Jan Sobieski — the Legend and the Reality

Abstract

The article attempts to create a holistic image of the famous Polish King Jan Sobieski. The author emphasizes that legends accompanied Jan Sobieski throughout his life and after his death: even if the events did not take place, they reflected the exclusivity of his personality. The analysis of state and military activities of Jan Sobieski organically intertwines in the context of his epoch, there are revealed the reasons for his mythologization and his role in history. At the same time, during the reign of Jan III the cultural sphere always occupied the same place as politics, because it was an important part of the representation of power. Competition among the European states within the Westphalian system in early Modern time left for the Rzeczpospolita little chance to become a great power. Nevertheless, due to the circumstances, having the necessary talents for successful political, military and cultural activities, Jan III became a key figure of time and place, in order to play an outstanding role in the European events of the second half of the Seventeenth century. He was a man who was sensitive to his time and, focusing on samples of Western European statehood, tried to do everything for his country and, of course, for the creation of his dynasty, everything that was in his power. The cult of Sobieski resulted not only from his immortal deeds, but developed and exists today mainly thanks to the fact that the ruler was a type of hero both monumental and familiar, with whom the masses of nobility could identify, as well as future generations of his countrymen.