Martyrius, Archbishop of Esztergom
| Martyrius | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Esztergom | |
| See | Esztergom |
| Appointed | 1151 |
| Term ended | 1158 |
| Predecessor | Kökényes |
| Successor | Lucas |
| Other posts |
Bishop of Veszprém Bishop of Eger |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 26 April 1158 |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
Martyrius or Martirius (died 26 April 1158) was a Hungarian prelate in the 12th century, who served as Bishop of Veszprém from around 1127 to 1137, Bishop of Eger from 1142 to 1150, and finally Archbishop of Esztergom from 1151 until his death.
His origin and family relationships is unknown. His name appears in royal documents in various forms, including Martyrius, Martirius, Martyrus and – incorrectly – Martinus (Martin). Between around 1127 and 1137, he served as Bishop of Veszprém. In this capacity, he was only mentioned by the last will and testament of hospes Fulco from 1146; accordingly, the testator recalls that he served five bishops of the Diocese of Veszprém as their cleric during his life in the following order: Matthew, Nana, Martyrius, Peter and Paul. It is known that Martyrius' predecessor Nana was last referred to as Bishop of Veszprém in 1127 by a charter of Stephen II of Hungary, while Peter first appeared in the same position in 1137 (according to a non-authentic charter, in 1135, but that document contains several contradictory information).
By 1142, Martyrius was transferred to the dignity of Bishop of Eger. In the 12th century, when the relocation of bishops was generally forbidden, Martyrius is one of the three only known prelates alongside Prodeanus and Ugrin Csák, who was transferred from a diocese to another equal diocese. He first appeared as Bishop of Eger in May 1142, when the privileges of Split were confirmed by the royal court in the name of the minor King Géza II of Hungary. In the document, he is incorrectly referred to as Martin (Martinus). Another charter, which donated villages to the monastery of Csatár, erected by Martin Gutkeled, ispán of Zala County, also refers to Martyrius as bishop, but without mentioning his see. The charter is dated to the period between 1138 and 1141, the last years of Béla II, thus it is presumable that Martyrius was already Bishop of Eger by then. According to the Annales Posonienses, Martyrius consecrated the Benedictine abbey of Széplak in Újvár County (today Krásna, Slovakia) in 1143, which was founded by the gens (clan) Aba and dedicated to Virgin Mary. In the same year, a large number of Saxons were settled to the sparsely populated northeastern parts of the Diocese of Eger, including Kassa, Eperjes and the surrounding villages (today Košice and Prešov in Slovakia, respectively). Martyrius was last mentioned as Bishop of Eger in a royal charter of Géza II, dated to 1150.
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