Boleslav The Pious

Boleslav II of Bohemia, called "the Pious," enjoyed an even longer reign than his father did, from 967 to 999, which is one of those easy dates to remember.

Monkish chroniclers seem to have ascribed a good deal of the work done by Boleslav I to his son, probably on account of the former's lack of piety in his early days and the latter's exuberance in that line.

Certain it is that Boleslav II was ruler over larger dominions than had ever been held by any Prince or King of Bohemia.

Besides Bohemia itself the power of Boleslav II extended over Moravia, present-day Slovakia, a great part of Silesia, including Breslau, districts of Poland nearly up to the town of Lemberg, with a frontier touching that of the Russian rulers of Kiev.

The Bohemian nobles who had troubled his father were entirely suppressed by Boleslav II, who appointed burgraves called "zupans," over the various districts into which his territories were divided, and the central authority became absolute.