Mieszko II Lambert

This article is about a Polish king. See also Duke Mieszko II the Fat.

Mieszko II Lambert
19th century portrait by Jan Matejko.
Reign	1025–1034.
Coronation	December 25, 1025, in Gniezno Cathedral, Poland.
Royal House	Piast.
Coat of Arms	The Piast Eagle.
Parents	Bolesław I the Brave, Emnilda of Lusatia.
Consorts	Richeza of Lotharingia.
Children	With Richeza: Casimir I, Gertruda.
Date of Birth	990.
Place of Birth	?
Date of Death	May 10, 1034.
Place of Death	?
Place of Burial	Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, Poznań, Poland.

Mieszko II Lambert (b. ca. 990 - d. 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 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. He 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.

Life

Early Years

Mieszko II was politically active before his father's death, so Bolesław I the Brave appointed him to 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. It's unclear the real purprose of Mieszko II's visit to Germany, especially since it soon after his father made by himself the homage to the Holy Roman Empire. Presumably, the young prince paid homage for Milsko or Moravia and Lusatia. It also stated 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 in consecuence made Mieszko a vassal of the Empire.

The position of the young prince at the both Polish and Imperial courts, increased strongly in 1013 when he married with Richeza, 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 II entered in the circle of the Imperial family and became an item equal to, if not higher than the Emperor himself. Probably after the wedding, and in accordance with prevailing custom, Bolesław I give a separated district to Mieszko II: Kraków. One of his towns, Wawel, who was chose 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 made an alliance against the Emperor Henry II. The mission failed, and Oldrich imprisoned Mieszko II. He was released only after the intervention of the Emperor, who, despite the planned betrayal of Bolesław I he loyally acted on behalf of his vassal. As a result, Mieszko II was sent to the Imperial courtt in Merseburg as a hostage. Henry II probably wanted to force the presence of Bolesław I in Merseburg and made to him an explanation for his actions. This plan failed because, under pressure from his relatives, the Emperor agreed to released Mieszko II.

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 II. His army was needed over the month to reach the line of the Oder River, and once there his troops encountered strong resistance led by Mieszko II 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 break his troops, he decided to started the retreat to Dziadoszyce. The Polish prince went on chasing after him, and caused big losses in 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 near Krosno Odrzańskie bypassed the main site and were launched in Niemcza. At the same time, at the head of 10 legions Mieszko II went to Moravia and planned an allied attack with Bohemia against the Emperor. This action forced the Emperor to surrender from any frontal attack. A year later, was made the Peace of Bautzen (30 January 1018), who 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 are little information about Mieszko II's life from 1018 until 1025, when he finally took over the goernment 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 took 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. According to German chroniclers he made this arbitrarily, as in the then political situation could be somewhat true. After his father's death Mieszko II inherited a vast territory, comprising not only Western Pomerania, but also Milsko, Lusatia, Red Ruthenia, Moravia and Slovakia. As an important Central European ruler, he now held extensive affinity for the Holy Roman Empire once began his sole government.

An understanding of what happened later requires an understanding of Mieszko II's family. His older half-brother Bezprym was the son of the Hungarian princess Judith, Bolesław I's second wife. Miezsko II also had a younger full-brother, Otto. By Slavic custom, a father should divide his legacy among all his sons. However, since a Kingdom cannot be divided, Mieszko II's brothers received nothing from their father's legacy.

As Bezprym was the oldest son, many probably felt that he should have succeeded his father 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 II either expelled or forced to flee his two brothers from the country. Otto took refuge in Germany and Bezprym escaped to Kievan Rus.

Support to German opposition

Mieszko and Duchess Matilda of Swabia. Earliest known contemporary depiction of a Polish ruler.

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 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 Veleti 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

Structured too late invasion did not affect the chances of rebels, however, triggered a retaliatory expedition of Emperor. Konrad army in autumn 1029 onwards beat at Lausitz, when the siege bezskutecznego Bautzen. Germany has not received the promised support Wieletów, and the expedition failed, as threatened by the Hungarians ruler of Germany was forced to retreat.

In 1030 Mieszko secured an alliance with Hungary once again invaded Saxony. Meanwhile, its southern ally attacked Bavaria temporarily occupying Vienna.

In response, the Emperor has organized another expedition against the Polish king, this time by organizing a broad coalition antymieszkowską. Already in 1030 the prince has the offensive Kievan Rus Jarosław wise. He struck the Red Rus, dealing cards Bełz castle.

Probably in 1031 years the son of Oldrich, Bretislaus I, attacked and took Moravia (in the literature appear to be less popular fall Moravia date: 1017, 1020, 1021, 1029 and 1030). It noted, however, that the Czech historiography in favor of the period of the reign of Boleslaw Chrobrego and began losing Moravia by Poland for the period 1018-1020.

The Emperor in 1031 concluded a peace with the Kingdom of Hungary. Probably the government in this country and Stefan came in exchange Slovakia. Konrad has not had to worry about an attack from the south in autumn 1031 and went on the offensive from the boundary with Milsko. Offensive ended with success, and both Mieszko surrendered lands. As a result, dropped from the achievements of Polish Boleslaw Chrobrego, which led many wars with Henryk II.

Facing two enemies, HRE on the west and Rus on the east, Mieszko escaped to Bohemia. Bezprym began his reign by sending his crown and regalia to HRE. Mieszko soon returned, but was forced to pledge fealty to the German Emperor, and Poland was divided among him, his brothers Otto and Bezprym, and a certain Thiedric (cousin, grandson of Mieszko I and Oda). Otton was killed by one of his own men, and Mieszko was able to reunite Poland.

What happened next is a mystery. Historians now think that Mieszko was killed (1034) in a plot hatched by the aristocracy.

After Mieszko's death, Poland's peasants revolted in a "pagan reaction." The exact reasons and date are unknown. Mieszko's son, 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: Masław, 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.

See also

• History of Poland (966-1385)