MATTHIAS I., HUNYADI king of Hun gary, also known as Matthias Corvinus, second son of Janos Hunyadi (q.v.) and Elizabeth Szilagyi, was born at Cluj (Kolos zvar), Transylvania, probably on Feb. 23, 1440. He shared in his father's campaigns when only twelve years of age. In 1453 he was created count of Bistercze, and was knighted at the siege of Bel grade in 1454. At fifteen he was married to Elizabeth of Cilli, but the young Elizabeth died before the marriage was consummated. On the death of his father he was inveigled to Buda by his ene mies and condemned to death on the pretext of an imaginary con spiracy, but was spared on account of his youth. On the king's death he was detained for a time by George Podebrad, governor of Bohemia, who treated Matthias hospitably and affianced him with his daughter Catherine. On Jan. 24, 1458 he was elected king of Hungary by the vast majority of the nation, despite the opposition of a section of the magnates, headed by the palatine Laszlo Garai and the voivode of Transylvania, Miklos Ujlaki; and on Feb. entered Buda in state.
The situation of Hungary was at the time very dangerous, and to Matthias' numerous foreign enemies were added the mag nates, headed by his own uncle and guardian Szilagyi. Despite their opposition, Matthias on Feb. 9, 1458 married his bride, whose father was crowned king of Bohemia soon after. He was now able to make fight against the Turks, to invade Serbia, and to reassert his suzerainty over Bosnia ; and after the malcontents had actually crowned the emperor Frederick III. king of Hungary at Vienna-Neustadt (March 4, Matthias drove him out and forced him in April 1462 to restore the crown, although retaining certain Hungarian counties with the title of king and to recognize Matthias as king of Hungary. After a campaign against the Turks, during which he invaded Bosnia successfully, Matthias was crowned on March 29, 1464. In 1468 Matthias joined the Catholic league against his father-in-law Podebrad and on May 3, 1469 was elected king of Bohemia by the Czech Catholics. Podebrad, how ever, allied himself with the Poles, and after years of fighting and manoeuvring against the Polish counter-claimant, Ladislaus, and against the emperor Frederick, Matthias was forced at last to recognize Ladislaus as king of Bohemia, while he himself secured Moravia, Silesia and Lusatia until redeemed for 400,000 florins (Peace of OlmUtz, July The emperor promised to pay Matthias i oo,000 florins as a war indemnity, and recognized him as the legitimate king of Hun gary on the understanding that he should succeed him if he died without male issue, a contingency at this time somewhat improb able, as Matthias, only three years previously (Dec. 15,
had married his third wife, Beatrice of Naples, daughter of Ferdi nand of Aragon. Declaring war on Frederick a third time in 1481, Matthias was rapidly successful. He entered Vienna, which he made his capital thereafter, on June 1, 1485, afterwards conquer ing Styria, Corinthia and Carniola. Matthias consolidated his position by alliances with the dukes of Saxony and Bavaria, with the Swiss Confederation, and the archbishop of Salzburg, and was henceforth the greatest potentate in central Europe. His far reaching hand even extended to Italy.
Though Matthias's policy was so predominantly occidental that he soon abandoned his youthful idea of driving the Turks out of Europe, he at least succeeded in making them respect Hun garian territory, and pushing Isis frontier southward in Bosnia. His last days were occupied in endeavouring to secure the succes sion for his illegitimate son Janos (see CORVINUS, JANOS) ; but Queen Beatrice, though childless, fiercely opposed the idea and the matter was still pending when Matthias expired very suddenly on Palm Sunday, April 4, 149o.
Matthias Hunyadi was indisputably the greatest man of his day, and one of the greatest monarchs who ever reigned. Like Napoleon, with whom he has often been compared, he was equally illustrious as a soldier, a statesman, an orator, a legislator and an administrator ; but unlike him a fine moral character. Although naturally passionate and repeatedly provoked by ingratitude and treachery, he never was guilty of a single cruel or vindictive ac tion. His capacity for work was inexhaustible. Frequently half his nights were spent in reading, after the labour of his most strenuous days. There was no branch of knowledge in which he did not take an absorbing interest, no polite art which he did not cultivate and encourage. His camp was a school of chivalry, his court a nursery of poets and artists.
See VilmOs FraknOi, King Matthias Hunyadi (Hung., Budapest, 189o, German ed., Freiburg, 1891) ; Karl Schober, Die Eroberung Niederosterreichs durch Matthias Corvinus (Vienna, 1879) ; Janos Huszar, Matthias's Black Army (Hung. Budapest, 189o) ; Aeneas Sylvius, Opera (Frankfort, 1707) ; The Correspondence of King Mat thias (Hung. and Lat., Budapest, 1893) ; Marzio Galeotti, De egregie sapienter et jocose dictis ac factis Matthiae regis (Script. reg. hung. I.) (Vienna, 1746). See also HUNGARY.