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Stephen the Great

Stephen III the Great
Humorstefan.jpg
Miniature from the 1473 Gospel at Humor Monastery
Prince of Moldavia
Reign 1457–1504
Predecessor Peter III Aaron
Successor Bogdan III
Born 1433–1440
Died 2 July 1504
Burial Putna Monastery
Spouse Mărușca (?)
Evdochia of Kiev
Maria of Mangup
Maria Voichița of Wallachia
Issue
more...
Alexandru
Bogdan III
Petru Rareș
Dynasty Mușat
Father Bogdan II of Moldavia
Mother Maria Oltea
Religion Orthodox
Saint Stephen the Great
Stefan cel Mare.jpg
Monarh of Moldavia
Venerated in Romanian Orthodox Church
Canonized July 12, 1992, Bucharest, Romania by Romanian Orthodox Church
Major shrine Putna Monastery
Feast July 2

Stephen III of Moldavia, known as Stephen the Great (Romanian: Ștefan cel Mare; pronounced [ˈʃtefan t͡ʃel ˈmare]; died on 2 July 1504) was voivode (or prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son and co-ruler of Bogdan II of Moldavia who was murdered in 1451. Stephen fled to Hungary, and later to Wallachia. With the support of Vlad the Impaler, Voivode of Wallachia, he returned to Moldavia and forced Peter III Aaron to seek refuge in Poland in the summer of 1457. Teoctist I, Metropolitan of Moldavia, anointed him prince. Stephen continued to pay a yearly tribute to the Ottoman Empire. He broke into Poland and prevented Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland, from supporting Peter Aaron, but acknowledged Casimir's suzerainty in 1459.

Stephen decided to recapture Chilia (now Kiliya in Ukraine), an important port on the Danube, which brought him into conflict with Hungary and Wallachia. He besieged the town during the Ottoman invasion of Wallachia in 1462, but he was seriously wounded during the siege. Two years later, he captured the town. He promised support to the leaders of the Three Nations of Transylvania against Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, in 1467. Corvinus invaded Moldavia, but Stephen defeated him in the Battle of Baia. Peter Aaron broke into Moldavia with Hungarian support in December 1470, but Stephen defeated him. Peter Aaron and the boyars who had supported him were executed. He restored the old fortresses and erected new ones, which improved the defence system of Moldavia and strengthened central administration.


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