Koppany

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Koppány von Somogy (* around 950 ; † 998 near Veszprém ) was a Hungarian tribal prince from the Árpáden family .

Medieval miniature of the execution of Koppany

Life

Koppány was the cousin of the Hungarian Grand Duke Géza and ruled the Somogy area south of Lake Balaton . After Géza's death in 997, he demanded rule over Hungary according to the seniority principle of the Arpads, according to which the oldest male member of the clan was the leader. To legitimize his claims, he wanted to marry Géza's widow, Sarolt . Still arrested by the paganism of the Magyars , he fought against Géza's son Vajk, his nephew Stephan , who was raised as a Christian , and who justified his claims with divine law.

In the Battle of Veszprém in 998 Koppány was defeated by Stephen's troops, who had the decisive support of Bavarian knights, and was executed on the battlefield. The body was allegedly quartered and the parts nailed to the city gates of Veszprém, Győr and Esztergom as a deterrent , and sent to Gyulafehérvár to the next possible usurper Gyula . Stephan was then able to be crowned the first king of Hungary and continue the Christianization of the country.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Paul Lendvai : The Hungarians. A thousand years of victory in defeat. Hurst, London 2003, ISBN 1-85065-673-8 , pp. 29f.
  2. ↑ Pál Engel: The Realm of St. Stephen. A history of medieval Hungary, 895-1526. Tauris, London 2001, ISBN 1-86064-061-3 , p. 27.

literature

  • György Györffy: The Koppány Uprising. Akad. Kiado publishing house, Budapest 1971 (reprint from Studia Turcica).
personal data
SURNAME Koppany
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Koppány from Somogy
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Hungarian nobleman and heir apparent
DATE OF BIRTH around 950
DATE OF DEATH 998
Place of death at Veszprém