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Birth:          ABT 1072 of Esztergom, Komarom, Hungary
Death:          1129 Domos, Greece
Burial:         Szekesfehervar, Fejer, Hungary

Notes
created King of Croatia by St. Ladislas, King of Hungary, who then merged Croatia 
with Hungary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81lmos_(duke)
Álmos (Slovak, Croatian: Almoš; c. 1070  or 1075,[1] – 1 September 1127 or possibly in 
1129[2]) was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary and brother of 
King Coloman. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary.
Life[edit]

Early life[edit]

Álmos was the younger of the two sons surviving infancy of the future King Géza I.[3]
[4] His mother seems to have been his father's first wife, Sophia, because Géza's 
Byzantine second wife—whose baptismal name is unknown—returned to her homeland 
after her husband's death.[3] Both Álmos and his elder brother, Coloman, were born 
around 1070, according to the historians Gyula Kristó and Márta Font.[3][5]

Géza I who ascended the throne in 1074 died on 25 April 1077.[6] He was succeeded 
by his brother, Ladislaus I, because Coloman and Álmos were still minors.[7] The new 
king decided that Coloman should be prepared for a career in the Church.[5] The 
king's decision was unusual, because Coloman was elder than Álmos.[5]

Between 1084 and 1091 Álmos was the duke of Slavonia; between 1091 and 1095 he 
was named duke of Croatia.[8] According to the Illuminated Chronicle both Coloman 
and Álmos accompanied their uncle on a military campaign against Bohemia in the 
spring of 1095.[9][10] Before reaching the border of his kingdom, Ladislaus I "was 
overcome by a grave infirmity"[11] and decided to appoint Álmos as his heir.[10][12] 
However, Coloman did not want to respect his uncle's decision and fled to Poland.
[13][14]

Conflicts with Coloman[edit]

Coloman returned after King Ladislaus had died to claim his rights.[14] According to 
the Illuminated Chronicle, it was his uncle who had invited him back from Poland.[15] 
The same source adds that Álmos "in the true simplicity of his heart honoured his 
brother, Coloman, and yielded to him the crown of the kingdom",[11] which suggests 
that Coloman ascended the throne without bloodshed.[13] On the other hand, he was 
only crowned king in early 1096, implying that the two brothers had been fighting for 
the crown before they reached an agreement.[14][16] Coloman was crowned in 
Székesfehérvár by Archbishop Seraphin of Esztergom.[13] According to the 
Illuminated Chronicle, at the same time he "granted the dukedom with full rights"[17] 
to Álmos.[18] This report shows that Álmos only acknowledged his brother's rule in 
exchange for receiving the one-time ducatus or duchy of their father and grandfather, 
which encompassed one-third of the kingdom.[18][19]

After Coloman's victories over the marauding crusaders in 1096, Henry IV, Holy Roman 
Emperor, whom Ladislaus I had supported against Pope Urban II in his last years, 
wrote a letter to Duke Álmos.[20] He stated that Coloman had "neglected" his 
"interests because of his own necessities"[21] and asked Álmos to intervene on his 
behalf at Coloman.[20] However, the king—a former bishop—did not continue his 
predecessor's foreign policy and joined the pope's camp.[22][23] Historian Gyula 
Kristó writes that the fact that his brother, Álmos had for years had a close relationship 
with Emperor Henry may also have influenced Coloman's decision.[23]

Coloman invaded Croatia and participated himself in the campaign in 1097.[16] Taking 
advantage of Coloman's absence, Álmos began to conspire against the king and 
mustered his armies.[24] Coloman returned from Croatia and marched towards his 
brother's duchy with his troops in 1098.[24] The two armies encountered at 
Tiszavárkony, only the river Tisza separated them.[25] However, the commanders of 
the two troops started negotiations and decided not to fight against each other, 
compelling Coloman and Álmos to make a peace.[25][26]

[Coloman] and his army marched to [Tiszavárkony] against [Álmos], and [Álmos] drew 
near to [Tiszavárkony] from the opposite direction, and between them was the river 
[Tisza]. But loyal Hungarians sought to bring about a truce, in order that they could 
talk with each other, and they said: "Why do we fight? If they defeat us in battle, we 
shall die; and if they escape, they will flee: in times past our fathers fought against 
each other and brothers against brothers, and they died. Nor do we see any ground 
for fighting. Let those two fight if fighting pleases them; and whichever of them shall 
win, let us take as lord." Having taken this decision, the chief men dispersed. When 
Grak told [Coloman] of their decision and Ilia informed [Álmos], they kept the peace, 
though it was not by their own will.

Final confrontation[edit]


Álmos and Béla are blinded 

The conflict was renewed a few years later between the two brothers, when Coloman 
had his four-year-old son, Stephen, crowned in 1105, which resulted in the open 
rebellion of Álmos.[28][29] The duke left Hungary and sought the assistance of 
Emperor Henry IV against the king.[30] However, he realized that the emperor, who 
was facing a rebellion of his own son, could not help him.[30] Álmos returned to 
Hungary in 1106, but soon fled to his brother-in-law, Boleslaw III of Poland.[28][25] 
With Polish assistance, he took the fortress of Abaújvár in Hungary.[31] As a result, 
Coloman had a meeting with Boleslaw III and the two monarchs "vowed perpetual 
friendship and brotherhood".[31][32][33] Without the Polish monarch's support Álmos 
was forced to yield to Coloman.[31]

King Coloman decided to take advantage of the absence of Álmos—who had made a 
pilgrimage to the Holy Land—and seized his duchy in 1107 or 1108.[31] Although Álmos 
was allowed to keep his own private property, the annexation of his duchy ensured 
the integrity of Coloman's kingdom.[32] Having returned from the Holy Land, Álmos 
decided to set up a monastery at Dömös.[32] On the occasion of its consecration, 
where Coloman was also present, Álmos was—falsely, according to the Illuminated 
Chronicle—accused of an assassination attempt on the monarch.[32] Coloman decided 
to have his brother arrested, but "the most reverend bishops and other well-disposed 
dignitaries" intervened on Álmos's behalf and "thus reconciliation was solemnly 
sworn"[34] between the king and his brother.[32]

Álmos left for Passau.[31] Upon his request, Henry V of Germany invaded Hungary and 
laid siege to Pressburg (Bratislava, Slovakia) in September 1108.[35][31] At the same 
time, Duke Svatopluk of Bohemia, who also supported Álmos, made an incursion into 
the regions north of the Danube.[35] However, Coloman's ally, Boleslaw III invaded 
Bohemia, forcing the Czech duke to withdraw.[31][36] Although the emperor's attempt 
to take Pressburg was also a total failure, he could persuade Coloman to forgive his 
rebellious brother, who thus return to Hungary.[37]

Coloman discovered that his brother, Álmos was again conspiring to seize the throne.
[38][39] Having lost his patience, Coloman had Álmos and Álmos's young son, Béla, 
blinded in order to secure a peaceful succession for his own son.[38] On the same 
occasion, many of his brother's partisans were likewise mutilated.[40] After this Álmos 
went on to live in seclusion at the monastery of Dömös. Coloman died in 1116. His 
son, Stephen was crowned king in Székesfehérvár in the month of his father's death.
[41] His peaceful succession proves that the safety measures Coloman had 
implemented to prevent Álmos from aspiring the throne were effective. [42][43]

Exile[edit]

According to the Illuminated Chronicle, the blind Álmos, "fearing death at the hands of 
King Stephen",[44] fled to the Byzantine Empire.[45][46] Many of his partisans 
followed him and Emperor John II Komnenos settled them in a town in Macedonia.[47] 
The Byzantine John Kinnamos confirms that the emperor "regarded" Álmos "favorably 
and received him with kindness".[48] He adds that king Stephen II "sent his envoys to 
the emperor and demanded that" Álmos "be expelled from"[49] the Byzantine Empire, 
but his request was rejected.[47][50] The sources do not specify the date of Álmos's 
flee, but it seems to have occurred in about 1125.[47] Historian Ferenc Makk writes 
that Álmos was forced to flee from Hungary, because he had taken advantage of 
Stephen's failures in Volhynia and Dalmatia and conspired against Stephen.[46] Álmos 
died in exile on 1 September 1127.[51]

His son Béla the Blind would succeed as king of Hungary in 1131. The duke's remains 
were returned to Hungary in 1137.
Family
On August 21, 1104 Álmos married Predslava of Kiev, and had the following children:
Adelaide, (c. 1107 – d. after 1140), married Sobieslav I of Bohemia in 1123.
Béla II, King of Hungary (r. 1131–1141). In 1129, he married Helena of Raška (Rascia) 
and together they had at least six children.
Hedwig, or Sophia (1107–1138), married Duke Adalbert of Austria in 1132.

Parents
____ Geza (Geysa) I (ABT 1044 - 25 Apr 1077)
SYNADENA ----- (or a woman named Sophia) (ABT 1045 - AFT 1077)

Siblings
____ Almos "Vak Almos" (ABT 1072 - 1129)

Marriage To SVYATOPOLKOVNA Predslava (1075 - AFT 1116)
    m. 21 Aug 1104 his 2d

Notes

Parents
MIKHAIL ISJASLAWITSCH Sviatpolk (Svyatopolk) (Swjatopolk) II (1050 - 16 Apr 1113)
OF BERG-SCHELKLINGEN Solome (ABT 1060 - 27 Jul 1144)

Children by SVYATOPOLKOVNA Predslava 1075 - AFT 1116
____ Bela II "Masodik Tak" "the Blind" (1108 - 13 Feb 1141)

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