Peter, son of Töre

Peter, son of Töre (; executed in 1213) was a Hungarian lord who served as judge royal in 1198 during the reign of King Emeric.

He is known for leading a group of Hungarian magnates responsible for the assassination of Gertrude of Merania on 28 September 1213.

Career Peter was the son of Töre (also Turoy, Turwey, or Toraj). He was mentioned as ispán of Bihar County in 1197. King Emeric appointed him Judge royal the following year, replacing Esau. Beside that, he also functioned as ispán of Szolnok County. By 1199, he had lost both dignities, replaced by Mika Ják and Ampud (son of Palatine Ampud) respectively. In 1201, he held the position of ispán of Sopron County.

Until 1207, Peter disappeared from contemporary sources. It is presumably that he supported the rebellious against King Emeric, making him unable to hold any political offices in the royal court. After Andrew's accession to the throne in 1205, Peter was part of the Queen's royal household. He also served as ispán of Szolnok County for the second time (1207) Finally, he held the office of ispán of Bács County between 1210 and 1212. In 1211, Peter participated in the royal campaign against the Principality of Galicia. According to contemporary reports, Peter personally killed the Queen, while Palatine Bánk Bár-Kalán, the Kacsics brothers (Simon and Michael), and other lords were also implicated in the conspiracy.

The motivation behind the assassination is uncertain. Later tradition holds that Queen Gertrude's brother (Berthold) raped Bánk's wife, and Bánk killed the Queen because he felt she had encouraged her brother. and was repeated by 14th-century Hungarian chronicles (Chronica Hungarorum, Annales Posonienses etc.). The linguist János Horváth formerly argued that the chroniclers in fact referred to the coeval Felician Záh's assassination attempt (1330) against Charles I of Hungary when describing Gertrude's death. József Katona's Bánk bán (which was set to music by Ferenc Erkel), where Peter appears as Ban Petúr, also preserved and spread this version. Further records from the 15th century, based on De fundatoribus monasterii Diessensis, suggest Gertrude was innocently murdered because she had not known of Berthold's intention and crime.

A more likely motive is that the Hungarian lords led by Peter, resentful of Queen Gertrude's favoritism towards her German entourage, feared losing their court positions and influence. Gertrude's two brothers, Ekbert, Bishop of Bamberg, and Henry II, Margrave of Istria, had fled to Hungary in 1208 after being accused of participating in the murder of Philip, King of the Germans. Berthold of Kalocsa (since 1206) was also appointed Ban of Slavonia in 1209 and later Voivode of Transylvania in 1212 by the dismissals of Bánk Bár-Kalán and Michael Kacsics respectively. Andrew's generosity towards his wife's German relatives and courtiers clearly displeased the Hungarian lords. The unidentified author of the Gesta Hungarorum also referenced Germans from the Holy Roman Empire when he included a sarcastic remark that " the Romans gaze on the goods of Hungary." Some sources also cite John, Archbishop of Esztergom's famous letter (Reginam occidere). Historian Tamás Körmendi suggested Peter had a personal motive behind the murder.

Execution When Andrew II heard the news of his wife's murder, he interrupted the campaign in Galicia and returned home. He ordered the execution of Peter, son of Töre, who was impaled in the autumn of 1213, and his lands were confiscated. However, Peter's accomplices, including Palatine Bánk, did not receive severe punishments, likely due to the political situation and Andrew's unstable power. Tamás Körmendi suggested they were victims of political intrigue and purge, accused of conspiracy for purely political reasons. According to a royal charter issued in 1237, Béla IV, now as king, donated Peter's former lands to the newly founded Cistercian Bélakút Abbey, which belonged to the Archdiocese of Kalocsa.