Mieszko II Lambert
This article is about a Polish king. See also Duke Mieszko II the Fat.
| Mieszko II Lambert | |
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| Reign | December 25, 1025 – 1031 |
| Coronation | December 25, 1025 Gniezno Cathedral, Poland. |
| Predecessor | Bolesław I the Brave |
| Successor | Bezprym |
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| Reign | 1032–1034 |
| Predecessor | Bezprym |
| Successor | Bolesław the Forgotten |
| Spouse | Richeza of Lotharingia |
| Issue | |
| Casimir I the Restorer Ryksa, Queen of Hungary Gertruda, Grand Princess of Kiev |
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| House | Piast dynasty |
| Father | Bolesław I the Brave |
| Mother | Emnilda of Lusatia |
| Born | b. ca. 990 |
| Died | 10 or 11 May 1034 Poznań (?) |
| Burial | 10 or 11 May 1034 |
Mieszko II Lambert (ca. 990 – 10/11 May 1034) was King of Poland during 1025–1031, and Duke from 1032 until his death.
He was the second son of Bolesław I the Brave, but the eldest born from his third wife Enmilda, daughter of Dobromir, possible ruler of Lusatia. He was named probably after his paternal grandfather, Mieszko I. His second name, Lambert, sometimes erroneously considered to be a nickname, was given to him as a manifestation of the cult to Saint Lambert. Also, is probable that this name was chosen after Bolesław I's half-brother Lambert. It's expected that the choice of this name for his son was an expression of warming relations between Bolesław I and his stepmother Oda.[1]
He organized two devastating invasions to Saxony in 1028 and 1030. Then ran a defensive war against Germany, Bohemia and the Kievan princes. Mieszko II was forced to escape from the country in 1031 after an attack of Yaroslav I the Wise, who put on the Polish throne to his older half-brother Bezprym. Mieszko took refuge in Bohemia, where he was imprisoned by the Duke Oldrich. In 1032 he regained the power in one of the three districts. United country, but he managed to play the stable structures of power. In this time, dropped from the Polish territorial acquisitions of his father: Milsko, Lusatia, Red Ruthenia, Moravia and Slovakia.
Mieszko II was very well educated for the period. He was able to read and write, and knew both Greek and Latin. He is unjustly known as Mieszko II Gnuśny (the "Lazy," "Stagnant" or "Slothful"). He received that epithet due to the unfortunate way his reign ended; but at the beginning he acted as a skillful and talented ruler.
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Life
Early years
Since Mieszko II was politically active before his father's death, Bolesław I the Brave appointed him as his successor. He participated mainly in German politics, both as a representative of his father and the commander of the Polish troops.
In 1013 Mieszko II went to Magdeburg, where he paid homage to the Emperor Henry II. A few months later Bolesław I the Brave paid homage in person. The real purpose of Mieszko's visit is unclear, especially since soon after his father the homage to the Holy Roman Empire. Presumably, the young prince paid homage for Milsko or Moravia and Lusatia. The relevant treaty stipulated that it was only a personal tribute, not entailing any legal obligations. Another hypothesis assumes that the territories were transferred by Bolesław I to him, and as a result made Mieszko a vassal of the Empire.
The position of the young prince, at the both Polish and Imperial courts, became stronger in 1013 when he married Richeza (Ryksa),[2] daughter of Count Palatine Ezzo of Lotharingia and niece of Emperor Otto III. Ezzo was a prince of a considerable influence as a great leader of the opposition against Henry II. Through the marriage with his daughter Mieszko entered in the circle of the Imperial family and became a person equal to, if not higher than the Emperor himself. Probably after the wedding, and in accordance with prevailing custom, Bolesław I gave a separated district to Mieszko II to rule: Kraków. One of his towns, Wawel (now part of the city), was chosen by the prince as his residence.
In the year 1014 Mieszko II was sent by his father to Bohemia as an emissary. He had to persuade Duke Oldrich to make an alliance against the Emperor Henry II. The mission failed, and Oldrich imprisoned Mieszko. He was released only after the intervention of the Emperor, who, despite the planned betrayal of Bolesław I, loyally acted on behalf of his vassal. As a result, Mieszko was sent to the Imperial court in Merseburg as a hostage. Henry II probably wanted to force the presence of Bolesław I in Merseburg and make him explain his actions. The plan failed however, because, under pressure from his relatives, the Emperor soon agreed to release Mieszko.
A year later, Mieszko II stood at the head of Polish troops in the next war against the Emperor. The campaign wasn't favorable to Henry. His army needed over a month to reach the line of the Oder River, and once there, his troops encountered strong resistance led by Mieszko and his father. Henry II sent a delegation to the Polish rulers, in an effort to induce them to conclude a peace settlement. Mieszko II refused, and after the Emperor's failure to defeat his troops in battle, Henry decided to start a retreat to Dziadoszyce. The Polish prince went on chasing after him, and caused big losses to the German army. When the Polish army advanced to Meissen, Mieszko II unsuccessfully tried to besiege the castle of his brother-in-law, Margrave Herman I (husband of his sister Regelinda). The fighting stopped in autumn and was resumed only in 1017 after the failure of peace talks. Imperial forces bypassed the main defensive site near Krosno Odrzańskie and besieged Niemcza. At the same time, at the head of ten legions, Mieszko went to Moravia and planned an allied attack together with Bohemia against the Emperor. This action forced the Emperor to give up on a plan of any frontal attack. A year later, the Peace of Bautzen (30 January 1018) was concluded, which was extremely favorable to the Polish side.
Beginning in 1028, he successfully waged war against the Holy Roman Empire: he was able to repel the its invading army, and later even invaded Saxony. He allied Poland with Hungary, resulting in a temporary Hungarian occupation of Vienna. This war was probably prompted by family connections of Mieszko's in Germany who opposed Emperor Conrad II.
Due to the death of Thietmar of Merseburg, the principal chronicler of that period, there is little information about Mieszko II's life from 1018 until 1025, when he finally took over the government of Poland. Only Gallus Anonymus mentions the then Prince on occasion of the description of his father's trip to Rus in 1018: "due to the fact that his son (...) Mieszko wasn't considered yet capable of taking the government by himself, he established a regent among his family during his trip to Rus". This statement was probably the result of the complete ignorance of the chronicler, since 1018 Mieszko II was 28 years old and was already fully able to exercise the power by himself.
King of Poland
Coronation and Inheritance
Bolesław I the Brave died on 17 June 1025. Six months later, on Christmas Day, Mieszko II was crowned King of Poland by the Archbishop of Gniezno, Hipolit, in the Gniezno Cathedral. Contemporary German chroniclers considered this to be an abuse of power on the part of the Archbishop, which was based on the existing political situation. After his father's death Mieszko inherited a vast territory, which in addition to Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Silesia and Gdansk Pomerania also included not only Western Pomerania, but also Upper Lusatia, Lusatia, Red Ruthenia, Moravia and Slovakia. Once his solo reign had begun, as an important Central European ruler, he was now very important to the Holy Roman Empire.
Later developments during his reign had their source in dynastic and familial issues. His older half-brother Bezprym was the son of the Hungarian princess Judith, Bolesław I's second wife. Mieszko also had a younger full-brother, Otto. According to Slavic custom, a father was expected to divide his legacy among all his sons. However, since Bolesław did not wish to break up the kingdom, Mieszko's brothers received nothing from their father's legacy.
As Bezprym was the oldest son, there were some who felt that he should have succeeded Bolesław I as king. Bezprym had, however, always been disliked by his father, as indicated by his name (the Piasts tended to give names such as Bolesław, Mieszko and later Kazimierz, Władysław and emperors' names such as Otto, Conrad and Heinrich: Bezprym was a commoner's name, which implied that Bolesław I did not wish Bezprym to succeed him). He was packed off to a monastery.
According to some chroniclers, Mieszko expelled his two brothers from the country. Otto took refuge in Germany and Bezprym escaped to the Kievan Rus.
Support to German opposition
In 1026 the German King Conrad II, went to Italy for his Imperial coronation. His absence has increased the activity of the opposition centered around the Dukes Ernest II of Swabia and Frederick II of Upper Lorraine. Conrad II's opponents has agreed to acquire the favor of the significant King of Poland. Trace of these efforts was the Prayer Book sent to Mieszko II by the Duchess Matilda of Swabia around 1027. The volume is entitled: officiorum Liber quem ordinem Romanum apellant. In a miniature was showed when the Duchess princess presents the Book to Mieszko II was sit on a throne. The gift was accompanied by a letter, where Matilda named him a distinguished King, father of the model on the spread of Christianity. Also, were praised the merits of Mieszko II in the building of new churches, as well his knowledge of Latin, who was an extremely rare case in that times were the Greek was more popular. In this book were found the earliest record of the Kingdom of Poland: neume at the margins of the sequence Ad célèbres rex celica. The gift caused the expected effect, and Mieszko II promised to take military action. The preparations for the war began in the autumn of 1027. In the middle of that year, Conrad II returned to the country and started to fight against the rebels. Soon he defeated Duke Ernest II and deprived from his sovereignty. It was only when the fight was almost lost by the rebels, when Mieszko II appears in their help. In 1028 Polish troops invaded Saxony and took a number of prisoners. The devastation would be so great that, according to Saxon sources where Mieszko II's troops put their feets never grow grass. The Emperor accused to the Polish ruler for his illegal coronation as King and declared him an ussurper. The invasion was related with the lands of the Lutici tribe. In October 1028 the opportunity came when the district of Pöhlde asked the Emperor to defend against the attacks of Mieszko II and promising support in the fight against the Polish ruler.
Retaliatory expeditions
Despite the treaty who secured the peace between Poland and Germany, soon the Emperor armed a retaliatory expedition against Mieszko II. Conrad II's army arrived to Lusation in the autumn of 1029 and began the siege of Bautzen; but the German troops did not receive the promised support of the Lutici tribe and the expedition failed, as threatened by the Hungarians, the Emperor was forced to retreat.
In 1030 Mieszko II secured an alliance with Hungary and once again invaded Saxony. In the meanwhile, his southern ally attacked Bavaria temporarily occupied Vienna.
In response, the Emperor organized another expedition against the Polish King, this time by organizing a coalition against Mieszko II. Already in 1030 Yaroslav I the Wise began the offensive and conquered Red Ruthenia and some Bełz castles.
Probably in 1031 the son of Oldrich, Bretislaus I, attacked and took Moravia (in the literature appears different dates for the conquest of Moravia: 1017,[3] 1020,[4] 1021, 1029[5] and 1030). It noted, however, by the Bohemian historiography that the Piast dynasty began to losing Moravia since the Bolesław I the Brave during 1018-1020.
The Emperor in 1031 concluded a peace with the Kingdom of Hungary. Probably in exchange for his support, Conrad II give to the King Stephen I the territories between the Leitha and Fischa Rivers were ceded to Hungary. Not the Emperor wasn't worried about an attack from the south and in the autumn of 1031 and went on the offensive against Poland and besieged Milsko. The offensive ended with a complete success, and Mieszko II was forced to surrendered some lands. As a result, the Polish King dropped from part of the lands taken by his father Bolesław I, who caused many wars with the Emperor Henry II.
The situation in Poland
Historians estimate that the reason for the rapid capitulation of Mieszko II was the bad internal situation in the country. Bolesław I the Brave leave to his son a unstable Kingdom, who had to defended his autonomy and position among the neighbors rulers. Otherwise, the costs of an extensive war caused that Mieszko II's popularity declined among his subjects, despite the fact that on the invasion of Saxony the King only defended their territory. Furthermore, the final lost of the war against the Holy Roman Empire weakened the position of the King, who had to faced several rebellions among the opposition, who claimed that the previous war didn't produce the expected benefits. An additional problem was a dynastic crisis: Mieszko II's brothers continue their attempts to regain power with the help of foreign forces.
Attack of Yaroslav I the Wise. Deposition
Probably the brother who caused the first problems to Mieszko II was Bezprym, who allegedly with the support of Otto won the alliance of Kiev in order to take the power. When Mieszko II was busy defending Lusatia from the troops of Conrad II, the Kievan expedition started from the east with Yaroslav I the Wise as a leader. In 1031 Poland was complete invaded and then Bezprym was settled in the throne. Mieszko II and his family were forced to flee the country. Queen Richeza and her children found refuge in Germany. The King couldn't escape to Hungary, because during his way he was stopped by Rus' troops, and King Stephen I wasn't favorable to accepted him in his country. Without alternatives, Mieszko II went to Bohemia. Duke Oldrich once again imprisoned him, but that this time the King wasn't count with the Imperial support. Mieszko II was not only imprisoned but also castrated, which was to be a punishment to Bolesław I the Brave, who blinded Duke Boleslaus III the Red (Oldrich's brother) thirty years before. Mieszko II and his wife never reunited again; according to some sources they were either officially divorced or only separated.
Death of Bezprym and restoration of Mieszko II
The new Duke Bezprym probably made bloody persecutions against the followers of Mieszko II. At the time the power was exercised to the mutiny and the people known as the "Pagan Reaction". Have degraded the structure of power, the Duke's authority collapsed, and he was forced to sent to the Emperor the Royal crown and regalia. After only one year of reign, Bezprym was murdered (1032), probably thanks to the instigations of his brothers.
After the death of Bezprym, the Polish throne remained vacant. Mieszko II was still imprisoned in Bohemia and Otto probably in Germany. German sources report that the Emperor has organized an expedition in order to invade Poland. It is unknown what happened after this, but certainly Mieszko II was released by Duke Oldrich and he could return to the country. After his recent opponent could regain the power, the Emperor immediately reacted and began the preparations for the expedition against Poland. Mieszko II wasn't prepared for the confrontation, so he used his influence in the German court in order to resolve the conflict.
On 7 July 1032, in Merseburg a meeting took place between Conrad II and the surviving heirs of the Piast dynasty. Without alternatives, Mieszko II was forced to surrendered the Royal crown and agreed to the division of Poland between him and the other two competitors: his brother Otto and certain Dytryk (German: Thiedric) —cousin, grandson of Duke Mieszko I and his third wife Oda—.
Mieszko II probably received Lesser Poland and Mazovia, Otto obtained Silesia, and Dytryk took Greater Poland.[6] Another proposal involves that Mieszko II received Greater Poland, and other neighborhoods were given to Otto and Dytryk.[7]
Although the distribution was uncertain, this division was short-lived: in 1033 Otto was killed by one of his own men, and Mieszko II took his domains. Shortly after, he could have expelled Dytryk and thus was able to reunited the whole country in his hands.
Mieszko II regained the full power, but he still had to fight against the nobility and his own subjects. It should be noted that in Poland his renunciation to the Royal crown wasn't count, and after 1032, in the chronicles he was still called King.
Death
Mieszko II died suddenly between 10 and 11 July 1034, probably in Poznań. The Polish chronicles clearly stated that he died of natural causes; the information that he was murdered by a swordfish, given by the chronicles of Gottfried of Viterbo, refers to Bezprym. However, the historians now think that he was killed in a plot hatched by the aristocracy. He was buried in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul.
After Mieszko II's death, Poland's peasants revolted in a "pagan reaction." The exact reasons and date are unknown. Mieszko II's only son and heir, Casimir I, was either expelled by this insurrection, or the insurrection was caused by the aristocracy's expulsion of him.
Some modern historians argue that the insurrection was caused more by economic than by religious issues, such as new taxes for the Church and the militarization of the early Polish polity. Priests, monks and knights were killed; cities, churches and monasteries were burned.
The chaos became still greater when unexpectedly the Czechs invaded from the south. The land became divided among local rulers, one of whom is known by name: Miecław, ruler of Masovia. Greater Poland was so devastated that it ceased to be the core of Polish Kingdom. The capital was moved to Kraków in Lesser Poland.
Marriage and issue
In Merseburg ca. 1013, Mieszko II married with Richeza (b. bef. 1000 - d. Saalfeld, 21 March 1063), daughter of Count Palatine Ezzo of Lotharingia. They had three children:
- Casimir I the Restorer (b. 25 July 1016 - d. 19 March 1058).
- Ryksa (b. ca. 1018 - d. aft. 1060), married by 1039/42 to King Béla I of Hungary.
- Gertruda (b. 1025 - d. Kiev, 4 January 1108), married by 1043 to Grand Prince Iziaslav I of Kiev.
See also
- History of Poland (966-1385)
References
- This article incorporates information from the revision as of 28 June 2009 of the equivalent article on the Polish Wikipedia.
- ↑ Jasiński K. Rodowód pierwszych Piastów, p. 114
- ↑ The Catholic Church in Poland: Saints. Quote: "Blessed Rycheza (Ryksa) (+1063), Queen, wife of [the] King Mieszko II [21.5]"
- ↑ Norman Davies, Boże igrzysko, t. I, Wydawnictwo ZNAK, Kraków 1987, ISBN 83-7006-052-8, p. 128
- ↑ Tadeusz Manteuffel, Trudności wzrostu w Zarys historii Polski pod redakcją Janusza Tazbira, Polski Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszaw 1980, p. 24
- ↑ G. Labuda, Korona i infuła, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Kraków 1996, ISBN 83-03-03659-9, p.1
- ↑ Szczur S. "Historia Polski średniowiecze", p. 80
- ↑ Labuda G. Pierwsze państwo piastowskie, p. 54
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Mieszko II Lambert
Piast Dynasty
Born: ca. 990 Died: 10 or 11 May 1034 |
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| Preceded by Bolesław I the Brave |
King of Poland 1025–1031 |
Succeeded by Bezprym as Duke |
| Preceded by Bezprym |
Duke of Poland 1032–1034 |
Succeeded by Bolesław the Forgotten |
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