Zaros(Veľký Šariš), or Saros, a town in Upper Hungary(Slovakia), looks toward the north. It is fortified both by nature and by art; on one side it faces the town of Eperies(Prešov), while on the other it has Sibinium(Sabinov) nearby, a town which you can reach in five hours on foot, but on horseback in two hours. It is situated on a high hill, surrounded by groves and vineyards, and offers a wonderful view of the fields below. At the foot of the mountain flows a small river, well-suited for running mills. The town is surrounded by a wide plain, adorned with magnificent villas, fine gardens, and huts belonging to the common people, which look like suburbs. On the other side, almost all the hills are covered with vines, which produce excellent wine. The low-lying fields are very suitable for hunting and provide excellent pasture for cattle and other animals for general use. In the past, due to the great hills, it was highly inconvenient for Hungary because it provided a long-lasting refuge for Bohemian bandits, serving as an apothecary (storehouse) for them, so to speak. But when the reality of the situation became clear, it had to be reclaimed by our rulers. Elisabeth, daughter of the Emperor Sigismund and King of Bohemia and Hungary, and widow of Albert of Austria, had given birth to a son, and through her council, both she and her son were inaugurated into the Kingdom of Hungary. Out of devotion, she sent the same message to the Bohemians, though some resisted, who brought Casimir, brother of the King of Poland, into the war. In the midst of this, Albert died, and Elisabeth, left pregnant, swiftly proposed a council of the nobles to choose a new King and husband. Their votes inclined toward Vladislaus, the brother of Casimir, the King of Poland. The Queen, not long after, gave birth to a son, rendering the council and the decision of the nobles useless. In vain did the legates, who had come from Krakow, plead that the choice was binding. Nevertheless, she sent some of the magnates to seek out a young boy, three months old, and named him Ladislaus, ensuring he was crowned King by the rightful bishops with the usual ceremony. With admirable skill, while Frederic was striving for the Empire, she returned to Hungary, where she took notice of the principal Bohemian leaders. She won over Zolius, a town commander, as well as Cassovium(Košice) and other towns in the province. She granted Gifera(Jan Jiskra of Brandýs), a man of noble birth, prompt in counsel, and accustomed to plunder, to them. He quickly gathered a large multitude of his countrymen, and not satisfied with the town he had received, built a new fortress above it. Among his targets was Zaros, and for eighteen years he raided throughout Upper Hungary all the way to Pest, with burnings, slaughter, and bacchanalian behavior, so that no future safety seemed possible for the people until God raised up Matthias Corvinus, the perfect ornament of the kingdom. Matthias, having settled matters with the Emperor through war, immediately turned his attention to driving the Bohemians from the kingdom, while Zaros was still happy under its young master and defended by strong garrisons. The Bohemians held three notable strongholds: Matthias, Corabis, and others of lesser fame, along with Gifera. At the foot of Mount Bohemi("the mountain of the Bohemians",Zaros (Veľký Šariš)) , they had constructed a wooden fort, the care of which had been entrusted to Stephanus Bator (whose courage was highly praised by King Matthias). The infantry attacked it from the front and captured it. Without delay, they marched from the town of Bohemi; a fierce battle took place, and they parted as victors. The Bohemians, made more ferocious, headed for Sibinium(SabinoV), intending to burn the city, but Stephanus's forces delayed them. A fierce battle commenced, with great loss to the Hungarians and Bohemians alike. Following these events, Stephanus, along with his brother Emericus, the treasurer, seeing no hope of capturing the towns unless a siege was laid, quickly blockaded all routes and roads to prevent provisions from reaching Gifera(Jan Jiskra of Brandýs). Seeing his men suffering from hunger, Gifera sent letters to the commanders, seeking a colloquy. He obtained from King Matthias, through his council, terms of surrender for his city under certain laws, allowing them to depart freely with their life and fortune. It was of great importance to recover this town, not only to deny the Bohemians a stronghold, but to reclaim Viarium, Bichnem, Scepusium(the highways (Viarium), the crucial border estates (Bichnem), and the entire sprawling province of Spiš (Scepusium), Kesmarck, etc., which had begun to distrust Hungarian affairs. King Matthias, recognizing that the bravest efforts should not go unrewarded, not only granted him the dignity he deserved, but also presented him with twenty thousand gold pieces, and forever established the Prefecture of Lippa(Lipova,a town located in Arad County in western Romania) as an inheritance, further honoring him with a marriage to a noble lady from the elite class, whose virtue and loyal service were proven from then onward.