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Stephen III of Moldavia (also known as Stefan the Great, Romanian: ?tefan cel Mare, pronounced [?te'fan t??el 'mare] or ?tefan cel Mare ?i Sfnt, "Stefan the Great and Holy"; 1433 July 2, 1504) was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 andthe most prominent representative of the House of Mu?at.

During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the Ottoman Empire, which all sought tosubdue the land. Stephen achieved fame in Europe for his long resistance against the Ottomans. He was victorious in 46 of his 48 battles, and was one of the first to gain a decisive victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Vaslui, afterwhich Pope Sixtus IV deemed him verus christianae fidei athleta (true Champion of Christian Faith). He was a man of religion and displayed his piety when he paid the debt of Mount Athos to the Porte, ensuring the continuity of Athos as an autonomous monastical community.Contents

1 Early life and rise to power2 Rule3 Main battles

3.1 Battle of Baia3.2 Battle of Vaslui3.3 Battle of Valea Alba3.4 Battle of the Cosmin Forest

4 Illness and death

5 Canonization6 Legacy6.1 Coins and banknotes6.2 Monuments6.3 Film

7 See also8 References9 External links

9.1 Polish chronicles

Early life and rise to power

Stephen was born in Borze?ti and was a member of the ruling House of Mu?at. His

father Bogdan II had ruled Moldavia for two years (1449 to 1451) before being killed in a stealthy raid led by Stephen's uncle, Petru Aron. Bogdan II was attending a wedding of one of his boyars who apparently was in collusion with Petru Aron and the surprise was complete. Stephen barely escaped with his life, but hisfather was captured and beheaded on the spot by his stepbrother Petru Aron. Between 1451 and 1457, Moldavia was in turmoil from the civil war between Petru Aronand Alexandrel a nephew of Alexander the Good.

Following the outbreak of the conflict, Stephen took refuge in Transylvania, seeking the protection of military commander John Hunyadi. After that, he moved tothe court of his first cousin Vlad III Dracula and, in 1457, managed to receive6,000 horsemen as military assistance, putting them to use in a victorious battle against Petru Aron at Dolje?ti, near Roman. Following another lost battle at O

rbic, Aron fled to Poland, while Stephen was crowned Prince. Two years later, heled an incursion into Poland in search of Aron, but was met with resistance. Instead, a treaty was signed between Moldavia and Poland, through which Stephen recognized King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon as his suzerain, while Aron was banned fromentering Moldavia.