Lesko III

Leszko III ( Leszek, Lestek, Lestko ) ( Polish Leszko III ; VIII century ) - the legendary Polyan dynasty from the Popelid dynasty, one of the first founders of Polish statehood.

Lesko III
Leszko iii
Lesko III. Image from the 1578 Chronicle
Prince glade 8th century
Predecessor	Lesko II
Successor	Popel I
Kind	Popeleids
Father	Lesko II
Spouse	Yulia
Children	Popel I

First mentioned in the annals of Vikenty Kadlubek (XIII century). Leshko III was the son of Leshko II .

According to Kadlubek, Leshko III fought a lot and successfully with the Romans , who were trying to capture Pannonia . He spent three protracted wars with Julius Caesar , defeated the ancient Roman commander Mark Licinius Crassus . He ruled the Geths , the Partes (?) And the " countries behind the Partes " (Chronicle of the Cadlubek), and according to the " Great Poland Chronicle " his state extended in the west " to Westphalia , Saxony , Bavaria and Thuringia . "

Defeated by Leshk, Julius Caesar had to give his sister Julia to him as a wife and Bavaria as a dowry. Julia gave birth to Leshko the first-born, named Popel . Julia received a “ Serbian province ” from her husband and became the founder of two cities named after her: Juliusz ( Lyubush , now Lebus - the historical center of the region Lyubushskaya Zemlya ) and Yulin (now Lublin ), according to the Greater Poland Chronicle - Wolin ^[1] .

Caesar's decision provoked the dissatisfaction of the Roman Senate, and he had to recall his sister and take away Bavaria. This gave rise to a conflict, as a result of which Leshko sent Julia back to Rome. The first-born Popel remained with his father.

After that, he took for himself several wives and concubines , who subsequently bore him another 20 sons:

• Boleslaw
• Casimir
• Vladislav
• Vratislava
• Oddona (Otto),
• Barvin,
• Pshibyslava
• Przemyslava
• Yaksa
• Zemiana
• Zemovita
• Rocker
• Bogdala
• Spytignev
• Spytimira
• Zbigniew
• Sobeslav,
• Vizimira
• Crashimira
• Wislava.

Fictional portrait of Leshko III (XVII — XVIII centuries)

Leshko III was not inferior to his father Leshko II neither in personal qualities, nor in military valor. He bequeathed the throne to Popel , and he divided the rest of the land between his younger sons: Boleslav, Barvin and Bogdal received Lower Pomerania , Kazimir and Vladislav - Kashubia , Yaksa and Zemian - White Serbia (land of the Luga Serbs ), Vratislav - Rania ( Rugen island), Pshibyslav , Krashimir and Oddon - Ditvonia (region on the left bank of the Elbe ), Przemyslaw, Zemovit and Zemomysl - Zgozhelice ( Brandenburg ). Other brothers received smaller destinies. So Wislav founded Miedziborzhe (modern Magdeburg or Merseburg ), Sobeslav - Dalenburg , and Vizimir - Vizimiriya (present Wismar ). Many other modern German cities were also founded by the sons of Leszko III.

Understanding the inconsistencies in the description of the reign of Leshko III, later chroniclers tried to lead them to greater credibility. So, Jan Dlugosch , a 15th-century historian, generally went around the story of Caesar, indicating that Leshko skillfully ruled the country and helped the Hungarians in their wars “with the Greeks and Italians”. Martin Belsky transferred the period of the reign of Leshko III to the time of Charlemagne .