Hrehory Chodkiewicz

Hrehory Chodkiewicz
Coat of arms	Kościesza (Chodkiewicz)
Spouse(s)	Katarzyna Wisniowiecka
Issue Anna, Aleksandra, Andrzej, Aleksander, Zofia
Noble family	Chodkiewicz
Father	Aleksander Chodkiewicz
Mother	Wasylissa Jaroslawowiczówna Hołowczyńska
Born	ca. 1514
Died	9 November 1572 (aged 57–58)

Hrehory Chodkiewicz (Lithuanian: Grigorijus Chodkevičius; ca. 1514 – November 9, 1572) was a nobleman and military officer of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was a son of Aleksander, brother of Hieronim and Yurii, and uncle of Jan Hieronimowicz Chodkiewicz. He commanded the Lithuanian army during the later part of the Livonian War after he had become the Great Lithuanian Hetman in 1566.

Historiography usually provides that Chodkiewicz was born around 1505. However, Lithuania historian Genutė Kirkienė noted that in such a case Chodkiewicz began his political career in his mid-forties, when most nobles started in late twenties or early thirties. Kirkienė suggested that his father's marriage and birth of children should be moved from 1500s to mid-1510s. As a young boy Chodkiewicz was sent to the court of Albert, Duke of Prussia. He returned in 1532 with personal recommendation letters from Albert to King Sigismund I the Old, Prince Sigismund II Augustus and Queen Bona Sforza. The relationship and correspondence with Albert continued for decades; Chodkiewicz sent both of his sons to be educated at Albert's court.

He received his first position at the court in October 1544 when incoming Grand Duke Sigismund Augustus made a series of new appointments and elevated Chodkiewicz to court chamberlain (podkomorzy). Soon, however, the Chodkiewicz family fell from royal grace when they opposed the marriage between Sigismund Augustus and Barbara Radziwiłł. It seems that Hrehory Chodkiewicz remained close with Sigismund Augustus and often accompanied the Grand Duke to hunting. After his father's death in 1549 he inherited Supraśl and surrounding territories, including Zabłudów and Choroszcz. Chodkiewicz family slowly regained royal favor after Barbara's death in 1551 and when other Radziwiłłs opposed the proposed Union of Lublin in 1562.