A medieval representation of King Svätopluk
Svatopluk (-modern Czech name; modern Slovak name: Svätopluk; Old Slavic Свѧтопълкъ; reconstructed name: Sventopluk; some names in Latin texts: Suentopolcus, Zventopluk, Suatopluk, Zwentibald) (around 830 - 894) from the Mojmírs dynasty was the prince of the Nitrian principality (850's - 871) and then the king of Great Moravia (871 - 894). Under his rule Great Moravia reached its maximum territorial expansion.
Svätopluk's life
Originally ruled in Nitra under the suzerainty of his uncle Rastislav, the Prince of Great Moravia. Because of a dispute with Rastislav, Svätopluk formed an alliance with the son of the Eastern Frankish king Louis the German, Carloman in 870. In the same year, Carloman accused him of breaking his oath of loyalty and imprisoned him in Bavaria. At the head of the resistance against the Frankish domination stood up the priest Slavomír from the Mojmír dynasty. After his release in 871, Svätopluk secretly allied himself with Slavomír and after the defeat of the Frankish forces became the sovereign ruler of Great Moravia. Three years later (874), he concluded peace with Louis the German and his sons. In 880 Pope John VIII took up his kingdom under the protection of St. Peter. The king expanded his kingdom and subjected many neighbouring lands inhabited by Slavic tribes - Vislania (southern part of Poland), Silesia, Tisza basin, Balaton principality, Bohemia and Lusatian Serbia. Svätopluk's empire withstood several attacks and campaigns of Ugrofinnic Magyar (Hungarian) nomads (after 889) and the forces of the East Franconian king Arnulf of Carinthia. On the other hand, the king undermined religious independence of Great Moravia when did not protest when papal legates expelled disciples of Saint Methodius. In liturgy, Svatopluk personally prefered the use of Latin over Slavonic. King Svätopluk passed away in 894.
Legend of Svätopluk's twigs
Svätopluk holding three twigs
The well-known legend of Svätopluk's twigs appeared in a fairy tale by the enlighted Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitos around the 10th century.
It says that the powerful Great Moravian king Svätopluk asked his sons to come to him before his death. He gave a twig to each of them and asked them to break it. The young noblemen could easily do it. Then he asked them to tie together three twigs and asked the sons again to break them. This task appeared to be more difficult. Thus the king demonstrated how it is necessary to be united. That only the strength of united kingdom guarantees the country its power and prosperity.
Great Moravia was divided among the three brothers in 894 in spite of their father's warning. The country, weakened by wars, was destroyed in 907 by a Hungarian attack.
In contrast to that story, chroniclers mention only two Svatopluk's sons by name: Mojmír II and Svatopluk II.
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svatopluk_I under GFDL
