Roman Mstislavich (; ; – 19 June 1205), also known as Roman the Great, was a Rus’ prince and a member of the Rurik dynasty. He was Prince of Novgorod (1168–1170), Volhynia (1170–1189, 1189–1205), and of Halych (Galicia; 1189, 1198/99–1205). By seizing the throne of Halych, he became the master of all Western Rus’. In the early 13th century, Byzantine chroniclers applied the imperial title "autocrate" (αύτοκράτωρ) to him, but there is no evidence that he assumed it officially. He waged two successful campaigns against the Cumans, from which he returned with many rescued captives. The effect of Roman's victory was, however, undermined by new divisions among the princes of Rus’. Roman died in a battle with the Poles at the Battle of Zawichost. He founded the Romanovich dynasty, which would rule Volhynia and Halych until 1340. Early years He was the eldest son of Mstislav Izyaslavich, Prince of Volhynia at that time, and Agnes, a daughter of Duke Bolesław III of Poland. Mstislav, who had previously occupied Kiev, sent Roman to Novgorod on 14 April 1168, after the Novgorodians had expelled their prince, Svyatoslav IV Rostislavich. However, Svyatoslav's brothers the princes of Smolensk, and Prince Andrey Yuryevich of Vladimir, who had supported Svyatoslav's rule in Novgorod, spent the rest of the year conspiring and forming alliances against Mstislav. After Mstislav died in August 1170, the Novgorodians expelled Roman and invited Andrey to be prince. Andrey sent Ryurik Rostislavich to rule Novgorod. Prince of Volhynia When his father died, Roman was bequeathed the Principality of Volhynia. He subdued the Yotvingians and harnessed the captives to pull the plows on his estates instead of oxen. He married Predslava Ryurikovna, a daughter of Ryurik Rostislavich, who had followed him in Novgorod. Their eldest daughter, Fedora Romanovna, was married to Vasilko Vladimirovich, a grandson of Prince Yaroslav Volodimerovich Osmomysl of Halych, but Vasilko later repudiated her. Following the death of Yaroslav Osmomysl on 1 October 1187, trouble began in the Principality of Halych, due to the strife between his two sons, Oleg and Vladimir. Roman urged the Galicians to evict Vladimir and make himself their prince, but they failed to either expel or kill Vladimir. However, when the Galicians threatened to kill his wife, Vladimir took her and fled to King Béla III of Hungary (1172–1196). According to a late chronicle, Oleg was appointed by Duke Casimir II of Poland (1177–1194) to rule