GYONGYOSI, ISTVAN [STEPHEN] (162o-1704), Hun garian poet, was born of poor but noble parents in the county of Gomor, Hungary. His abilities early attracted the notice of Count Ferencz Wesselenyi, who in 164o appointed him to a post of confidence in Fiilek castle. Here he remained until 1653, when he married and became an assessor of the judicial board. In 1681 he was elected as a representative of his county at the diet held at Soprony (Oedenburg). From 1686 to 1693, and again from 1700 to his death in 1704, he was deputy lord-lieutenant of the county of Gomor. Of his literary works the most famous is the epic poem Muranyi Venus (Caschau, 1664), in honour of the wife of his benefactor Wesselenyi, Maria Szecsi, the heroine of Murany. Among his later works the best known are Rozsa-Koszoric, or Rose-Wreath (169o), Kemeny-Janos Cupido (1695), or Palinodia (1695) and Chariklia (17oo).
The earliest edition of his collected poetical works is by Dugonics (Pressburg and Pest, 1796) ; the best modern selection is that of Toldy, entitled Gyongyosi Istvan valogatott poetai munkai (Select poetical works of Stephen Gyongyosi, 2 vols., 1864-65)