ENIf asked to name the greatest ever Grand Duke of Lithuania, few Lithuanians would say Steponas Batoras. Doubtless opinion polls have been held, but I dare say the top three would be Vytautas (1392-1430), Gediminas (1315-41) and perhaps King Mindaugas (1236-63). They made their mark on history, and I do not seek to diminish their achievements. I write instead about a stern Transylvanian warrior-prince who was initially rejected by the Lithuanian lords, but who went on to found a university and a supreme tribunal for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL), and to secure its borders through a victorious war against Muscovy. And if that weren’t enough for Lithuanian patriots, Báthory István – King Stefan Batory to Poles – couldn’t speak Polish…. [Extract, p. 18]