2. Simon Erdődy (c. 1489–1543), Bishop of Zágráb...

... (here Bishop of Eger). Autograph signed official letter in Latin to Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio, papal legate.
The bishop informs the cardinal that he must surely have heard of the devastation suffered by Hungary during the previous summer, when the kingdom lost not only its prelates and barons, but also saw most of the territory between the Danube and the Drava laid waste as far as Győr, while the region between the Danube and the Tisza was devastated as far as Eger by the enemies of the faith. All Hungary, he writes, witnessed the dangers he himself endured and the losses he sustained at the Battle of Mohács, where at his own expense he raised and maintained more than seven hundred cavalrymen and five hundred infantrymen. As a consequence, nothing remained to him save the favour of his lord, King John, who, recognising his loyalty to the late King Louis, appointed him to the bishopric of Eger. The revenues of the bishopric for the current year had unlawfully been assigned by the previous bishop to the Archbishopric of Esztergom for the expenses of the previous year’s Ottoman campaign, and he therefore sees no means of maintaining either his soldiers or the bishopric itself. He asks the cardinal to intercede on his behalf before the Holy Father and informs him that the king has also written to the pope, enclosing a copy of the letter. Finally, he informs him that he has entrusted the management of his affairs to the confessor Pál Szondi, and therefore asks that he give credence to everything the latter presents (according to information kindly provided by the National Archives of Hungary).
Simon Erdődy’s rapid rise was aided by his kinship with Tamás Bakócz, Archbishop of Esztergom. After studies in Vienna and Padua he became archdeacon of Pankota and later canon of Eger. With the direct support of Bakócz he secured one of the most important ecclesiastical offices in the kingdom, the bishopric of Zagreb. Defence against the Ottoman threat had already played a significant role in his career, and after his appointment he devoted considerable attention, together with the Ban of Croatia, to strengthening the frontier fortresses along the eastern and southern borders of the diocese. In response to King Louis II’s summons to arms, he appeared at Mohács with substantial forces by the standards of the age. Although most sources following Brodarics mention only seventy horsemen, this letter reveals that he in fact fielded seven hundred cavalrymen, effectively a small army. As one of the few survivors of the battle, he joined the party of Szapolyai during the ensuing chaos and was appointed Bishop of Eger at the end of 1526. Having transferred his allegiance to Ferdinand I at the end of 1527, he retained the see of Zagreb, while Tamás Szalaházi became Bishop of Eger. In 1530 the Habsburg ruler appointed him Ban of Croatia, enabling him to continue the struggle against Ottoman expansion with greater force.
3 written pages. Paper document, with closing wax seal.
Dated: Buda, 17 March 1527.


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