which was formed in 1925 by the union of two villages, Ghiriș (''Aranyosgyéres'') and Sâncrai (''Szentkirály''). It was declared a town in 1950 and a city in 1998. ...
. Rumors of the period claimed that the two clashed over Michael's intent to divert his forces toward Făgăraș, in order to free Stanca and his children. Others even suggested that Basta framed Michael, first by agreeing to the offensive on Făgăraș, and then by withdrawing support and claiming that Michael was off to join the Ottomans. With Michael dead, Basta took control of the offensive into Transylvania, which eventually included the capture of Făgăraș. An ''
avviso In the early modern period of Europe (1500–1700), journalism originally consisted of handwritten newsletters used to convey political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently throughout the continent. They were often written anonymou ...
'' of October 6 claims that Basta's troops ran into Michael's family not at Făgăraș, but at Huszth, which indicates that they had been moved to
Partium Partium (from Latin '' partium'', the genitive plural of '' pars'' "part, portion") or ''Részek'' (in Hungarian) was a historical and geographical region in the Kingdom of Hungary during the early modern and modern periods. It consisted of the ...
by the retreating Hungarians, probably through Moldavia. As reported by Gane, Stanca and Nicolae remained harshly critical of Michael in their interviews with Basta and David Ungnad, accepting that he may have been guilty of conspiracy against the Holy League. Nicolae "cried and trembled, informing the German ngnadthat, whatever his father's fault, ..he himself remained blameless and prostrated in front of the Emperor". According to Iorga, the young heir, a "gentle creature", was "blessing his patron Basta, though the latter's hands were drenched in a blood that should have been dear to the princelet." Marcu Cercel also pledged his loyalties to the Empire. He followed Basta to Făgăraș, hoping to emerge as the Habsburg favorite for the Wallachian throne. A delegation of boyars supported him, while others noted that, at age eighteen, he was hardly competent; they preferred Șerban of Coiani for that position. An ''avviso'' from May 1602 claims that Nicolae's candidacy was probably considered by a boyar faction, namely that supporting Wallachia's incorporation within the Empire. By then, Nicolae had been moved to Făgăraș, and was faced with Moldavian demands for his extradition. These were ignored by Basta, who instead asked the Hungarian nobles that they return Nicolae's stolen assets.


In exile

A
Cozia Monastery Cozia Monastery (Romanian language, Romanian: ''Mănăstirea Cozia'') is one of the most important medieval monastic complexes in Romania, located on the right bank of the Olt (river), Olt River near the town of Călimănești in Vâlcea County. Fo ...
record details the meeting between Stanca and Teodora, who was by then a nun. According to Gane, this would suggest that Nicolae traveled back to Wallachia to meet his paternal grandmother, while others indicate that he was forced to stay behind in Transylvania until the second half of 1602. In August, Nicolae addressed the Emperor a letter which reaffirmed his loyalty and asked to be received at the court in Prague, while also issuing a claim to Michael's confiscated assets. On September 28, Nicolae was at
Șcheii Brașovului Șcheii Brașovului (, or more recently ''Obere Vorstadt''; traditional Romanian name: ''Bulgărimea'', colloquially ''Șchei'') is the old ethnically Bulgarian and Romanian neighborhood of Brașov, a city in southeastern Transylvania, Romani ...
, where he donated various assets to St. Nicholas Church, in exchange for regular
memorial services A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect the ...
honoring his late father. The Wallachian assets he bequeathed included the entire village of Micșunești. In December, Nicolae, Stanca and Florica had reached Vienna, and were asking for Rudolf's assistance. Between 1602 and 1611, the Wallachian throne was held by Șerban of Coiani, who took the regnal name of ''Radu Șerban''. By 1608, Nicolae had returned to Transylvania, hoping to seal an alliance with its Prince,
Gabriel Báthory Gabriel Báthory (; 15 August 1589 – 27 October 1613) was Prince of Transylvania from 1608 to 1613. The Ottomans nicknamed him "Deli Kiral" (Mad King). Born to the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic branch of the Báthory family, he was closely ...
, against their common Wallachian rival. According to Gane, Nicolae sketched an attempt to topple his rival, leading a "small army he had improvised". Radu Șerban captured him and cut off part of his nose, which technically invalidated Nicolae's candidacy. Despite usurping Nicolae, he was a close follower of Michael's political line. Stanca returned to Wallachia with Florica, but died there in late 1603, a victim of the recurring plague. Balea of Cârțoclești assisted the family with various matters, including Stanca's funeral. Meanwhile, Nicolae obtained an imperial monthly pension worth 100 Goldgulden. He was also assigned to the retinue of Ferdinand Habsburg, the
Archduke of Austria Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...
, which required his presence in
Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
ca. 1603, and, on May 30, 1606, was made
Cup-bearer A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person had to be regarded as thor ...
(''Mundschenk'') of the Holy Roman Empire. Nevertheless, his funding was irregular, and overall viewed as insufficient by Nicolae and his retinue, who were increasingly dependent on
pawnbroker A pawnbroker is an individual that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as Collateral (finance), collateral. A pawnbrokering business is called a pawnshop, and while many items can be pawned, pawnshops typic ...
s. The former Prince eventually settled in Tyrnau, to the west of Habsburg Hungary (in present-day
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
). From Tyrnau, he litigated over his father's remaining assets, which were still in the Empire's custody, and also demanded Kynsburg Castle, in
Lower Silesia Lower Silesia ( ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) is a historical and geographical region mostly located in Poland with small portions in the Czech Republic and Germany. It is the western part of the region of Silesia. Its largest city is Wrocław. The first ...
, which had been promised to Michael. In 1605, the ''
Geheimrat was the title of the highest advising officials at the imperial, royal, or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the ''Geheimer Rat'' reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic reigns in Ge ...
'' recognized that Nicolae was owed 15,000
thaler A thaler or taler ( ; , previously spelled ) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter o ...
from his father's possessions, but failed to enforce this ruling, leaving Nicolae to issue a formal protest to the
Hungarian Diet The Diet of Hungary or originally: Parlamentum Publicum / Parlamentum Generale () was the most important political assembly in Hungary since the 12th century, which emerged to the position of the supreme legislative institution in the Kingdom ...
of
Pressburg Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
. In 1606, the
Aulic Council The Aulic Council (; ; literally "Court Council of the Empire", sometimes abbreviated in academic writing as "RHR") was one of the two supreme courts of the Holy Roman Empire, the other being the ''Reichskammergericht'' (Imperial Chamber Court). ...
settled his outstanding debt of 20,000 thaler, but he continued to be pressed by his creditors; six years later, he resold to Emperor Rudolf his father's golden necklace. He had earlier declared this artifact lost. Meanwhile, the burghers of Tyrnau issued complaints against their guest, accusing his retinue of excessive luxury and
resource depletion Resource depletion occurs when a natural resource is consumed faster than it can be replenished. The value of a resource depends on its availability in nature and the cost of extracting it. By the law of supply and demand, the Scarcity, scarcer ...
. In 1610, Radu Șerban recognized Nicolae as a ''Postelnic''. In this interval, Nicolae exchanged deeds over his father's village of
Ciulnița Ciulnița is a commune located in Ialomița County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Ciulnița, Ion Ghica, Ivănești, and Poiana. The commune is situated in the Bărăgan Plain, at an altitude of , on the right bank of the Ia ...
with ''Logothete'' Oancea, receiving instead Glina, though he never took possession of the latter. In July 1611, he fought alongside the Wallachian Prince as he defeated Báthory in Burzenland. Later that year, Radu Șerban was chased out of Bucharest by another Ottoman invasion, and replaced with
Radu Mihnea Radu Mihnea (1586 – 13 January 1626) was the voivode (prince) of Wallachia between September 1601 and March 1602, and again between March and May 1611, September 1611 and August 1616, and August 1620 and August 1623. He was also the voivode ...
. An 18th-century compilation by Franjo Ksaver Pejačević suggests that both Princes escaped Wallachia together, heading for Vienna. Eventually, Radu Șerban also settled at Tyrnau. From there, he began plotting Radu Mihnea's downfall, profiting from the Ottomans' focus on a parallel war in Persia. The expedition, finally started in 1616, was blocked by the hostile Transylvanian regime of
Gabriel Bethlen Gabriel Bethlen (; 1580 – 15 November 1629) was Prince of Transylvania from 1613 to 1629 and Duke of Opole from 1622 to 1625. He was also King-elect of Hungary from 1620 to 1621, but he never took control of the whole kingdom. Bethlen, sup ...
, who joined with Iskender Pasha and defeated the Wallachian returnees in Moldavia. Șerban's effort was also assisted by Moldavia's Princess Elisabeta, on behalf of the Movilești. This final reconciliation ended badly for the Moldavians, as Elisabeta and her son
Alexandru Alexandru is the Romanian form of the name Alexander. Common diminutives are Alecu, Alex, and Sandu. Origin Etymologically, the name is derived from the Greek "Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" or "protector of m ...
were dethroned and imprisoned by the Ottomans. Nicolae remained close to
Gabriel Movilă Gabriel or Gavril Movilă (? – December 1635) was Prince of Wallachia from June 1618 to July 1620. A Movileşti boyar, Gabriel was a son of Simion Movilă, Prince of Moldavia. Biography He attained the throne of Wallachia in 1616 but he r ...
, who became Prince of Wallachia in June 1618. During that episode, Nicolae and Marcu Cercel again found themselves on opposite sides: frustrated in his attempts to obtain a Wallachian or Moldavian crown, Marcu had turned against his Habsburg backers. In his final years, he was one of Bethlen's trusted supporters.


Final years

Nicolae ultimately married Radu Șerban's daughter, known as Ana or Ancuța Radulea, on July 10, 1618. The wedding was blessed by a new Emperor,
Matthias Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew. Notable people Notable people named Matthias include the following: Religion * Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Isca ...
, who presented the couple with a silver chalice. The scandal over Michael's inheritance peaked the same year, when Matthias ordered an ''
Hofkriegsrat The ''Hofkriegsrat'' (or Aulic War Council, sometimes Imperial War Council) established in 1556 was the central military administrative authority of the Habsburg monarchy until 1848 and the predecessor of the Austro-Hungarian Ministry of War. Th ...
'' investigation into Michael's killing. The news were poorly received by Nicolae, who complained that the inquiry would open the record to "calumnies" against his father and cement Basta's depiction of the Prince as a "traitor". The issue was put on hold by the accession of Archduke Ferdinand to the imperial throne, an event which also sparked the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. In 1619, Bethlen, joining the anti-Habsburg coalition, attacked Ferdinand's possessions in Hungary. Nicolae, Ana, and Radu Șerban fled Tyrnau ahead of a siege, moving to
Modern Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...
, then to
Eisenstadt Eisenstadt (; ; ; or ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Austria, Austrian state of Burgenland. With a population of 15,074 (as of 2023), it is the smallest state capital and the 38th-largest city in Austria overall. It lies at the foot o ...
. During that interval, both former Princes became involved in the project to assist the
Maniot The Maniots () or Maniates () are an ethnic Greeks, Greek subgroup that traditionally inhabit the Mani Peninsula; located in western Laconia and eastern Messenia, in the southern Peloponnese, Greece. They were also formerly known as Mainotes, an ...
revolt in
Ottoman Greece The vast majority of the territory of present-day Greece was at some point incorporated within the Ottoman Empire. The period of Ottoman rule in Greece, lasting from the mid-15th century until the successful Greek War of Independence broke out ...
, with the Duke of Nevers asking them to support his "Christian Militia", which also fought against Bethlen. Although criticized as Orthodox "Schismatics", they were eventually accepted as allies, alongside the ephemeral Catholic Prince of Moldavia, Gaspar Graziani. In November 1619, Nicolae and Graziani assisted George Druget's attack on Bethlen's Transylvania, also transferring exorbitant sums to Sigismund Vasa in exchange for his ''
Lisowczycy Lisowczyks or Lisowczycy (; also known as ''Straceńcy'' ('lost men' or 'forlorn hope') or (company of ); or in singular form: Lisowczyk or ) was the name of an early 17th-century irregular unit of the Polish–Lithuanian light cavalry. The Lis ...
'' ''(see
Battle of Humenné The Battle of Humenné ( Hungarian: ''Homonnai csata'', Polish: ''bitwa pod Humiennem'' or ''pierwsza odsiecz wiedeńska'') took place on 22–23 November 1619 near Humenné (eastern Slovakia) during the first period of the Thirty Years' War b ...
)''. Nicolae became Druget's favorite for the Wallachian crown, his father-in-law having since retired from the race. Eventually, Nicolae and Radu Șerban became aware that Graziani wanted the crown of Wallachia for himself, and were resentful, taking their distance from the Militia. In February 1620, after having moved to Vienna, Nicolae lost his father-in-law to
gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...
, and inherited from him the assets of the Coiani boyars. By then, Nicolae was again emerging as Ferdinand's favorite: the Empire would not assign him more money, but Michael's inheritance was paid up in land, houses, and salt. Following the Habsburg–Transylvanian rapprochement, he began writing of his plan to regain Bucharest with Bethlen's help. Nevertheless, he himself was immobilized by gout, turning his attention to less material pursuits, in particular reading. By 1626, attempting to alleviate his symptoms, he sought specialized care in Vienna. In his correspondence with Sebastian Tengnagel, he asked to receive books of grammar and theology from the '' Hof-Bibliothek'', noting that he had "no other pleasure left". He complained to Ferdinand's court of his insolvency, receiving backing from the Count Esterházy. Nicolae died of gout in 1627, either somewhere "in Austria" or at Pressburg. As noted by Ștefan Mihăilescu, his date of death was between June 19 and September 7. According to the same author, he was probably aged 40 or 41. The body was assigned for burial to the Orthodox church of Raab. Ana survived on a 50-Goldgulden pension, also finding employment as a seamstress; Ferdinand refused to let her return home. By 1635, she was able to pay off her debt to the citizens of Tyrnau, but protested that they would not return her collateral. She also took up her husband's inheritance claim, and, as early as 1627, complained to Ferdinand that Count Esterházy, as
Palatine of Hungary The Palatine of Hungary ( or , , ) was the highest-ranking office in the Kingdom of Hungary from the beginning of the 11th century to 1848. Initially, Palatines were representatives of the monarchs, later (from 1723) the vice-regent (vi ...
, was blocking her litigation. The Emperor intervened and ordered the procedures to be carried out with some expediency. Parts of Michael the Brave's estate were also being requested by some of the prominent Hungarian families, including
Bánffy The Banffy family is an ancient Hungarian noble family, whose members occupied prominent positions in the Kingdom of Hungary and later within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Across different branches, the family was elevated to baronial rank in 1729 ...
, Héderváry, and
Esterházy The House of Esterházy, also spelled Eszterházy (), is a Hungarian nobility, Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the Esterházys were the greatest landowner magnates of the Kingdom of Hungary, durin ...
.


Legacy

Nicolae's remains were finally exhumed by Ana in 1640, and taken to Wallachia together with Radu Șerban's (recovered from St. Stephen's Cathedral). The reigning Prince
Matei Basarab Matei Basarab (; 1588, Brâncoveni, Olt – 9 April 1654, Bucharest) was the voivode (prince) of Wallachia from 1632 to 1654. Reign Much of Matei's reign was spent fighting off incursions from Moldavia, which he successfully accomplished in 1 ...
welcomed them in Bucharest, then buried them together in the shared necropolis of
Comana Monastery Comana Monastery () is a Romanian Orthodox monastery in Comana, Giurgiu, Comana, Giurgiu County, Romania. In 1461, the original Comana Monastery was founded and built by Vlad Țepeș (Vlad the Impaler) as a monastery-fortress. Having fallen into ...
. The epitaph, which probably dates from the late 18th century, commemorates both as heroes of the defense against
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
and "the Hungarian heretic". Unusually, Nicolae and his family were regularly commemorated by a Moldavian church at
Golia Monastery The Golia Monastery () is a Romanian Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox fortified monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments in Romania, National Register of Historic Monuments. In 2 ...
. Their likeness remains preserved at Căluiu Monastery, in
Oboga Oboga is a commune in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Oboga. It also included Călui and Gura Căluiu villages until 2004, when they were split off to form Călui Călui is a commune in Olt County, Oltenia, R ...
, which Michael furbished in 1593–1594. His heir is shown alongside his mother on the Căluiu naos, painted by a Master Mina. Mihăilescu, who also writes that Prince Nicolae was a Wallachian version of
Napoleon II Napoleon II (Napoléon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte; 20 March 181122 July 1832) was the disputed Emperor of the French for a few weeks in 1815. He was the son of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, Marie Louise, d ...
, laments that his fate was otherwise "nearly entirely forgotten." The marriage of Nicolae and Ana produced two sons, Gavril and Mihai Pătrașcu, and a daughter, Ilinca (Elena). Gavril died in 1622, an infant or young child. Nicolae's daughter stayed with her mother in Austria until 1640. Both returned to settle in
Filipeștii de Târg Filipeștii de Târg is a commune in Prahova County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Brătășanca, Filipeștii de Târg, and Mărginenii de Jos. The locality was a town until 1950. The commune is situated towards the norther ...
, alongside the Cantacuzinos, before recovering their family estates. They could resume ownership of Bârca and Mircești-Simileasca, but not of their serfs, who were recognized as
manumitted Manumission, or enfranchisement, is the act of freeing slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and ...
by Prince Matei. Florica had died shortly after her brother, in or around 1629, while Marula was still alive in 1647. Mihai, who was also recognized as a Cup-bearer, stated a claim to his share of the Coiani inheritance, demanding in particular 4,000 Goldgulden pledged by the Empire to his maternal grandmother, Elena Șerban. He was still attached to Vienna, with Ferdinand III forcefully keeping him on his entourage and considering him for the throne of Transylvania. In 1643, he was trying to instigate a pro-Habsburg rebellion among the Romanians of Transylvania. This prevented Prince Matei, whose sons Matei II and Mateiaș had both died, from adopting Michael the Great's grandson. In 1654, formally released from Austrian service, Mihai made a final effort to regain Wallachia, counting on assistance from the Cossack rebels. He fell ill with the plague upon reaching
Bohdan Khmelnytsky Zynoviy Bohdan Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky of the Abdank coat of arms (Ruthenian language, Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богданъ Хмелнiцкiи; modern , Polish language, Polish: ; 15956 August 1657) was a Ruthenian nobility, Ruthenian noble ...
's court in
Chyhyryn Chyhyryn ( ; ) is a city in Cherkasy Raion, Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. It is located on Tiasmyn river not far where it enters Dnieper. From 1648 to 1669, the city served as the residence of the hetman of the Zaporizhian Host. After a f ...
, and was recorded as dead by 1656. One tradition suggests that he was the suitor for Domnița Ruxandra, daughter of Moldavian Prince
Vasile Lupu Lupu Coci, known as Vasile Lupu (; 1595 – 1661), was the voivode of Moldavia between 1634 and 1653. He was of Albanian and Greek origin. Lupu had secured the Moldavian throne in 1634 after a series of complicated intrigues and managed to h ...
and widow of
Tymofiy Khmelnytsky Tymofiy Bohdanovych Khmelnytsky or Tymish Bohdanovych Khmelnytsky (; 1632 — 15 September 1653) was a Zaporozhian Cossack military commander. He was the eldest son of the Ukrainian Cossack Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. He was married to the Mol ...
. Some scholars also argue that he is the ''Michael Vaivoda'' depicted in a 1651 engraving by Elias Wiedemann. By then, Ilinca had married ''Postelnic'' Istratie Leurdeanu. He was Fiera Leurdeanu's grandson, and son of the ''Logothete'' Stroe Leurdeanu. After his failure with Mihai Pătrașcu, Prince Matei hoped to adopt Istratie, but met opposition from the other boyars, and was ultimately discarded in favor of
Diicul Buicescul Diicul or Dicul Buicescul, also known as Diicu Buicescu and Diicu din EpoteștiStoicescu, p. 130 (? – ca. July 1659), was a Wallachian statesman, noted as the designated heir of List of rulers of Wallachia, Prince Matei Basarab. A commoner on hi ...
. Both Istratie and Stroe rose to prominence later in the 1650s, under the rule of Radu Șerban's natural son,
Constantin Șerban Constantin II Șerban (died 1682) was the prince of Wallachia from 1654 to 1658. He was an illegitimate son of Radu Şerban. According to custom, being born out of wedlock did not disqualify Constantin from becoming prince. Reign He was an ...
, and then became noted as enemies of the Cantacuzinos. Ilinca was still mentioned in 1656, and died childless some time after; Istratie was executed in December 1658 by a new Prince,
Mihnea III Mihnea III Radu (; 1613 – 5 April 1660) was the prince of Wallachia from March 1658 to November 1659. His father was alleged to have been the voivode Radu Mihnea. Family Ancestry claims Radu's ancestry is uncertain. During his life, Radu clai ...
. His father survived him by twenty years. Tried for his role in the unlawful execution of Constantin I Cantacuzino (Nicolae's alleged cousin), he was pardoned and sent to a monastery, ending his life as Silvestru the Monk. Nicolae Pătrașcu enjoys recognition in modern-day Romania. Research into his biography was inaugurated by
Alexandru Roman Alexandru Roman (November 26, 1826 – September 27, 1897) was an Austro-Hungarian ethnic Romanian cultural figure and journalist, as well as a founding member of the Romanian Academy. Born in Aușeu, Bihor County, in the Crișana region, he att ...
, on behalf of the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...
. In the 1880s, Roman obtained essential biographical documents relating to Pătrașcu and Ana Radulea, from the estate of György Majláth. The Prince's tunic and cape were recovered from Comana and, by 1978, were on display at the National Military Museum. Posthumous depictions include Constantin Vaeni's 1977 film, ''Buzduganul cu trei peceți'', with Constantin Fugașin as a rambunctious Nicolae Pătrașcu (
Victor Rebengiuc Victor Rebengiuc (; known in full as Victor-George Rebengiuc; born 10 February 1933) is a Romanian film and stage actor, also known as a civil society activist. Since 1957, he has been a member of the Bulandra Theater company, acting in more t ...
is Michael the Brave).


Arms

Like all Wallachian Princes of the period, Nicolae used as his primary symbol the Wallachian bird, which was by then a cross between
golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...
and
raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
. As noted by heraldist Dan Cernovodeanu, this "hybrid" was represented with "very elegant" form under Nicolae's alleged grandfather, Pătrașcu the Good. A 1616
roll of arms A roll of arms (or armorial) is a collection of coat of arms, coats of arms, usually consisting of rows of painted pictures of shields, each shield accompanied by the name of the person bearing the arms. The oldest extant armorials date to the m ...
, created by Valentin Franck, puts Nicolae's arms alongside those of his father-in-law, showing them to be nearly identical: they both have oval shields supported by lions ''affrontés'', and "hybrid" birds ''displayed''. In Franck's version, Nicolae's arms feature the bird over a
cross potent A cross potent (plural: crosses potent), also known as a crutch cross, is a form of heraldic cross with crossbars at the four ends. In French, it is known as '' croix potencée'', in German as a ''Krückenkreuz'', all translating to "crutch cros ...
, and holding a ring in its beak, while Radu Șerban's has a closed beak and no cross. Cernovodeanu proposes that this heraldic distinction highlighted the difference of weight in dynastic claims: Nicolae saw himself as descending from the original
House of Basarab The House of Basarab (sometimes spelled as Bazarab, ) was a ruling family that established the Principality of Wallachia, giving the country its first line of List of rulers of Wallachia, Princes, one closely related with the House of Bogdan-Mu ...
, whereas his ally was only related to the
Craiovești The House of Craiovești (), later House of Brâncovenești (), was a boyar family in Wallachia who gave the country several of its Princes and held the title of Ban of Oltenia (whether of Strehaia or Craiova) for ca. 60 years. History The fir ...
. However, all seals used by Nicolae, Radu Șerban and Mihai Pătrașcu feature the same display, including lions in supporters and the cross (either behind the bird or in its beak), but without a ring. Michael the Brave and Nicolae are both associated with another seal, first used on July 27, 1600. Its complex field has the Wallachian bird alongside the Moldavian aurochs, two lions ''affrontés'', and a variant of the ''nova plantatio'' theme, with both Princes in supporters. An enduring controversy surrounds the two lions, opposing historians who view them as a variant
coat of arms of Transylvania The flag and coat of arms of Transylvania were granted by Maria Theresa in 1765, when she established a Principality of Transylvania (1711–1867), Grand Principality within the Habsburg monarchy. While neither symbol has official status in presen ...
to those who read them as Michael's personal arms; secondary debates range over whether they are shown holding up a sword or rather the trunk of a tree. Among the specialists involved, archivist Aurelian Sacerdoțeanu proposed that the seal was designed by Nicolae in a bid to cement his claim as Michael's successor on the Moldavian throne.Cernovodeanu, pp. 70–71. See also Grigoraș, p. 9; Rezachevici (2000), p. 10


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolae Patrascu 1580s births 1627 deaths 16th-century princes of Wallachia 17th-century princes of Wallachia Michael the Brave House of Drăculești Postelnici of Wallachia 16th-century military personnel of the Principality of Wallachia 17th-century military personnel of the Principality of Wallachia Austrian untitled nobility Mutilated pretenders to the Wallachian throne Eastern Orthodox Christians from Romania Eastern Orthodox Christians from Austria Romanian people of Greek descent Romanian people taken hostage Romanian prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of the Principality of Transylvania Prisoners and detainees of Austria Romanian exiles Romanian emigrants to Austria Romanian expatriates in Hungary People of the Long Turkish War Austrian people of the Thirty Years' War Military personnel of the Thirty Years' War