Chronicle of Stephen the Great

the name given to the oldest Moldavian chronicle. The chronicle was compiled by an unknown author at the court of Stephen III (Stephen the Great), hospodar of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. Written in Church Slavonic, it contains a brief account of the events taking place from the emergence of the independent Moldavian principality in 1359 to Stephen’s accession to power. The author, an advocate of strong sovereign power and an apologist for Stephen the Great, devoted particular attention to Stephen’s efforts to gain national independence and his suppression of the boyar opposition. The chronicle’s text served as the basis for the Moldavian chronicles of the late 15th century and the 16th century, which are written in Church Slavonic and are extant in several manuscript copies.