Géza I of Hungary
Encyclopedia
Géza I (c. 1044 – 25 April 1077) 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. However, he never achieved to strengthen his position, because King Solomon could maintain his rule over the Western part of the kingdom.
Adelaide/Rixa of Poland. When Géza was born, his parents were living in the court of his mother's brother, King Casimir I of Poland
, because Béla had been obliged to leave Hungary after his father made an unsuccessful attempt against his cousin, King Stephen, the first King of Hungary.
Géza was probably his pagan name, because he was baptized Magnus. In 1048, the family moved to Hungary, where his father received as appanage one third of Hungary ("Tercia pars Regni") from his brother, King Andrew I of Hungary who had acquired the throne from King Peter after a pagan revolt. Following his accession, King Andrew I had to face the attacks of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
whose supremacy had been acknowledged by King Peter. King Andrew I and Duke Béla cooperated closely against the German attacks and they could preserve Hungary's independence. However, they cooperation began to loosen from 1053 when the king fathered a son, Solomon
, because from that time he wanted to ensure his son's inheritance against his brother, who pursuant to the old Hungarian customs, as the oldest member of the royal family, could lay claim to the throne in case of the king's death.
In 1057, King Andrew I had Solomon crowned to ensure his accession, and Géza had to participate in the coronation together with his father and his brothers, Ladislaus and Lampert
. However, Duke Béla and his sons left the country in 1059 and they returned with Polish troops in the next year. King Andrew I lost two battles against his brother and died, and after his death Béla was crowned on 6 December 1060.
During his father's reign, Géza was his main adviser and after his father's fatal accident it was he who administered the defence of the country against the German troops which entered Hungary in order to ensure Solomon's rule who had escaped to Germany in 1060. After his father's death on 11 September 1063, Géza offered to accept his cousin's rule if he received his father's former duchy. However, King Solomon refused the offer and the superiority of his troops obliged Géza and his brothers to leave Hungary and they went to Poland. However, after the withdrawal of the German army, they came back to Hungary followed by troops King Bolesław II of Poland, their maternal cousin, provided them.
The parties, however, wanted to avoid the civil war and therefore they accepted the mediation services of the bishops, and they made an agreement on 20 January 1064 in Győr
. Under the agreement Géza and his brothers accepted Solomon's rule, and they received their father's former duchy, i.e., the one third of Hungary.
In the next years, Géza and his brothers collaborated successfully with the king. In 1067, they led an army together to provide assistance to Géza's brother-in-law, King of Croatia Dmitar Zvonimir against Venice
. In 1068, when the Pechenegs had overrun the territories of Transylvania
, Géza, his brothers and the king went together against them and they won a victory at Kerlés. In 1071, King Solomon and the dukes led a campaign against the Byzantine Empire
and laid siege to the fortress of Belgrade
. The siege lasted two months, and the Greek commander surrendered the fort to Géza not to the king. Moreover, Géza denied to hand over the king's share of the booty and set the Greek captives free without the king's permission.
Having the Byzantine troops reoccupied Belgrade
in the next year, Géza and King Solomon led their armies together against the Greeks, but Géza left his two brothers behind, because he was worrying about that the king's partisans would try to occupy their duchy during their absence. The campaign was a total failure, because the king and the duke were not able to cooperate during the siege any more.
During 1073, both King Solomon and his cousins were preparing for the coming struggle. The king sent his envoys to his brother-in-law, King Henry IV of Germany
, while Géza and his brothers were seeking the help of their Polish and Czech relatives. In the beginning of 1074, before the Polish and Czech troops arrived, King Solomon led his armies against the dukes' territory and defeated Géza's troops on 26 February at Kemej. However, after the arrival of the reinforcement from Poland and Bohemia, the dukes' armies started a counter-attack and they won a decisive victory over King Solomon's troops on 14 March in the Battle of Mogyoród
.
. In August 1074, the imperial troops invaded the Northern part of the kingdom and advanced till Vác
, but the German king was obliged to return to his domain because of the Saxons
' uprising.
Géza tried to obtain the international acknowledgement of his rule; therefore he sent embassies to Pope Gregory VII
, who was struggling against the German king, and to Michael VII
, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire
. The pope claimed the recognition of his supremacy over Hungary which Géza did not accept, but the Byzantine emperor sent a crown, that was later incorporated with the ancient crown of Hungary, to him and Géza was crowned by that crown because the ancient crown was in the possession of King Solomon. At this time, Géza married a niece of Michael VII
's military commander Nikephoros Botaneiates
.
During his reign Géza set up the Abbey of Garamszentbenedek
and finished the building of the cathedral of Vác
. In 1076, he sent his troops led by his brother, Duke Ladislaus against Pozsony, but King Solomon could beat off the troops. After this failure, according to the chronicles, Géza, who had become more and more ill, was thinking of his abdication in favour of his opponent, but they did not reach an agreement.
He was buried in the cathedral of Vác
.
#2. c. 1075: Unnamed daughter ("Synadene") of Theodulos Synadenos and his wife, the sister of the future Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaneiates
(? – after 1079)
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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...
from 1074 until his death. During King Solomon
Solomon of Hungary
Solomon , King of Hungary . He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime in order to ensure his succession, but his uncle Béla managed to dethrone his father and ascend to the throne...
'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. However, he never achieved to strengthen his position, because King Solomon could maintain his rule over the Western part of the kingdom.
Early years
Géza was the eldest son of the future King Béla I of Hungary and his wifeAdelaide/Rixa of Poland
Adelaide/Richeza of Poland, was Queen Consort of Hungary.She was a daughter of King Mieszko II Lambert of Poland, and his wife, Richeza of Lotharingia. She is traditionally called Richeza, but contemporary sources do not confirm this name...
Adelaide/Rixa of Poland. When Géza was born, his parents were living in the court of his mother's brother, King Casimir I of Poland
Casimir I of Poland
Casimir I the Restorer , was a Duke of Poland of the Piast dynasty and the de facto monarch of the entire country from 1034 until his death....
, because Béla had been obliged to leave Hungary after his father made an unsuccessful attempt against his cousin, King Stephen, the first King of Hungary.
Géza was probably his pagan name, because he was baptized Magnus. In 1048, the family moved to Hungary, where his father received as appanage one third of Hungary ("Tercia pars Regni") from his brother, King Andrew I of Hungary who had acquired the throne from King Peter after a pagan revolt. Following his accession, King Andrew I had to face the attacks of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
whose supremacy had been acknowledged by King Peter. King Andrew I and Duke Béla cooperated closely against the German attacks and they could preserve Hungary's independence. However, they cooperation began to loosen from 1053 when the king fathered a son, Solomon
Solomon of Hungary
Solomon , King of Hungary . He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime in order to ensure his succession, but his uncle Béla managed to dethrone his father and ascend to the throne...
, because from that time he wanted to ensure his son's inheritance against his brother, who pursuant to the old Hungarian customs, as the oldest member of the royal family, could lay claim to the throne in case of the king's death.
In 1057, King Andrew I had Solomon crowned to ensure his accession, and Géza had to participate in the coronation together with his father and his brothers, Ladislaus and Lampert
Lampert of Hungary
Lampert was a member of the Árpád dynasty; Duke of one-third of the Kingdom of Hungary .Lampert was the third son of the future King Béla I of Hungary and his Polish wife...
. However, Duke Béla and his sons left the country in 1059 and they returned with Polish troops in the next year. King Andrew I lost two battles against his brother and died, and after his death Béla was crowned on 6 December 1060.
During his father's reign, Géza was his main adviser and after his father's fatal accident it was he who administered the defence of the country against the German troops which entered Hungary in order to ensure Solomon's rule who had escaped to Germany in 1060. After his father's death on 11 September 1063, Géza offered to accept his cousin's rule if he received his father's former duchy. However, King Solomon refused the offer and the superiority of his troops obliged Géza and his brothers to leave Hungary and they went to Poland. However, after the withdrawal of the German army, they came back to Hungary followed by troops King Bolesław II of Poland, their maternal cousin, provided them.
The parties, however, wanted to avoid the civil war and therefore they accepted the mediation services of the bishops, and they made an agreement on 20 January 1064 in Győr
Gyor
-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
. Under the agreement Géza and his brothers accepted Solomon's rule, and they received their father's former duchy, i.e., the one third of Hungary.
Duke of Tercia pars Regni
After the conclusion of the peace, King Solomon and his three cousins celebrated Easter together in Pécs. However, when a fire broke out, the two parties accused the other's followers of incerdiarism. The bishops had to intervene again in order to appease the king and the dukes. At that time, Géza married Sophia who was probably a daughter of a German count.In the next years, Géza and his brothers collaborated successfully with the king. In 1067, they led an army together to provide assistance to Géza's brother-in-law, King of Croatia Dmitar Zvonimir against 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...
. In 1068, when the Pechenegs had overrun the territories of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, Géza, his brothers and the king went together against them and they won a victory at Kerlés. In 1071, King Solomon and the dukes led a campaign against the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and laid siege to the fortress of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. The siege lasted two months, and the Greek commander surrendered the fort to Géza not to the king. Moreover, Géza denied to hand over the king's share of the booty and set the Greek captives free without the king's permission.
Having the Byzantine troops reoccupied Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
in the next year, Géza and King Solomon led their armies together against the Greeks, but Géza left his two brothers behind, because he was worrying about that the king's partisans would try to occupy their duchy during their absence. The campaign was a total failure, because the king and the duke were not able to cooperate during the siege any more.
During 1073, both King Solomon and his cousins were preparing for the coming struggle. The king sent his envoys to his brother-in-law, King Henry IV of Germany
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...
, while Géza and his brothers were seeking the help of their Polish and Czech relatives. In the beginning of 1074, before the Polish and Czech troops arrived, King Solomon led his armies against the dukes' territory and defeated Géza's troops on 26 February at Kemej. However, after the arrival of the reinforcement from Poland and Bohemia, the dukes' armies started a counter-attack and they won a decisive victory over King Solomon's troops on 14 March in the Battle of Mogyoród
Battle of Mogyoród
The Battle of Mogyoród took place on 14 March 1074. It was an internal conflict between the king of Hungary, Solomon and his cousins duke Géza and Ladislaus, who were claiming rights to the throne....
.
King of Hungary
Following the Battle of Mogyoród, King Solomon ran to the Western borders of Hungary seeking help from King Henry IV, whose supremacy he accepted, while Géza was declared king by his followers. However, King Solomon could still maintain his rule over the Counties (megye) of Moson and PozsonyBratislava
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...
. In August 1074, the imperial troops invaded the Northern part of the kingdom and advanced till Vác
Vác
Vác is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spellings of the name are Vacz and Vacs.-Location:...
, but the German king was obliged to return to his domain because of the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
' uprising.
Géza tried to obtain the international acknowledgement of his rule; therefore he sent embassies to Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
, who was struggling against the German king, and to Michael VII
Michael VII
Michael VII Doukas or Ducas , nicknamed Parapinakēs , was Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078.- Life :...
, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. The pope claimed the recognition of his supremacy over Hungary which Géza did not accept, but the Byzantine emperor sent a crown, that was later incorporated with the ancient crown of Hungary, to him and Géza was crowned by that crown because the ancient crown was in the possession of King Solomon. At this time, Géza married a niece of Michael VII
Michael VII
Michael VII Doukas or Ducas , nicknamed Parapinakēs , was Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078.- Life :...
's military commander Nikephoros Botaneiates
Nikephoros III
Nikephoros III Botaneiates, Latinized as Nicephorus III Botaniates was Byzantine emperor from 1078 to 1081. He belonged to a family which claimed descent from the Byzantine Phokas family.- Early career :...
.
During his reign Géza set up the Abbey of Garamszentbenedek
Hronský Benadik
Hronský Beňadik is a village in central Slovakia...
and finished the building of the cathedral of Vác
Vác
Vác is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spellings of the name are Vacz and Vacs.-Location:...
. In 1076, he sent his troops led by his brother, Duke Ladislaus against Pozsony, but King Solomon could beat off the troops. After this failure, according to the chronicles, Géza, who had become more and more ill, was thinking of his abdication in favour of his opponent, but they did not reach an agreement.
He was buried in the cathedral of Vác
Vác
Vác is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spellings of the name are Vacz and Vacs.-Location:...
.
Marriages and children
#1. c. 1062: Sophia (? – before 1075)- King Coloman of Hungary (c. 1070 – 3 February 1116)
- Duke ÁlmosPrince ÁlmosÁlmos 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....
(c. 1070 – 1 September 1127)
#2. c. 1075: Unnamed daughter ("Synadene") of Theodulos Synadenos and his wife, the sister of the future Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaneiates
Nikephoros III
Nikephoros III Botaneiates, Latinized as Nicephorus III Botaniates was Byzantine emperor from 1078 to 1081. He belonged to a family which claimed descent from the Byzantine Phokas family.- Early career :...
(? – after 1079)
Ancestors
Legacy
Géza was succeeded by his brother, King Ladislaus I of Hungary who managed to establish himself on the throne after the abdication of King Solomon in 1081.Sources
- Kristó Gyula - Makk Ferenc: Az Árpád-ház uralkodói (IPC Könyvek, 1996)
- Korai Magyar Történeti Lexikon (9-14. század), főszerkesztő: Kristó Gyula, szerkesztők: Engel Pál és Makk Ferenc (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1994)
- Magyarország Történeti Kronológiája I. – A kezdetektől 1526-ig, főszerkesztő: Benda Kálmán (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1981)
- Kosztolnyik, Z.J. Five Eleventh Century Hungarian Kings, 1981.
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