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Saint Stephen the Great "The Right-believing Voivode Stephen the Great and the Holy"
Miniature from the 1473 Gospel at Humor Monastery
Prince of Moldavia
Born	1443, Borzeşti, Romania
Died	July 2, 1504, Suceava, Romania
Venerated in	Romanian Orthodox Church
Feast	July 2
Saints Portal

Stephen III of Moldavia or Stephen III (c. 1437 - July 2, 1504), also known as Stephen the Great (Romanian: Ştefan cel Mare; Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt, "Stephen the Great and Holy" in more modern versions) was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent repesentative of the House of Muşat. Image File history File linksMetadata Humorstefan. ... This is a list of rulers of Moldavia. ... For other uses of Moldavia or Moldova, see Moldova (disambiguation). ... Events Albanians, under Skanderbeg, defeat the Turks John Hunyadi defeats Turks at the Battle of Nis Vlad II Dracul begins his second term as ruler of Wallachia, succeeding Basarab II. Births January 27 - Albert, Duke of Saxony (died 1500) February 23 - Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (died 1490) May 17 - Edmund... Borzesti church was built by Stefan cel Mare in 1493. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1504 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... County Suceava County Status County capital Mayor Ion Lungu, National Liberal Party, since 2004 Area 52 km² Population (2002) 105,865 (2002 census) 107,513 (as of July 1, 2004)[1] Density 2,032 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... The Romanian Orthodox Church (Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Gloriole. ... // Events foundation of All Souls College, University of Oxford. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1504 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Lists of office-holders | Rulers of Moldavia | History of Romania ... It has been suggested that Moldavia (historical region) be merged into this article or section. ... Events University of Freiburg founded. ... 1504 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

During his reign, he turned Moldavia into a strong state and maintained her independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the Ottoman Empire, which all sought to subdue the land. Stephen achieved fame in Europe for his long resistance against the Ottomans. He was victorious in 34 of his 36 battles, and was the first to inflict a decisive victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Vaslui, after which Pope Sixtus IV deemed him verus christianae fidei athleta (true Champion of Christian Faith). He was a man of religion and displayed his piety when he paid the debt of Mount Athos to the Porte, ensuring the continuity of Athos as an autonomous monastical community. Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–65) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (Ä°stanbul, 1453–1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish (official); spoken languages include Abkhazian, Adyghe, Albanian, Arabic, Aramaic, Armenian, Azerbaijani... World map showing the location of Europe. ... The Battle of Vaslui (also referred to as the Battle of Podul ÃŽnalt) (January 10, 1475) was fought between the Moldavian (Romanian) Prince, Åžtefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) and the Ottoman General Suleiman Pasha. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope of Rome... Sixtus IV (July 21, 1414 – August 12, 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. ... Athleta Christi (Latin: Champion of Christ) is a title granted by the pope to men who have led military campaigns to defend Christianity. ... Capital Karyes Official languages Koine Greek and Church Slavonic (both liturgical); Modern Greek, Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Bulgarian, Romanian (civil use) Government  -  Head of State2 Dora Bakoyannis  -  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I Area  -  Total 390 km²  150 sq mi  Population  -   estimate 2,250  Demonyms: Athonite, Hagiorite (English); Αθωνίτης, Αγιορίτης (Greek). ... Synonym of the government of the Ottoman Empire. ...

Early life and rise to power

Battle flag of Stephen the Great

Stephen was a member of the ruling Muşatin family. His father Bogdan II had ruled Moldavia for two years (1449 to 1451) before being killed in battle by Stephen's uncle, Petru Aron. Between 1451 and 1457, Moldavia was turmoiled by civil war between Petru Aron and Alexăndrel - a nephew of Alexandru cel Bun. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Petru III Aron (d. ... Alexandru cel Bun Alexandru cel Bun on a Moldovan coin Alexandru cel Bun (Alexandru I MuÅŸat, Alexander the Kind) was the ruler of Moldavia 1400-1432, son of Roman I MuÅŸat. ...

Following the outbreak of the conflict, Stephen took refuge to Transylvania, seeking the protection of military commander John Hunyadi. After that, he moved to the court of Vlad III of Wallachia and, in 1457, managed to receive 6,000 horsemen as military assistance, putting them to use in a victorious battle against Petru Aron at Doljeşti, nearby Roman. Aron fled to Poland, while Stephen was crowned Prince. Two years later, he led an incursion into Poland in the search for Aron, but was met with resistance. Instead, a treaty was signed between Moldavia and Poland, through which Stephen recognized King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon as his suzerain, while Aron was barred from entering Moldavia. Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or ; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / or / ) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ... John Hunyadi, as imagined by a 17th century artist John Hunyadi (Medieval Latin: Ioannes Corvinus, German: Johann Hunyadi; Hungarian: Hunyadi János, Romanian: Iancu or Ioan de Hunedoara) (c. ... Portrait of Vlad III Vlad III Dracula (also known as Vlad Å¢epeÅŸ IPA: in Romanian or Vlad the Impaler) (November/December, 1431 – December 1476) reigned as Prince of Wallachia 1448, 1456–1462 and 1476. ... Roman (Hungarian: Románvásár, German: Romanvarasch) is a town in Moldavia, Romania, with a population of 69,483. ... Mieszko I. BolesÅ‚aw I Chrobry. ... Kazimierz IV Jagiellon ((?)Polish: , Lithuanian: ; 1427 - 1492), of the House of Jagiellons, was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447 to his death. ... Suzerainty refers to a situation in which a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which allows the tributary some limited domestic autonomy but controls its foreign affairs. ...

Rule

Coat of arms of Moldavia in 1481, at Putna Monastery

Menaced by powerful neighbours, he successfully repelled an invasion by the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus, defeating him in the Battle of Baia (in 1467), and invaded Wallachia in 1471 (the latter had by then succumbed to Ottoman power and had become a vassal). When the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II launched a retaliation attack on Moldavia, Stephen defeated the invaders at the Battle of Vaslui in 1475, a victory which temporarily halted the Turkish advance into the Balkans. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This is a list of all rulers of the Kingdom of Hungary since Árpád. ... Matthias Corvinus (Mátyás in Hungarian), (February 23, 1443 (?) - April 6, 1490) was one of the greatest Kings of Hungary, ruling between 1458 and 1490. ... The Battle of Baia was an important battle in the history of medieval Romania. ... Events October 29 - Battle of Brusthem: Charles the Bold defeats Liege Beginning of the Sengoku Period in Japan. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... This article is about the year 1471, not the BT caller ID service accessible by dialling 1-4-7-1. ... The Ottoman Dynasty (or the Imperial House of Osman) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1281 to 1923, beginning with Osman I (not counting his father, ErtuÄŸrul), though the dynasty was not proclaimed until 1383 when Murad I declared himself sultan. ... Mehmed II (Ottoman Turkish: محمد ثانى , Turkish: ), (also known as el-Fatih (الفاتح), the Conqueror, in Ottoman Turkish, or, in modern Turkish, Fatih Sultan Mehmet) (March 30, 1432 – May 3, 1481) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to 1446, and later from 1451 to 1481. ... The Battle of Vaslui (also referred to as the Battle of Podul ÃŽnalt) (January 10, 1475) was fought between the Moldavian (Romanian) Prince, Åžtefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) and the Ottoman General Suleiman Pasha. ... 5^{Superscript text}7<!-- Comment --><blockquote> Block quote </blockquote>{| class=class=wikitable |- ! header 1 ! header 2 ! header 3 |-{| class=wikitable |- ! header 1 ! header 2 ! header 3{| class=wikitable |- ! header 1 ! header 2 ! header 3 |- | row 1, cell 1 | row 1, cell 2 | row 1, cell 3 |- | row 2... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Stephen was defeated at Războieni (Battle of Valea Albă) the next year, but the Ottomans had to retreat after they failed to take any significant castle (see siege of Cetatea Neamţului) as a plague started to spread in the Ottoman army. Stephen's search for European assistance against the Turks had little success, but he "cut off the pagan's right hand". // Combatants Moldavia Ottoman Empire Commanders Åžtefan cel Mare Mehmed II Strength 90,000 50,000 Casualties 70,000 killed or wounded 30,000 killed or wounded The Battle of Valea Albă was an important event in the medieval history of Moldavia. ... The Siege of Cetatea NeamÅ£ului in 1476 was an important event in the history of Moldavia. ... An infidel (literally, one without faith) is one who doubts or rejects central tenets of a religion, especially those regarding its deities. ...

After 1484 Stephen had to face not only new Turkish onslaughts, but also the Polish and Hungarian designs on Moldavian independence. Finally in 1486 he concluded a treaty with Sultan Beyazid II that preserved Moldavia's self rule, at the cost of an annual tribute to the Turks. From the 16th century on, the Principality of Moldavia would spend three hundred years as an Ottoman vassal. Events January 25 - Peter Arbues, chief of the Spanish Inquisition, is assassinated when he is praying in the cathedral at Saragossa, Spain July 6 - Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of Congo River December 5 - Pope Innocent VIII gives the inquisition a mission to hunt heretics and... Events Tízoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan dies. ... Sultan Beyazid II Beyazid II (1447/48 – May 26, 1512) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. ... A tribute (from Latin tribulum, contribution) is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Look up vassal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Stephen's tombstone

Stephen died in Suceava, and is buried in the Monastery of Putna. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... County Suceava County Status County capital Mayor Ion Lungu, National Liberal Party, since 2004 Area 52 km² Population (2002) 105,865 (2002 census) 107,513 (as of July 1, 2004)[1] Density 2,032 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... Stephen the Great and Holys tomb at Putna Monastery The Putna monastery is one of the most important cultural, religious and artistic centers of Medieval Moldavia being among with many others monasteries the creation of Prince Stephen the Great ([[Stefan cel Mare]). It was founded on the lands perambulated...

Legacy

Though it was marked by continual strife, Stephen's long reign brought considerable cultural development; many churches and monasteries were erected by Stephen himself, some of which are now part of UNESCO's World Heritage. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ...

Stephen was seen as holy by many Christians, soon after his death. He has been canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church under the name "The Right-believing Voivod Stephen the Great and the Holy". Icon of St. ... The Romanian Orthodox Church (Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. ...

In a 2006 Romanian national television campaign on TVR 1 (see Mari Români), Stephen III was voted by almost 40,000 viewers as the "Greatest Romanian" of all times. Televiziunea Română (pronunciation: télévizju:nèa ro:mÄ«nÉ™), more commonly referred to as TVR (pronunciation: tévéré) is the national state-owned public service television broadcaster of Romania. ... TVR 1, Televiziunea RomânÇŽ 1 (translated: Romanian Television 1), is the first channel of the public broadcaster TVR. The most important show of the channel is Jurnalul TVR, whos motto is: Jurnalul aÅŸa cum ar trebui sÇŽ fie! (The news journal as it should be). ... In 2006, the Televiziunea Română conducted a vote to discover the 100 Greatest Romanians of all time. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ştefan cel Mare

• Borzeşti
• Borzeşti Church

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Borzesti church was built by Stefan cel Mare in 1493. ... The BorzeÅŸti church was built by Åžtefan cel Mare in 1493. ...

External links

• Muşatin family
• Article in Romanian: Vlad Ţepeş şi Ştefan cel Mare - Prieteni sau duşmani?
• Map of Moldavia under Ştefan cel Mare, 1501
• The Princely Court of Ştefan's son, Alexandru, in Bacău - images, layouts (at the Romanian Group for an Alternative History Website)
• Map of Romania during Ştefan cel Mare

Polish chronicles

• Library of Wielkopolska the online access to the oldest Polish writing relicts