Ladislaus was the second son of future King Bela I of Hungary and his wife Richeza who was daughter of King Mieszko II of Poland. He was born and raised in exile in Poland along with his two brothers as his father began a rebellion to seize the crown of Hungary in 1060. In 1063 Bela died and his nephew Solomon returned from the Holy Roman Empire with support from German troops to take back the crown. Ladislaus and his two brothers Geza and Lamport signed a treaty with Solomon to keep control of their fathers duchy in order to avoid a civil war leaving Solomon as King. This did not last for long as the King hoped to seize more lands.

Realizing things were turning for the worse, Ladislaus attempted to find re-enforcments and succeeded in bringing Czech troops from Moravia. However by the time they arrived, Solomon had defeated Ladislaus's older brother Geza at the Battle of Kemej in 1074. Ladislaus had a vision of victory and decisively defeated Solomon at the Battle of Mogyorod - having been defeated the former King fled west to seek more assistance from Henry IV of Germany. Meanwhile Geza was crowned king and Ladislaus became his advisor. However in 1077 Geza died and Ladislaus was proclaimed King of Hungary. His first actions introduced draconian measures to consolidate power and secure the lands.

Ladislaus's sister Helen who was married to the Croatian King Demetrius Zvonimir asked for Ladislaus's help after their king and his heir died with a war of succession underway. In 1091 Ladislaus invaded Croatia and seized control of the entire land from the River Drava to the Iron Alps. However a local nobelman Petar Svacic fought him off in the Gvozd Mountains preventing the complete conquest of Croatia. However not long after the Cumans, a Turkic nomadic people invaded Transylvania and then the territory between the Danube and Tisza rivers. They attempted to take back many prisoners and treasures from Hungary before Kind Ladislaus arrived and defeated them at the Temes river. Ladislaus offered the invaders to convert to Christianity and many did settling in Jaszsag. As for their chieftain Ladislaus had him killed.

It is thought the Cumans were incited by the Byzantines to attack Hungary - but an alternate theory is it was the Rus. Regardless of cause Ladislaus had established a large kingdom and expanded the power of the Pope at the same time. It was said he had agreed to lead a Crusader Army to Jerusaelem but Ladislaus died beforehand in 1095 near the Hungarian-Bohemian border. Ladislaus was canonized and his head and right hand became relics in the Gyor Cathedral. His official legend attributes numerous miracles attributed to him including curing a plague by shooting an arrow into the sky and hitting a magical herb. Ladislaus had a daughter Piroska shown here in a mosaic from the Hagia Sophia became Empress Irene of the Byzantine Empire. She was venerated a saint and in turn had 8 children who have left their own legacy. Perhaps you are related?