Radu Leon (? – 1669) was ruler of Wallachia from 1664 to 1669. He had the

byname An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

Radu the Oyster-seller. Son of Wallachian ruler Leon Tomșa, and putative grandson of

Ștefan Tomșa Ștefan Tomșa or Ștefan VII ( pl, Stefan VII Tomża) (died 5 May 1564 in Lwów) was the ruler of Moldavia in 1563 and 1564. Career Tomșa served as hatman and came to power as leader of a boyar revolt against the Lutheran Ioan Iacob Heraclid ...

, ruler of Moldavia, Radu Leon replaced the deposed Grigore I Ghica in December 1664. Supposedly barely able to speak

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...

, Radu's authority relied on the support of the Phanariots, and especially the

Cantacuzino family The House of Cantacuzino (french: Cantacuzène) 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, specifica ...

Șerban Cantacuzino Șerban Cantacuzino (), (1634/1640 – 29 October 1688) was a Prince of Wallachia between 1678 and 1688. Life and career Cantacuzino took part in the Ottoman campaign which ended in their defeat at the Battle of Vienna. According to Gaster (19 ...

, later ruler of Wallachia, served as his chamberlain, and Draghici Cantacuzino commanded Radu's armies. Anti-Greek protests beginning in December 1668 led to Radu's downfall in March 1669 and replacement by

Antonie Vodă din Popești Antonie din Popeşti (? – after 1672) was ruler of Wallachia from March 1669 to 1672. Antonie din Popeşti, a member of a boyar family, came to power with the assistance of the Cantacuzino family, who had supported Radu Leon, the previous r ...

References

Rulers of Wallachia 17th-century monarchs in Europe Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown {{Romania-bio-stub