Coloman of Hungary
Encyclopedia
Coloman I the Book-lover , also spelled Koloman (c. 1074 – 3 February 1116), King of Hungary
(1095–1116) and Croatia (from 1108 full royal title "King of Hungary, Slavonia, Croatia and Dalmatia"). Although Coloman was their father's elder son, during his reign Coloman had to fight against his brother, Duke Álmos
who always disputed his right to the crown because Coloman probably had a physical deformity. Finally, Coloman ordered that his brother and his infant son were blinded which caused later chroniclers, who lived in the court of his brother's descendants, to accuse him of viciousness. However, he was one of the most educated rulers of his age, e.g. the Polish chronicler, Gallus Anonymus
describes him as the king "who was more educated in literary sciences than any of the kings who was living in his age". Coloman, as legislator, mitigated the austerity of his predecessor's decrees.
and his first wife Sophia, daughter of Count Giselbert of Looz. When his father died on 25 April 1077, in accordance with the Hungarian tradition which gave precedence to the eldest member of the royal family over the king's son, King Géza's brother, Ladislaus was proclaimed king. Coloman and his younger brother, Álmos
were educated in the court of their uncle.
King Ladislaus wanted Álmos to succeed him as king of Hungary, and wished to make Coloman a bishop. Therefore, Coloman was educated pursuant to the clerical traditions and acquired his subsequently famous learning, which earned him the appellation "the Book-lover".
Pursuant to the chronicles, King Ladislaus appointed Coloman to bishop of Eger
or Nagyvárad
. However, Coloman did not want to live an ecclesiastical life, and in 1095, when King Ladislaus named officially Álmos as his heir, Coloman escaped to Poland. When Coloman came back followed by Polish troops provided to him by Duke Władysław I Herman of Poland, King Ladislaus died on 29 July 1095. Shortly afterwards, Coloman made an agreement with his brother, under which Álmos acknowledged his reign but received "Tercia pars Regni" (i.e. one third of the Kingdom of Hungary) as appanage from the new king. Coloman was crowned only in the beginning of 1096.
armies caused while passing through Hungary. Although the armies led by Walter the Penniless
passed peacefully through the country in May 1096, the next hordes led by Peter the Hermit
occupied the fortress of Zimony
withdrawing only when Coloman's armies were approaching them.
Shortly afterwards, the troops of a German knight named Folkmar were pillaging the territories of the Hungarian County of Nitra, while the German priest Gottschalk
's hordes were ravaging the Transdanubian region of the kingdom. Coloman managed to rout both of the armies and he denied the entrance of the new armies led by Emicho of Leiningen
and Guillaume de Melun, but the Crusaders laid siege to the fortress of Moson
defended by Coloman. Coloman could only break out and win over the Crusaders just after a six-week-long defence.
On 20 September 1096, Coloman made an agreement with Duke Godfrey V of Lower Lorraine
, the leader of the next army. Under their agreement, Coloman took hostages (including Godfrey's brother, Baldwin
, who would become the first king of Jerusalem) and he mustered his own army to guard the progress; therefore the Crusader armies passed through the kingdom peacefully.
's help (instead of the pope's) when waging war on Croatia
, Coloman wanted to stay on good terms with the Holy See
. In the spring of 1097, he married Felicia
, a daughter of Count Roger I of Sicily
who was a close ally of the popes.
Shortly afterwards, Coloman led his armies against Petar Svačić
, who had been proclaimed king of Croatia, and won a decisive victory over the Croat armies at the Battle of Gvozd Mountain
, and reoccupied the country.
In 1097, he made good Hungary’s claim to Croatia by overthrowing King Petar Svačić of Croatia, and by 1102 Coloman controlled the greater part of Dalmatia.
According to the pacta conventa
, this marked both the end of an independent Kingdom of Croatia and the absorption, albeit incomplete, of the conquered territories into the Kingdom of Hungary. King Coloman of Hungary created a personal union between the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary. However, some historians dispute its authenticity and claim that the document is a forgery and that Hungary seized Croatia which became a province, while Croatian historiography generally accepts it as authentic. A Croatian proponent of the document being forgery is Nada Klaić
. According to this "pacta", the coronation was preceded by an agreement between Coloman and the representatives of the greatest Croatian families, under which he and his successors would govern Croatia as a separate kingdom. They, in turn, would acknowledge the special privileges and customs of the kingdom. However, there is no undoubtedley genuine document of the personal union, and medieval sources mention the absorption into the Hungarian kingdom.
The Pacta Conventa is most likely a late medieval forgery, not a twelfth-century source. Its source of inspiration must have been the political and social developments that had taken place over a 300-year period following the conquest of Ladislav I and Coloman.
While Coloman was far away in Croatia, his brother, Álmos, who had governed Croatia during the reign of Ladislaus I, rose against him in Hungary. However, the barons wanted to avoid the internal struggle and obliged Coloman and Álmos to confirm their former agreement under which Álmos could maintain his duchy while he accepted Coloman's rule. In 1105, Coloman led his armies to Dalmatia
and occupied the Dalmatian towns and islands that had belonged to Venice
.
and Duke Otto II of Olomouc
against Duke Břetislav II of Bohemia
, but he had a meeting, on 29 May, with Břetislav II on the so-called Lucko Field (near present Uherský Brod
) where they made a peace.
In the second half of 1099, Coloman led his armies against Prince Vasilko of Terebovl and laid siege to the fortress of Peremysl
, but he was defeated by the Cuman
allies of the prince.
Coloman's court was a centre of learning and literature. Bishop Hartvik's Life of St. Stephen, a chronicle of Hungary, the shorter of the extant Legends of St. Gellért, and several collections of laws all stem from his reign.
In the synod of Tarcal
, the prelates and barons of the kingdom revised the laws of the preceding kings, and Coloman issued new decrees. The new decrees reduced the severity of the laws of King Ladislaus I, but they also contained provisions against the Jews and the Muslim
s (böszörmény).
crowned in 1105, which resulted in the open rebellion of his brother, Duke Álmos
, who went to the court of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
. But the emperor was engaged with the rebellion of his own son, the future Emperor Henry V
, thus Duke Álmos had to come back to Hungary and accept Coloman's rule.
But Álmos did not give up his claims, and escaped to Poland and made an agreement with Duke Bolesław III who declared war against Coloman. However, Coloman sent envoys to the duke of Poland and convinced him to make an alliance against the Holy Roman Empire; therefore Álmos was obliged to return to Hungary and ask for the king's pardon.
In 1107, Coloman and Bolesław III gave assistance to Duke Svatopluk of Moravia
against Duke Borivoj II of Bohemia
. In the next year, Bolesław III could overcome the rebellion of his brother, Zbigniew
with Coloman's help. In the same year, taking advantage of his brother's pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Coloman occupied Álmos' duchy.
In 1108, Coloman visited Dalmatia and confirmed the privileges of Spalatum (Split), Iadera (Zadar), and Tragurium
(Trogir).
When duke Álmos returned from the Holy Land and realised that his duchy had been incorporated into the royal domains, he escaped again to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor. Upon his request, the Emperor Henry V
laid siege to Pozsony
. Coloman sought the assistance of Duke Bolesław III of Poland, who attacked Bohemia. In November, the emperor made a peace with Coloman, who let his brother come back to his court, but the duchy of Álmos was not to be restored. Shortly afterwards, Coloman set up the bishopric of Nyitra
.
, daughter of Grand Prince Vladimir II of Kiev. However, a few months later, she was caught in adultery and immediately divorced and sent back to her father. Eufemia bore a son in Kiev, named Boris
in 1112, but Coloman refused to acknowledge him as his son.
Shortly afterwards, Coloman had a meeting with Bolesław III who was going on a pilgrimage to Székesfehérvár
and Somogyvár
because of having made his brother blind. In 1115, Coloman, who had become more and more ill, also ordered to make Álmos and his infant son, Béla
blind in order to secure his own son's inheritance.
In August 1115, Venice made an assault against Dalmatia and began to conquer the Dalmatian towns and isles. But Coloman was not able to answer to the aggression, because he died on 3 February 1116. He was buried in Székesfehérvár
, next to St. Stephen.
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
(1095–1116) and Croatia (from 1108 full royal title "King of Hungary, Slavonia, Croatia and Dalmatia"). Although Coloman was their father's elder son, during his reign Coloman had to fight against his brother, Duke Álmos
Prince Álmos
Álmos was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary, brother of King Kálmán. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary....
who always disputed his right to the crown because Coloman probably had a physical deformity. Finally, Coloman ordered that his brother and his infant son were blinded which caused later chroniclers, who lived in the court of his brother's descendants, to accuse him of viciousness. However, he was one of the most educated rulers of his age, e.g. the Polish chronicler, Gallus Anonymus
Gallus Anonymus
Gallus Anonymus is the name traditionally given to the anonymous author of Gesta principum Polonorum , composed in Latin about 1115....
describes him as the king "who was more educated in literary sciences than any of the kings who was living in his age". Coloman, as legislator, mitigated the austerity of his predecessor's decrees.
Early years
Coloman was the elder son of the future King Géza IGéza I of Hungary
Géza I was King of Hungary from 1074 until his death. During King Solomon's rule he governed, as Duke, one third of the Kingdom of Hungary. Afterwards, Géza rebelled against his cousin's reign and his followers proclaimed him king...
and his first wife Sophia, daughter of Count Giselbert of Looz. When his father died on 25 April 1077, in accordance with the Hungarian tradition which gave precedence to the eldest member of the royal family over the king's son, King Géza's brother, Ladislaus was proclaimed king. Coloman and his younger brother, Álmos
Prince Álmos
Álmos was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary, brother of King Kálmán. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary....
were educated in the court of their uncle.
King Ladislaus wanted Álmos to succeed him as king of Hungary, and wished to make Coloman a bishop. Therefore, Coloman was educated pursuant to the clerical traditions and acquired his subsequently famous learning, which earned him the appellation "the Book-lover".
Pursuant to the chronicles, King Ladislaus appointed Coloman to bishop of Eger
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
or Nagyvárad
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
. However, Coloman did not want to live an ecclesiastical life, and in 1095, when King Ladislaus named officially Álmos as his heir, Coloman escaped to Poland. When Coloman came back followed by Polish troops provided to him by Duke Władysław I Herman of Poland, King Ladislaus died on 29 July 1095. Shortly afterwards, Coloman made an agreement with his brother, under which Álmos acknowledged his reign but received "Tercia pars Regni" (i.e. one third of the Kingdom of Hungary) as appanage from the new king. Coloman was crowned only in the beginning of 1096.
Facing the Crusaders
Shortly after his coronation, Coloman had to face the problems the CrusaderCrusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
armies caused while passing through Hungary. Although the armies led by Walter the Penniless
Walter the Penniless
Walter Sans Avoir , also mistakenly known as the Penniless, was the lord of Boissy-sans-Avoir in the Ile-de-France. As lieutenant to Peter the Hermit he co-led the People's Crusade at the beginning of the First Crusade...
passed peacefully through the country in May 1096, the next hordes led by Peter the Hermit
Peter the Hermit
Peter the Hermit was a priest of Amiens and a key figure during the First Crusade.-Before 1096:According to Anna Comnena, he had attempted to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem before 1096, but was prevented by the Seljuk Turks from reaching his goal and was tortured.Sources differ as to whether he...
occupied the fortress of Zimony
Zemun
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
withdrawing only when Coloman's armies were approaching them.
Shortly afterwards, the troops of a German knight named Folkmar were pillaging the territories of the Hungarian County of Nitra, while the German priest Gottschalk
Gottschalk
Gottschalk is a male German name, literally translating to "servant of God."People called Gottschalk:*Godescalc of Benevento, 8th-century Lombard duke...
's hordes were ravaging the Transdanubian region of the kingdom. Coloman managed to rout both of the armies and he denied the entrance of the new armies led by Emicho of Leiningen
Emicho
Count Emicho , was a count in the Rhineland in the late 11th century and the leader of the "German Crusade" in 1096...
and Guillaume de Melun, but the Crusaders laid siege to the fortress of Moson
Moson
Moson was a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary in present-day eastern Austria and northwestern Hungary, on the right side of the Danube river...
defended by Coloman. Coloman could only break out and win over the Crusaders just after a six-week-long defence.
On 20 September 1096, Coloman made an agreement with Duke Godfrey V of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
, the leader of the next army. Under their agreement, Coloman took hostages (including Godfrey's brother, Baldwin
Baldwin I of Jerusalem
Baldwin I of Jerusalem, formerly Baldwin I of Edessa, born Baldwin of Boulogne , 1058? – 2 April 1118, was one of the leaders of the First Crusade, who became the first Count of Edessa and then the second ruler and first titled King of Jerusalem...
, who would become the first king of Jerusalem) and he mustered his own army to guard the progress; therefore the Crusader armies passed through the kingdom peacefully.
Campaigns in Croatia
Coloman changed Hungary's foreign policy. While his predecessor had asked for the Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
's help (instead of the pope's) when waging war on Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Coloman wanted to stay on good terms with the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. In the spring of 1097, he married Felicia
Felicia of Sicily
Felicia of Sicily was a Queen Consort of Hungary.Felicia was the eldest daughter of Count Roger I of Sicily, and his second wife, Eremburga of Mortain...
, a daughter of Count Roger I of Sicily
Roger I of Sicily
Roger I , called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was the last great leader of the Norman conquest of southern Italy.-Conquest of Calabria and Sicily:...
who was a close ally of the popes.
Shortly afterwards, Coloman led his armies against Petar Svačić
Petar Svacic
Petar Svačić was the last king of Croatia. It is assumed that he began as a ban serving under king Demetrius Zvonimir of Croatia and was then elected king by the Croatian feudal lords in 1093. Petar's seat of power was based in Knin. His rule was marked by a struggle for control of the country...
, who had been proclaimed king of Croatia, and won a decisive victory over the Croat armies at the Battle of Gvozd Mountain
Battle of Gvozd Mountain
The Battle of Gvozd Mountain took place in the year 1097 and was fought on Petrova gora in central Croatia, between the army of Croatian king Petar Svačić and King Coloman I of Hungary...
, and reoccupied the country.
In 1097, he made good Hungary’s claim to Croatia by overthrowing King Petar Svačić of Croatia, and by 1102 Coloman controlled the greater part of Dalmatia.
According to the pacta conventa
Pacta conventa (Croatia)
Pacta conventa was an alleged agreement concluded between King Coloman of Hungary and the Croatian nobility. While some claim it was a voluntary union of the two crowns, leaving Croatia as a sovereign state, others argue that Hungary simply annexed Croatia outright and forced an agreement...
, this marked both the end of an independent Kingdom of Croatia and the absorption, albeit incomplete, of the conquered territories into the Kingdom of Hungary. King Coloman of Hungary created a personal union between the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary. However, some historians dispute its authenticity and claim that the document is a forgery and that Hungary seized Croatia which became a province, while Croatian historiography generally accepts it as authentic. A Croatian proponent of the document being forgery is Nada Klaić
Nada Klaic
Nada Klaić was a Croatian historian. She was influential and controversial Croatian medievalist of the 20th century.-Academic career:...
. According to this "pacta", the coronation was preceded by an agreement between Coloman and the representatives of the greatest Croatian families, under which he and his successors would govern Croatia as a separate kingdom. They, in turn, would acknowledge the special privileges and customs of the kingdom. However, there is no undoubtedley genuine document of the personal union, and medieval sources mention the absorption into the Hungarian kingdom.
The Pacta Conventa is most likely a late medieval forgery, not a twelfth-century source. Its source of inspiration must have been the political and social developments that had taken place over a 300-year period following the conquest of Ladislav I and Coloman.
While Coloman was far away in Croatia, his brother, Álmos, who had governed Croatia during the reign of Ladislaus I, rose against him in Hungary. However, the barons wanted to avoid the internal struggle and obliged Coloman and Álmos to confirm their former agreement under which Álmos could maintain his duchy while he accepted Coloman's rule. In 1105, Coloman led his armies to Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and occupied the Dalmatian towns and islands that had belonged to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
Wars with the neighbouring countries
In the beginning of 1099, Coloman allied himself with his cousins, Duke Svatopluk of MoraviaSvatopluk of Bohemia
Svatopluk the Lion was the duke of Bohemia from 1107 to his assassination. He was a son of Otto I of Olomouc and Euphemia of Hungary and grandson of Bretislaus I of Bohemia....
and Duke Otto II of Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
against Duke Břetislav II of Bohemia
Bretislaus II of Bohemia
Bretislaus II was the duke of Bohemia from 14 September 1092 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Vratislaus II and Adelaide, daughter of Andrew I of Hungary. He was a major enemy of paganism....
, but he had a meeting, on 29 May, with Břetislav II on the so-called Lucko Field (near present Uherský Brod
Uherský Brod
Uherský Brod is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated in the south-east of Moravia . It lies in the Vizovice Highlands and near the White Carpathian Mountains ....
) where they made a peace.
In the second half of 1099, Coloman led his armies against Prince Vasilko of Terebovl and laid siege to the fortress of Peremysl
Przemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
, but he was defeated by the Cuman
Cumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
allies of the prince.
Coloman as legislator
One of his most famous laws was half a millennium ahead of its time: De strigis vero quae non sunt, nulla amplius quaestio fiat (As for the matter of witches, there is no such thing, therefore no further investigations or trials are to be held).Coloman's court was a centre of learning and literature. Bishop Hartvik's Life of St. Stephen, a chronicle of Hungary, the shorter of the extant Legends of St. Gellért, and several collections of laws all stem from his reign.
In the synod of Tarcal
Tarcal
Tarcal is a village on the eastern edge of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, northern Hungary, in the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district, from Miskolc.- Geography :...
, the prelates and barons of the kingdom revised the laws of the preceding kings, and Coloman issued new decrees. The new decrees reduced the severity of the laws of King Ladislaus I, but they also contained provisions against the Jews and the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s (böszörmény).
Internal wars with his brother
Coloman had his son, StephenStephen II of Hungary
Stephen II , King of Hungary and Croatia, ruled from 1116 until 1131. He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime who wanted to ensure Stephen's succession against his brother, Duke Álmos. Stephen's reign was characterized by frequent struggles with neighbouring countries...
crowned in 1105, which resulted in the open rebellion of his brother, Duke Álmos
Prince Álmos
Álmos was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary, brother of King Kálmán. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary....
, who went to the court of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
. But the emperor was engaged with the rebellion of his own son, the future Emperor Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
, thus Duke Álmos had to come back to Hungary and accept Coloman's rule.
But Álmos did not give up his claims, and escaped to Poland and made an agreement with Duke Bolesław III who declared war against Coloman. However, Coloman sent envoys to the duke of Poland and convinced him to make an alliance against the Holy Roman Empire; therefore Álmos was obliged to return to Hungary and ask for the king's pardon.
In 1107, Coloman and Bolesław III gave assistance to Duke Svatopluk of Moravia
Svatopluk of Bohemia
Svatopluk the Lion was the duke of Bohemia from 1107 to his assassination. He was a son of Otto I of Olomouc and Euphemia of Hungary and grandson of Bretislaus I of Bohemia....
against Duke Borivoj II of Bohemia
Borivoj II of Bohemia
Borivoj II was the duke of Bohemia from 25 December 1100 until May 1107 and from December 1117 until 16 August 1120. He was the younger half-brother and successor of Bretislaus II....
. In the next year, Bolesław III could overcome the rebellion of his brother, Zbigniew
Zbigniew of Poland
Zbigniew , Duke of Poland from 1102 until 1107.-Early years:Zbigniew was the first-born son of Prince Władysław I Herman and Przecława, who apparently belonged to the Prawdzic clan...
with Coloman's help. In the same year, taking advantage of his brother's pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Coloman occupied Álmos' duchy.
In 1108, Coloman visited Dalmatia and confirmed the privileges of Spalatum (Split), Iadera (Zadar), and Tragurium
Tragurium
Tragurium is a Catholic titular see, corresponding to present-day Trogir in Croatia. The diocese of Trogir existed from the eleventh century to 1828, when it was suppressed.-Bishops:*Giovanni Orsini...
(Trogir).
When duke Álmos returned from the Holy Land and realised that his duchy had been incorporated into the royal domains, he escaped again to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor. Upon his request, the Emperor Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
laid siege to Pozsony
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
. Coloman sought the assistance of Duke Bolesław III of Poland, who attacked Bohemia. In November, the emperor made a peace with Coloman, who let his brother come back to his court, but the duchy of Álmos was not to be restored. Shortly afterwards, Coloman set up the bishopric of Nyitra
Nitra
Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
.
Last years
In 1112, Coloman married Eufemia of KievEufemia of Kiev
Euphemia of Kiev was Queen Consort of Hungary. Euphemia was the daughter of Grand Prince Vladimir II of Kiev and his second wife whose name and ancestry are unknown. She was married to King Coloman of Hungary around 1112. However, her husband, who had been suffering from a serious disease, caught...
, daughter of Grand Prince Vladimir II of Kiev. However, a few months later, she was caught in adultery and immediately divorced and sent back to her father. Eufemia bore a son in Kiev, named Boris
Boris Kalamanos
Boris Kalamanos was a pretender who claimed the Hungarian throne. He desperately tried to assert his claims with the assistance of Poland, the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, but he failed and died in exile.-His descent:...
in 1112, but Coloman refused to acknowledge him as his son.
Shortly afterwards, Coloman had a meeting with Bolesław III who was going on a pilgrimage to Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
and Somogyvár
Somogyvár
Somogyvár is a village in Somogy county, Hungary.It is situated south from Lengyeltóti, between Lengyeltóti, Öreglak andSomogyvámos.- History :...
because of having made his brother blind. In 1115, Coloman, who had become more and more ill, also ordered to make Álmos and his infant son, Béla
Béla II of Hungary
Béla II the Blind , King of Hungary and Croatia . Still as a child, Béla was blinded by his uncle, King Coloman who wanted to ensure the succession of his own son, the future King Stephen II...
blind in order to secure his own son's inheritance.
In August 1115, Venice made an assault against Dalmatia and began to conquer the Dalmatian towns and isles. But Coloman was not able to answer to the aggression, because he died on 3 February 1116. He was buried in Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
, next to St. Stephen.