Stephen Ákos
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Stephen (I) from the kindred Ákos (; died 1315) was an influential
baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
in the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
in the late and the early . He was born into an ancient Hungarian clan. He was a staunch supporter of
Andrew III of Hungary Andrew III the Venetian (, , ; – 14 January 1301) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia between 1290 and 1301. His father, Stephen the Posthumous, was the posthumous son of Andrew II of Hungary although Stephen's older half brother ...
. He served as
Judge royal The judge royal, also justiciar,Rady 2000, p. 49. chief justiceSegeš 2002, p. 202. or Lord Chief JusticeFallenbüchl 1988, p. 145. (,Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 72. ,Zsoldos 2011, p. 26. , ), was the second-highest judge, preceded only by the Palati ...
between 1298 and 1300, and
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 ...
from 1301 to 1307. Establishing a province in
Borsod County Borsod was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. The capital of the county was Miskolc. After World War II, the county was merged with the Hungarian parts of Abaúj-Torna County and Zempl ...
, he was among the so-called oligarchs, who ruled ''de facto'' independently their dominions during the era of feudal anarchy. He built the
Diósgyőr Castle Diósgyőr (Hungarian: dioːʒɟøːr is a historical town in Hungary, today it is a part of Miskolc. The medieval castle in Diósgyőr was a favourite holiday residence of Hungarian kings and queens; today it is a popular tourist attraction. The ...
, the centre of his domain. Initially, he was a partisan of
Wenceslaus Wenceslaus, Wenceslas, Wenzeslaus and Wenzslaus (and other similar names) are Latinized forms of the Slavic names#In Slovakia and Czech_Republic, Czech name Václav. The other language versions of the name are , , , , , , among others. It origina ...
after the extinction of the
Árpád dynasty The Árpád dynasty consisted of the members of the royal House of Árpád (), also known as Árpáds (, ). They were the ruling dynasty of the Principality of Hungary in the 9th and 10th centuries and of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 130 ...
, but later acknowledged
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
' claim to the throne and gradually retired from politics. After his death in 1315, his sons rebelled against Charles and their dominion had collapsed in the subsequent years.


Life and career


Early years

He was the only son of
Ernye Ákos Ernye from the kindred Ákos (''Erne''; ; died after January 1275) was a Hungarian baron and landowner. He is best known for saving the life of king Béla IV after the disastrous Battle of Mohi in 1241. He participated in various military campaign ...
who held several offices during the reigns of
Béla IV Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá may refer to: Places in the Cze ...
,
Stephen V Stephen V may refer to: *Pope Stephen IV, aka Stephen V, Pope from 816 to 817 *Pope Stephen V (885–891) *Stephen V of Hungary (born before 1239 – 1272), King of Hungary and Croatia, Duke of Styria *Stephen V Báthory (1430–1493), Hungarian co ...
and Ladislaus IV. Ernye belonged to the ancient and prestigious ''gens'' (clan) Ákos, but originated from its lesser branch, which had some landholdings in
Bihar County Bihar was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary and a county of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Principality of Transylvania (since the 16th c ...
. During Béla's reign, he elevated into the most powerful barons due to his military successes. He retained his influence between the anarchic conditions under Ladislaus' rule. When Stephen was born in the early 1260s, his father was already a prominent landowner in
Borsod County Borsod was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. The capital of the county was Miskolc. After World War II, the county was merged with the Hungarian parts of Abaúj-Torna County and Zempl ...
, who built Dédes Castle and possessed large-scale estates in the region. The so-called Ernye branch rose to prominence due to its paterfamilias' influence and aptitude. Stephen's uncles were
Albert the Great Albertus Magnus ( 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great, Albert of Swabia, Albert von Bollstadt, or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop, considered one of the great ...
(
Master of the horse Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today. (ancient Rome) The original Master of the Horse () in the Roman Rep ...
from 1270 to 1272 and
Ban of Severin The Banate of Severin or Banate of Szörény (; ; ; , ; , ) was a Hungarian political, military and administrative unit with a special role in the initially anti- Bulgarian, latterly anti- Ottoman defensive system of the medieval Kingdom of Hu ...
in 1272), and Erdő II. One of his cousins was
Mojs I Mojs, also Moys or Majos (died after 1233) was a Hungarian noble, who served as Palatine of Hungary between 1228 and 1231, during the reign of Andrew II. Career His father and family background is unknown. Mojs owned landholdings mostly in Som ...
, who functioned as
Count of the Székelys The Count of the Székelys (, ) was the leader of the Hungarian-speaking Székelys in Transylvania, in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. First mentioned in royal charters of the 13th century, the counts were the highest-ranking royal officials in ...
in 1291.Engel: ''Genealógia'' (Genus Ákos 3., Erne branch) Stephen Ákos was first mentioned in 1281, when already reached adulthood. At that time he was ''
ispán The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. (, , and ),Kirschbaum 2007, p. 315. deriving from title of župan, ...
'', or head, of Borsod and Gömör Counties. In the 1280s, he was a close supporter of
Ladislaus IV of Hungary Ladislaus IV (, , ; 5 August 1262 – 10 July 1290), also known as Ladislaus the Cuman, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1272 to 1290. His mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of a chieftain from the pagan Cumans who had settled in Hung ...
. According to a royal charter's ''narratio'', Stephen spent his youth in the royal court, performing various services and earning merit. Stephen participated in the royal campaign against the rebellious
Finta Aba Finta from the kindred Aba (; died 1287) was a Hungarian lord in the Kingdom of Hungary, who served as Palatine of Hungary from 1280 to 1281. He is best known for capturing King Ladislaus IV of Hungary in early 1280. Family Finta was born into t ...
in mid-1281. He was present at the siege of Gede Castle (present-day
Hodejov Hodejov () is a village and municipality in the Rimavská Sobota District of the Banská Bystrica Region of southern Slovakia. History In historical records, the village was first mentioned in 1280 (''Gede''),when the local feudatories the Ratol ...
in Slovakia), according to his own charter from 1284. During the action, he was captured and imprisoned for a short time. He recovered his liberty after a ransom of 60
marks Marks may refer to: Business * Mark's, a Canadian retail chain * Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain * Collective trade marks A collective trademark, collective trade mark, or collective mark is a trademark owned by an organization (such ...
was paid by his ''familiaris'' Albert Szuhai. Stephen Ákos also fought against the rebellious
Cumans The Cumans or Kumans were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia comprising the western branch of the Cumania, Cuman–Kipchak confederation who spoke the Cuman language. They are referred to as Polovtsians (''Polovtsy'') in Ru ...
in the battle at Lake Hód (near present-day
Hódmezővásárhely Hódmezővásárhely (; also known by other alternative names) is a city with county rights in southeast Hungary, on the Great Hungarian Plain, at the meeting point of the Békés-Csanádi Ridge and the clay grassland surrounding the river Tisz ...
) in 1282 and participated in the siege of Borostyánkő (now Bernstein in Austria) at the end of the year, which was held by the Kőszegis. The Kőszegis resisted, forcing Ladislaus to lift the siege in early 1283. It seems, Stephen lost political influence at the royal court and his promising career has stalled after 1283. There is no record of royal land donations and he did not hold any specific offices in these years. His biographer, historian Péter Kis considers Stephen voluntarily retired from the royal court to manage his growing possessions in Borsod County, which became the basis of his future's domain.


Andrew's partisan

As a royal charter formulates from 1298, Stephen Ákos belonged to the "
familiares In the Middle Ages, a ''familiaris'' (plural ''familiares''), more formally a ''familiaris regis'' ("familiar of the king") or ''familiaris curiae''In medieval documents, ''curiae'' may also be spelled ''curiæ'' or ''curie''. ("of the court"), ...
" of
Andrew III of Hungary Andrew III the Venetian (, , ; – 14 January 1301) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia between 1290 and 1301. His father, Stephen the Posthumous, was the posthumous son of Andrew II of Hungary although Stephen's older half brother ...
since his arrival to Hungary in early 1290. The king made Stephen the queen's treasurer in 1293. He held the dignity until the death of Andrew's first spouse
Fenenna of Kuyavia Fenenna of Kuyavia (also known as of Inowrocław; ; c. 1276–1295) was Queen of Hungary by marriage to King Andrew III. Fenenna was the daughter of Duke Ziemomysł of Inowrocław by his wife Salomea, daughter of Duke Sambor II of Pomerania. ...
in 1295. Albeit Stephen was considered a strong pillar of the royal power, Andrew III did not support his all efforts. For instance, when Andrew, Bishop of Eger complaint to the king in 1296 that Stephen had unlawfully seized the bishopric's two estates ( Cserép and
Kisgyőr Kisgyőr is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to ...
), King Andrew permitted him to launch a lawsuit in any court. Beside his activity in Hungary, Stephen established interests in the
Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...
too, already in the early 1290s. He provided assistance to
Wenceslaus II Wenceslaus II Přemyslid (; ; 27 SeptemberK. Charvátová, ''Václav II. Král český a polský'', Prague 2007, p. 18. 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–1305), and King of Poland (1296–1305 ...
to conquer the
Duchy of Kraków Duchy of Kraków was a duchy in Lesser Poland that existed from 1227 until 1300. Its capital was Kraków. It was formed in 1227 from the Seniorate Province, following the abolishment of the Duchy of Poland. It remained independent until 1300, wh ...
. As a result, Thasso de Vissinburg, Wenceslaus' viceroy as captain of Kraków and
Sandomierz Sandomierz (pronounced: ; , ) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (), situated on the Vistula River near its confluence with the San, in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy ...
, donated two estates called ''Wirvitzy'' (possibly Wierzbica) beyond the river
Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...
to Stephen in August 1294. Stephen remained a supporter of Wenceslaus' efforts in Kraków. Therefore, captain Vocco donated the right of stone transport and other privileges (tax exemption) in the aforementioned region to Stephen in 1300. Stephen was appointed Judge royal in the summer of 1298, serving in this capacity at least until August 1300 (but it is also presumable that he held the dignity until Andrew's death in early 1301). The importance of the position had deteriorated by then, since Hungary was in a state of constant anarchy during the second half of Andrew's reign. While Stephen Ákos' dignity became a symbolic position and a "prey" in the feudal civil wars, when various groups of barons fought each other, his deputy, the vice-judge royal, as the monarch's personally appointed confidential expert, elevated into an effective judicial role. For instance, when Stephen Ákos acted as Judge royal, his "deputy"
Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...
issued more documents in cases of litigation proceedings, than him. In 1298, vice-judge royal Stephen still used his nominal superior's seal, but by 1300, he adopted his own seal. Stephen Ákos was the last Judge royal during the era of the
Árpád dynasty The Árpád dynasty consisted of the members of the royal House of Árpád (), also known as Árpáds (, ). They were the ruling dynasty of the Principality of Hungary in the 9th and 10th centuries and of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 130 ...
. Thereafter the position was in a state of vacancy for a decade, when the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
had disintegrated into autonomous provinces ruled by powerful oligarchs. Andrew held an assembly of the prelates, noblemen, Saxons, Székelys, and Cumans in Pest in the summer of 1298. Its decrees authorized Andrew to destroy forts built without permission and ordered the punishment of those who had seized landed property with force, but also threatened Andrew with excommunication if he did not apply the decrees. After the close of the diet, Andrew entered into a formal alliance with five influential noblemen –
Amadeus Aba Amadeus Aba or Amade Aba (; ; ? – 5 September 1311) was a Hungarian oligarch in the Kingdom of Hungary who ruled ''de facto'' independently the northern and north-eastern counties of the kingdom (today parts of Hungary, Slovakia and Ukrai ...
, Stephen Ákos, Dominic Rátót, Demetrius Balassa and
Paul Szécs Paul from the kindred Szécs (), also known as Paul of Komárom (; died 1306 or 1307), was a Hungarian nobleman and landowner who was lord of Komárom (present-day Komárno, Slovakia) from the 1280s. He came to prominence during the last regnal ye ...
– who stated that they were willing to support him against the "rebellious lords", which term definitely covered Matthew Csák and the
Kőszegi family The Kőszegi () was a noble family in the Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Croatia in the 13th and 14th centuries. The ancestor of the family, Henry the Great, descended from the ''gens'' ("clan") Héder. Henry's paternal great-grandfathe ...
. Only Stephen Ákos' contract had been preserved. Andrew committed himself that he will support Stephen and his kinship in their efforts and will make peace with the rebellious lords only with the consent of Stephen Ákos. In response, Stephen accepted Andrew as his "natural lord" and swore an oath that will defend his king against his all opponents, even against the Pope. According to the treaty, he had a friendly relationship with Demetrius Balassa, another ally of Andrew III. Through his unidentified daughter, Stephen also related to Dominic Rátót, who established a dominion in the neighboring Nógrád County with his brothers and cousins. The Rátót and Ákos provinces cut off the expanding Csák domain from the royal lands, while Stephen Ákos and Dominic Rátót also received royal support to defend their landholdings and to isolate the Csáks and the Kőszegis from each other. Thereafter Stephen Ákos was a member of the royal council and acted in various occasions alongside his allies, who also concluded their alliance with Andrew. In response to Andrew's newly formed league, a group of powerful lords —including the Kőszegis, Matthew Csák and
Roland Borsa Roland Borsa (; ; 1250 - died 1301) was voivode of Transylvania for 3 periods in the late 13th century. He was known for battling the Mongol invasions and, later, for rebelling against King Charles I's attempts to control his territory. Origins ...
— urged
Charles II of Naples Charles II, also known as Charles the Lame (; ; 1254 – 5 May 1309), was King of Naples, Count of Provence and Forcalquier (1285–1309), Prince of Achaea (1285–1289), and Count of Anjou and Maine (1285–1290); he also was King of Albania ( ...
to send his grandson, the 12-year-old
Charles Robert Charles I, also known as Charles Robert (; ; ; 128816 July 1342), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1308 to his death. He was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the only son of Charles Martel, Prince of Salerno. His father was the ...
, to Hungary in order to become king, according to the ''
Illuminated Chronicle The ''Chronicon Pictum'' or ''Illuminated Chronicle'' (, , , also referred to as the ''Illustrated Chronicle'', ''Chronica Hungarorum'', ''Chronicon Hungarie Pictum'', ''Chronica Picta'' or ''Chronica de Gestis Hungarorum'') is a medieval illust ...
''. The young prince disembarked in
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...
in August 1300, supported by most Croatian and Slavonian lords. However, the Kőszegis and Matthew Csák were shortly reconciled with Andrew, preventing Charles' success. Historian Attila Zsoldos argued Andrew III entered into a new feudal contract with the barons in the summer of 1300: Matthew Csák and
Ivan Kőszegi Ivan Kőszegi (, ; died 5 April 1308) was an influential lord in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. Earlier historiographical works also refer to him Ivan Németújvári (, , ). He was Palatine of Hungary, Palatin ...
became "perpetual" Palatines and Andrew accepted their suzerainty over their provinces, while the king's two most powerful partisans, Amadeus Aba and Stephen Ákos were also granted this privilege. In addition to them, two co-palatines of the previous year, Roland Rátót and
Apor Péc Apor from the kindred Péc (; died 1307) was a Hungarian baron and landowner at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, who held several secular positions during the reign of kings Ladislaus IV of Hungary, Ladislaus IV and Andrew III of Hungary, ...
also received the title as a counterweight, according to Zsoldos' theory. Therefore, the historian considers Stephen already bore the dignity of Palatine in the last regnal year of Andrew.


A loyal oligarch

Andrew III died on 14 January 1301. With his death, the House of Árpád became extinct. Stephen Ákos referred to Andrew as "the last golden branch" of the tree of King St Stephen's family, years after the king's death. According to his narration, the people of the realm, regardless of social status, mourned their lord, as "
Rachel Rachel () was a Bible, Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph (Genesis), Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban (Bible), Laban. Her older siste ...
wept for her children". A civil war between various claimants to the throne—
Charles of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou or Charles d'Anjou, was King of Sicily from 1266 to 1285. He was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the House of Anjou-Sicily. Between 1246 a ...
, Wenceslaus of Bohemia, and
Otto of Bavaria Otto of Bavaria may refer to: * Otto I, Duke of Swabia and Bavaria (955–982) * Otto of Nordheim (c. 1020–1083) * Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria (1117–1183) * Otto VIII, Count Palatine of Bavaria (before 1180 – 7 March 1209) * Otto I ...
—followed Andrew's death and lasted for seven years. Hungary had disintegrated into about a dozen independent provinces, each ruled by a powerful lord, or oligarch. Among them, Matthew Csák dominated the northwestern parts of Hungary (which now form the western territories of present-day Slovakia), Amadeus Aba controlled the northeastern lands, the Kőszegis ruled
Transdanubia Transdanubia ( ; , or ', ) is a traditional region of Hungary. It is also referred to as Hungarian Pannonia, or Pannonian Hungary. Administrative divisions Traditional interpretation The borders of Transdanubia are the Danube River (north and ...
,
James Borsa James Borsa the Bald (; 12601325/1332), was an influential lord in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. He was Palatine between 1306 and 1314, Ban of Slavonia in 1298, and Master of the horse between 1284 and 1285. ...
dominated
Tiszántúl Tiszántúl or Transtisza (literal meaning: "beyond Tisza") is a geographical region of which lies between the Tisza river, Hungary and the Apuseni Mountains, Romania, bordered by the Maros (Mureș) river. Alongside Kiskunság, it is a part of G ...
, and
Ladislaus Kán Ladislaus ( or according to the case) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin. It may refer to: * Ladislaus of Hungary (disambiguation) * Ladislaus I (disambiguation) * Ladislaus II (disambiguation) * Ladislaus III (disambiguation) * La ...
governed
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
. Stephen Ákos was the ''de facto'' ruler of Borsod and Gömör counties, his small dominion wedged between the extensive empires of Matthew Csák and Amadeus Aba. Historian Attila Zsoldos draws a distinction between the "oligarchs" (e.g. Matthew Csák and the Kőszegis) and "provincial lords" (e.g.
Ugrin Csák Ugrin (III) from the kindred Csák (, , ; died in 1311) was a prominent Hungarian baron and Oligarch (Kingdom of Hungary), oligarch in the early 14th century. He was born into an ancient Hungarian clan. He actively participated in the various int ...
) regarding the role of the royal power in the provincial administration. Alongside Amadeus Aba or Ladislaus Kán, Stephen Ákos exercised sovereign rights in his domain but remained loyal to the kings, and never rebelled against Andrew III or Charles I. Therefore, Zsoldos refers to him as a "loyal oligarch". Being
Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII (; born Benedetto Caetani; – 11 October 1303) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 until his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of baronial origin with connections t ...
's candidate for the Hungarian throne, Charles had always been unpopular, because the Hungarian lords feared that they would "lose their freedom by accepting a king appointed by the Church", according to the ''
Illuminated Chronicle The ''Chronicon Pictum'' or ''Illuminated Chronicle'' (, , , also referred to as the ''Illustrated Chronicle'', ''Chronica Hungarorum'', ''Chronicon Hungarie Pictum'', ''Chronica Picta'' or ''Chronica de Gestis Hungarorum'') is a medieval illust ...
''. Stephen Ákos was among those lords, who initially supported the claim of Wenceslaus. The Hungarian lords and prelates decided to offer the crown to the young prince and sent a delegation to his father,
Wenceslaus II Wenceslaus II Přemyslid (; ; 27 SeptemberK. Charvátová, ''Václav II. Král český a polský'', Prague 2007, p. 18. 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–1305), and King of Poland (1296–1305 ...
to Bohemia. An envoy – a certain Stephen, son of Lodomer – also represented the Ákos family's interests in the delegation. Historians
Mór Wertner Mór Wertner (German: Moritz Wertner, Moriz Wertner) (born July 26, 1849, in Ispáca; died June 8, 1921, in Párkány) was a Hungarian historian and genealogist.Károly KapronczayWertner Mór (1849-1921) Publications *Die Pest in Ungarn 1708– ...
and Kabos Kandra considered that Stephen had the most leading role in offering the crown to Wenceslaus II, then his namesake son. However, some near-contemporary sources emphasize Ivan Kőszegi's influence. Wenceslaus was crowned king on 27 August 1301. Stephen Ákos was first referred as Palatine of Hungary in Wenceslaus' royal charter on 23 October. In the upcoming years, seven barons held the dignity simultaneously. Majority of the historians, including
Gyula Kristó Gyula Kristó (11 July 1939 – 24 January 2004) was a Hungarian historian and medievalist, and also a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Life Gyula Kristó was born in Orosháza Orosháza is a city situated in the westernmost ...
and
Jenő Szűcs Jenő Szűcs (July 13, 1928 – November 24, 1988) was a Hungarian historian who was born in Debrecen Debrecen ( ; ; ; ) is Hungary's cities of Hungary, second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Reg ...
, considered, these barons, for instance, Matthew Csák, Amadeus Aba, Ivan Kőszegi and Stephen Ákos were arbitrarily styled themselves palatines, usurping the position, which marked its devaluation. However, in accordance with Zsoldos' theory (as presented above), the claimants to the Hungarian throne inherited Andrew's last decision, and they were forced to accept the status quo. As Zsoldos emphasized the oligarchs recognized each other's titles, in addition to the monarchs, cathedral chapters and other institutions. Accordingly, Stephen Ákos was considered a "perpetual" Palatine, alongside other powerful lords. After Charles's third coronation, which was performed in full accordance with customary law, on 27 August 1310, the king recognized only James Borsa as Palatine, who was appointed to the position in 1306 by Charles. Despite that, the still living office-holders, including Stephen Ákos were styled themselves palatines until their death. When his namesake son's wedding took place in
Diósgyőr Diósgyőr (Hungarian: Help:IPA/Hungarian, dioːʒɟøːr is a historical town in Hungary, today it is a part of Miskolc. The medieval castle in Diósgyőr was a favourite holiday residence of Hungarian kings and queens; today it is a popular t ...
in February 1303, Stephen Ákos was still a loyal partisan of Wenceslaus. When the cathedral chapter of
Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...
complaint to the royal court that Stephen unlawfully seized their lands, Wenceslaus reproved his courtier in his royal charter issued on 5 May 1303, and urged Stephen to stop dominations and the unlawful takeovers of church lands. Perhaps this contradiction could have led Stephen to left Wladislaus' alliance, whose domestic support was otherwise drastically reduced by that time. Stephen Ákos acknowledged Charles I as his monarch in his document issued on 5 April 1304. Wenceslaus, left Hungary in summer 1304, taking the
Holy Crown The Holy Crown of Hungary ( , ), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the coronation crown used by the Kingdom of Hungary for most of its existence; kings were crowned with it since the t ...
with him. It is plausible that Stephen participated in the war against Bohemia in the autumn of 1304, when Charles I and
Rudolph III of Austria Rudolf I ( – 3/4 July 1307), also known as Rudolf of Habsburg, was a member of the House of Habsburg, the King of Bohemia and titular King of Poland from 1306 until his death. He was also Duke of Austria (as Rudolf III) and Styria from 1298. ...
jointly invaded the kingdom. According to the contemporary Chronicle of Osterhofen (''Chronicon Osterhoviense''), both Ivan Kőszegi and Stephen Ákos were present in the coronation of another pretender
Otto Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fr ...
in December 1305. Stephen Ákos and his eldest son, Nicholas were present at the Diet of Rákos on 10 October 1307, which confirmed Charles' claim to the throne. Thereafter he retired from politics, gradually lost influence in the royal court. He participated in the Diet of 1313. There, Judge royal John Csák referred to him as "former" palatine. Stephen Ákos died in 1315. Soon after, his sons rebelled against Charles and their province had collapsed in the subsequent years.


His province


Acquisition of lands

When Ernye Ákos died in 1274 or 1275, Stephen inherited Dédes,
Diósgyőr Diósgyőr (Hungarian: Help:IPA/Hungarian, dioːʒɟøːr is a historical town in Hungary, today it is a part of Miskolc. The medieval castle in Diósgyőr was a favourite holiday residence of Hungarian kings and queens; today it is a popular t ...
,
Ecseg Ecseg is a village in Nógrád county, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the eas ...
, Felbarca, Héty,
Kondó Kondó is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to t ...
and
Mályinka Mályinka is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary.Nógrád Nógrád (; ) is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to ...
,
Heves Heves is a small town in eastern Hungary. About 100 km east of Budapest, Heves lies at the northern extreme of the Great Hungarian Plain, just south of the Mátra and Bükk hills and west of the Tisza River. Heves gave its name to Heves Cou ...
, Bihar, Szatmár, Szabolcs and Zemplén counties, but he also had some portions in
Varaždin County Varaždin County () is a county in Hrvatsko Zagorje. It is named after its county seat, the city of Varaždin. Geography The county contains the city of Varaždin, the towns of: Ivanec, Ludbreg, Lepoglava, Novi Marof and Varaždinske Top ...
. By 1281, Stephen acquired Visnyó (present-day Višňov, Slovakia), Uppony,
Tét Tét () is a town in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary. It is located between the town of Pápa (21 km north) and the city of Győr (24 km south) in the Little Hungarian Plain. According to 1990 census it used to have 4,252 inhabitant ...
,
Tardona Tardona is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, about from the county capital Miskolc. History Tardona was first mentioned in written documents in 1240 as ''Turduna'', it was most likely a village of Castle Dédes. Du ...
,
Arnót Arnót is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary. The Reformed Church Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the mo ...
and Zsolca (present-day
Felsőzsolca Felsőzsolca is a small town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, in northern Hungary, in the Miskolc agglomeration. It is the city with the tenth highest population in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county and the second biggest in the Miskolc agglomeration ...
and
Alsózsolca Alsózsolca is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary. In the 19th and 20th centuries, a Jewish community lived in the village. In 1930, there were 75 Jews in the village. In 1944, all the city's Jews were sent to the Auschwitz extermin ...
) with its valuable customs (the local wooden bridge, owned by the Ákos clan, was the single crossing at the bank of Sajó stream in a direction to
Miskolc Miskolc ( , ; ; Czech language, Czech and ; ; ; ) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 as of 1 January 2014, Miskolc is the List of cities and towns in Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, ...
during that time). Stephen Ákos was involved in various lawsuits and conflicts with the local rival noble family, the ''gens'' Miskolc. In 1281, he concluded an agreement with the three sons of the late
Panyit Miskolc Panyit from the kindred Miskolc (; died 1273 or 1274) was a Hungarian lord and military leader in the 13th century, a faithful confidant of Stephen V of Hungary. He served as Ban of Severin in 1270. Family and diplomatic missions Panyit was born ...
, during which he returned the fishpond of Filtó (present-day belongs to
Tiszaújváros Tiszaújváros (; ) is an industrial town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, south-east of Miskolc, near the river Tisza. History The town was built up on the outskirts of the old village Tiszaszederkény. In legal terms the ol ...
) to them. In the same year, he was granted the land of Olaszegyház by Ladislaus. Still in 1281, Stephen signed a land contract with the privileged nobles of Parasznya, and exchanged his village of
Hernádnémeti Hernádnémeti is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary.Abod in 1284. These fragmented data shows that Stephen sought to expand his possessions in the Borsod region to establish a territoriality integrated dominion of his possessions. During the reign of Andrew III, he was mentioned as a neighboring landowner near
Felsőtelekes Felsőtelekes is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukrain ...
and
Bükkaranyos Bükkaranyos is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the north ...
in 1291. He was granted the village of Omány by Wenceslaus in 1301, shortly after his coronation. The king also provided him undetermined "valuable goods". By 1303, he also acquired
Varbó Varbó is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary.Briccius Báthory Briccius Báthory (also Báthori or Bátori, ; died around 1322) was a Hungarian nobleman and the founder of the renowned Báthory family. Biography His father was Andrew of Rakamaz, surnamed the Bald, son of Nikolaus, from the Gutkeled clan. ...
, when his troops plundered and looted his landholdings in Szabolcs County. He invaded and seized the land portions of the Gutkeleds in Tarján and Palkonya in 1301. Based on his father's royal grants, Stephen Ákos urged to establish a contiguous area of his acquired lands with the tools of his purchases, exchanges and unlawful armed attacks. As historian Péter Kis analyzed, two main estate centers emerged during decades; the first laid in the north of the
Bükk Mountains The Bükk Mountains () are a section of the North Hungarian Mountains of the Inner Western Carpathians. Much of the area is included in the Bükk National Park. Geography Although Kékes, the highest point in Hungary, is not here but in the ...
, in the valley of the Báni, Tardona and Varbó streams, while the second block was in the upper flow of the
Szinva Szinva is a stream in northern Hungary, a tributary to the river Sajó. It originates in the Bükk Mountains. It is long, of which can be found in the city of Miskolc, through which the stream flows from west to east. More than 70 bridges have ...
stream. The sporadic landholdings in Nógrád and Heves counties belonged there too. Five villages at the lower flow of Sajó connected these two centers with each other. To become the undisputed lord in Borsod County, Stephen Ákos defeated his opponents in the region over the decades. With the unfavorable exchange of lands, he ousted the noble families of Parasznya from the territory of the county. He did the same with the Dédesi family, and the ''gens'' (clan) Bél in the southwestern part of the county. Stephen inherited a lengthy and complicated struggle with the clan Miskolc from his father, which lasted since the early 1260s between Ernye Ákos and Panyit Miskolc. The agreement of 1281 signed a compromise solution, when the boundary between the two spheres of interest was drawn along the river Sajó. At the end of the 13th century, Panyit's branch became extinct; by then Stephen Ákos' possessions surrounded their lands around
Miskolc Miskolc ( , ; ; Czech language, Czech and ; ; ; ) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 as of 1 January 2014, Miskolc is the List of cities and towns in Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, ...
.


Administration

The Ákos kindred built their centre in Diósgyőr (present-day in Miskolc), where Stephen erected a castle at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. When the royal troops besieged and captured the castle in 1319, it was referred to as "''Újvár''" ("New Castle"), which suggests that the fortress itself was completed only a few years before the Ákos' fall. Archaeological excavations were carried out in the area in 1973, when a four-room building that had been destroyed by fire was uncovered. It is possible they found Stephen's former mansion house, which functioned as the family's residence at least until 1311, when the last charter was issued there. Stephen also established a Pauline monastery in 1304 in the former village of Majlád, one and a half kilometers from the castle, and next to his mansion. He sponsored the monastery until his death. The monastery also had a
scriptorium A scriptorium () was a writing room in medieval European monasteries for the copying and illuminating of manuscripts by scribes. The term has perhaps been over-used—only some monasteries had special rooms set aside for scribes. Often they ...
; one of the
codices The codex (: codices ) was the historical ancestor format of the modern book. Technically, the vast majority of modern books use the codex format of a stack of pages bound at one edge, along the side of the text. But the term ''codex'' is now r ...
created here had been copied by a monk named Ladislaus for the Church on the Avas Hill, now held in the archives of Eger. Sometimes before 1313, Stephen founded the Pauline convent of Dédesszentlélek (Bükkszentlélek), dedicated to the
Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...
. Beside the religious donations, the elements of
chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric language, is an informal and varying code of conduct that developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It is associated with the medieval Christianity, Christian institution of knighthood, with knights being members of ...
also can be found in the dominion of Stephen Ákos. His crest was preserved from 1299. Until 1303, Stephen Ákos used the cathedral chapter of Eger as
place of authentication A place of authentication (; ) was a characteristic institution of medieval Hungarian law. Places of authentication were cathedral chapters and monasteries authorized to provide notarial A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in ...
, acknowledging its nature of legal institution. Thereafter, however, his documents and charters were issued by his own chancellery, which resided in Diósgyőr. For instance, when he granted Varbó to his ''familiaris'', Stephen, son of Lodomer, he used peculiar, poetic narration and preliminary in the donation letter. A privilege document to the Pauline Order from 1304 also contained Biblical phrases. Stephen's chancellery employed skilled notaries and literate friars. The oligarchic domains based on the social institution of ''familiares'', as the personal relationships networked the entire domain. Stephen's earliest known servant was Herbord Unyomi, who originated from
Vas County Vas (, ; ; or ; ) is an administrative county (Counties of Hungary, comitatus or ''vármegye'') of Hungary. It was also one of the counties of the former Kingdom of Hungary. It is part of the Centrope Project. Geography Vas County lies in weste ...
and entered the clan's service, when Ernye Ákos served as ''ispán'' of the county from 1267. He escorted his lord, Stephen in the various military campaigns in the early 1280s. Stephen donated the village of
Kondó Kondó is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to t ...
to Herbord in 1284. Another servant, Albert Szuhai was granted the land of Felbarca by Stephen in 1287, since he had previously released his lord from captivity by paying ransom. The Szuhais owned villages,
Szuha Szuha is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary, in the Mátra mountain range, the bottom of the north side of the Galya-tető peak, beside the Galya creek. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 550 (see Demographics). The village is located 3 ...
and
Zubogy Zubogy is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary. It has road connection with Ragály and Felsőkelecsény. The nearest town is Kazincbarcika (20 km). The name of the village is of Slovak origin. Church There is Romanesque-G ...
in Gömör County. Stephen donated his portion in Palkonya to his ''familiaris'' Ladislaus Béli in 1295. His skilled diplomat was a certain Stephen, son of Lodomer. He fought in Andrew's royal army, then was captured by Matthew Csák's troops, where he was liberated after a ransom of 100 marks. Stephen acted as the Ákos' envoy to Bohemia in 1301. He also escorted the bride of Stephen II Ákos in early 1303. Another ''familiaris'', Michael Öklelő and his sons owned seven villages in the southeastern part of Borsod County.


His sons and their decline

Stephen Ákos had seven sons and two daughters from his wife, a certain Catherine from an unidentified noble family. All of his sons were adults by the early 14th century. The eldest son was Nicholas, who already participated in unlawful actions in the late 1290s and led troops against the Gutkeleds' landholdings in Borsod County in 1300. Nicholas was followed by his younger brothers in the following order: Stephen II, John ("the Devil"), James, Ladislaus, Gregory and Philip. Stephen also had two daughters. Anics (or Anyics) became the wife of Beke Borsa, the brother of powerful lords Roland and James Borsa, in 1300. The other unidentified daughter married to Desiderius Rátót, whose person connected the Ákos and Rátót clans to each other. The wedding of Stephen's namesake son to a foreign princess in February 1303 was a national prestige event in the Kingdom of Hungary. According to Stephen's own document, issued on 26 February, "''de gloriosissimo sanguine regis Bohemie et Polonie nobilem puellam filiam domini Bavarini ducis Bavarie magistro Stephano filio nostro ... matrimoniali federe fecit copulati''". Many historians – e.g. Antal Pór, János Karácsonyi and Pál Engel – identified the bride as an unnamed Bavarian duchess from the
House of Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a former Bavarian dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electoral Palatinate, the Electorate of Cologne, County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, ...
. Gyula Kristó wrote, the bride's father was a certain Bauarinus, a duke from
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
. According to historian Mór Wertner, however, the fiancée was the daughter of either
Bavor II Bavor II, known as Bavor the Great (; c. 1220 – c. 1279), was a Czech nobleman. He was the feudal ruler of Strakonice in Bohemia and Castellan of royal Zvíkov Castle. He was the son of Bavor I of the noble Bavors of Strakonice family. He held ...
or his son
Bavor III Bavor may refer to: * Bavor Rodovský mladší of Hustiřany, Czech nobleman and alchemist * Bavor II (c. 1220–c. 1279), feudal ruler of Strakonice, Bohemia and Castellan of royal castle Zvíkov See also * Bavors of Strakonice Bavorové ze S ...
from the
House of Strakonice Bavorové ze Strakonic (Bavors of Strakonice) were a Bohemian nobility, noble family, rulers of Strakonice town and surrounding area. Members of the family include: *Bavor I *Bavor II, Bavor II, Bavor the Great *Bavor III *Vilém of Strakonice * ...
, an influential Bohemian noble family. Bavor II married Agnes, an illegitimate child of Bohemian king Ottokar II. Thus Stephen Ákos became a relative of the
Přemyslid dynasty The Přemyslid dynasty or House of Přemysl (, , ) was a Bohemian royal dynasty that reigned in the Duchy of Bohemia and later Kingdom of Bohemia and Margraviate of Moravia (9th century–1306), as well as in parts of Poland (including Silesia ...
through his son in those years, when he supported the throne aspirations of Wenceslaus. Veronika Rudolf considered that the fiancée was the daughter of Bavor III. The wedding, which took place in the manor house at Diósgyőr, was attended by a number of guests and dignitaries from many parts of the realm, including Amadeus Aba, Roland Rátót and Stephen's two sons-in-law, Beke Borsa and Desiderius Rátót. By 1315, the elderly Stephen Ákos lost control and influence over his sons, who managed the large-scale Ákos properties by that time. According to side notes in some documents after 1313, his relationship at least with some of his sons became tense and furious. For instance, during a land donation to the Pauline monks, he forbade his (unidentified) sons and they appeared in the document's curse formula. Some contemporary royal documents, however, also called Stephen as "disloyal" along with his sons, but this could be a superficial information because of the short interval between his death and the outbreak of his sons' rebellion. Stephen Ákos died in 1315. His sons already rebelled in that year. Majority of the sources referred to them simply "Ákos sons", which makes it impossible to distinguish them and their fate. Based on the fragmented data, it seems the leading figure of their rebellion was John the Devil. Joining to Matthew Csák's army, they looted and ravaged
Sárospatak Sárospatak (; ; Serbian language, Serbian: Муд Стреам; Slovak language, Slovakian: ''Šarišský Potok, Blatný Potok)'' History The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Sárospatak was granted town status in 1201 by Emeric ...
. They also supported the revolt of the sons of the late Ladislaus Kán. Around 1319 and 1320, the Ákos dominion was completely destroyed and disintegrated by Charles' successful military campaigns, led by
Dózsa Debreceni Dózsa Debreceni, or Dózsa of Debrecen (died in 1322 or 1323), was an influential lord in the Kingdom of Hungary in the early 14th century. He was Palatine in 1322, and Voivode of Transylvania between 1318 and 1321. He was one of the staunchest ...
. The Ernye branch of the ''gens'' Ákos dropped out from the Hungarian nobility.


Notes


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Akos, Stephen 1260s births 1315 deaths
Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...
Judges royal Palatines of Hungary Oligarchs of the Kingdom of Hungary 13th-century Hungarian nobility 14th-century Hungarian nobility Year of birth uncertain