Mieszko III the Old
Mieszko III the Old (
Polish:
Mieszko III Stary;
1121? 鈥"
March 13,
1202), of the
Piast Dynasty, was Duke of
Greater Poland,
1138-
1202, and High Duke of all
Poland, with interruptions,
1173-
1202.
Mieszko was the son of
Boles艂aw III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland, and
Salome of Berg. Mieszko was Boles艂aw's third son, and the ducal couple's second.
Mieszko was Duke of
Greater Poland,
1138-
1202, and Duke of
Krak贸w and High Duke of all Poland,
1173-
1177,
1190,
1198/
1199,
1202.
Mieszko married:
*ca.
1140, Elizabeth of Hungary, daughter of
Prince 脕lmos, brother of the King of Hungary;
*ca.
1154,
Eudoksia of Kiev, daughter of
Izjaslav II, Grand Duke of
Kyiv (
Kievan Rus').
Mieszko's children were:
*
Odon I of Greater Poland;
*
Boles艂aw of Kujawy;
*
Mieszko of Kalisz; and
*
W艂adys艂aw III Spindleshanks* Wierzchoslawa Ludmilla (before
1153 –
1223), married ca.
1160 to
Frederick I, Duke of LorraineBiography
In accordance with the testament of Poland's Duke
Boles艂aw III Wrymouth, Poland was divided into 4-5 hereditary provinces distributed among his sons, with the royal province of
Krak贸w being reserved for the eldest son, who was to be High Duke of all Poland.
One of the provinces,
Greater Poland, was granted to Boles艂aw's third-oldest son, Mieszko (and was subsequenly divided among Mieszko's descendants and successors). In
1173 Mieszko was promoted to the throne of
Krak贸w and became High Duke of Poland (
Latin:
dux maximus, dux totius Poloniae); but he was soon expelled from
Krak贸w by his younger brother,
Casimir II, and from
Greater Poland by his son. Mieszko III never abdicated his rights or ambitions, and returned to Krak贸w four times before he died in
1202.
*
History of Poland (966-1385)
