Peter, Samuel

Peter offers Hungary as a feudal tenure
King Peter, Prince Andrew
Coin with the representation of Peter on it
Samuel Aba
Coin with the representation of Samuel Aba on it
Peter

He was born around 1010, as son of St Stephen's sister and Otto Orseolo, Venetian doge. He came to Hungary in the 1020s, where he was appointed heir to Stephen after prince Emeric's death (1031). He escaped to Germany because of the rebel against his reign. In 1046 a new revolt put an end to his reign. In the course of the fighting he was captured and blinded, and he soon died in his injuries. He was buried in Pécs. According to other sources he lived in Andrew I's court after being blinded, and died around 1059.

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Samuel

According to a theory generally accepted, he descended from a noble (chieftain) Khabar family. The date of his birth is unknown. He must have been related to the Árpád dynasty, but his kinship with St Stephen, whether he was his brother-in-law (the king's sister's husband) or nephew (the king's sister's son), is rather doubtful. During St Stephen's reign he bore the title of palatine for a period of time. He had several sons from his wife, whose name is not known. He died after the battle of Ménesfő (5 July 1044) fought with Henry III, German king, who supported Peter. Some sources claim that he was murdered when fleeing, according to other reports he was captured and beheaded by Peter. He was buried in a Benedictian monastery at Abasás, which was founded by himself. Many spontaneous folk cults surrounded his personality. In national and foreign chronicles he is mentioned as Aba. The name Samuel was preserved by the coins he minted and in Anonymus's "Gesta Hungarorum".

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