Szepes County
The early life and career of Denis is unknown, it is plausible that he was younger than Andrew for at least a decade and raised in the ducal court in Croatia and Dalmatia. He inherited the family possessions beyond the river Drava from his father. Denis was first mentioned in contemporary records in 1216, when he became Master of the treasury in the royal court of Andrew II, replacing Solomon Atyusz. He held the dignity for eight years until 1224, with a brief interruption during the movement of Golden Bull of 1222. Beside that, Denis also served as "ispán" of Újvár County (also Abaúj) from 1216 to 1219 and was the first known "ispán" of the neighboring Szepes County in 1216. Thereafter, he administered Bács County between 1220 and 1222. During his political career spanning two decades, Denis elevated to the staunchest confidant of Andrew's policy in Hungary, whose influence and career, depending on the balance of power between Andrew II and his eldest son Duke Béla – who had long opposed his father's rule –, were somewhat uplifting or diminishing.