Establishing a province in Borsod County, he was among the so-called oligarchs, who ruled de facto independently their dominions during the era of feudal anarchy.

Initially, he was a partisan of Wenceslaus after the extinction of the Árpád dynasty, but later acknowledged Charles' claim to the throne and gradually retired from politics.

[1] Ernye belonged to the ancient and prestigious gens (clan) Ákos, but originated from its lesser branch, which had some landholdings in Bihar County.

When Stephen was born in the early 1260s, his father was already a prominent landowner in Borsod County, who built Dédes Castle and possessed large-scale estates in the region.

[8] Stephen Ákos also fought against the rebellious Cumans in the battle at Lake Hód (near present-day Hódmezővásárhely) in 1282 and participated in the siege of Borostyánkő (now Bernstein in Austria) at the end of the year, which was held by the Kőszegis.

His biographer, historian Péter Kis considers Stephen voluntarily retired from the royal court to manage his growing possessions in Borsod County, which became the basis of his future's domain.

As a result, Thasso de Vissinburg, Wenceslaus' viceroy as captain of Kraków and Sandomierz, donated two estates called Wirvitzy (possibly Wierzbica) beyond the river Vistula to Stephen in August 1294.

[12] Stephen was appointed Judge royal in the summer of 1298, serving in this capacity at least until August 1300 (but it is also presumable that he held the dignity until Andrew's death in early 1301).

While Stephen Ákos' dignity became a symbolic position and a "prey" in the feudal civil wars, when various groups of barons fought each other, his deputy, the vice-judge royal, as the monarch's personally appointed confidential expert, elevated into an effective judicial role.

After the close of the diet, Andrew entered into a formal alliance with five influential noblemen – Amadeus Aba, Stephen Ákos, Dominic Rátót, Demetrius Balassa and Paul Szécs – who stated that they were willing to support him against the "rebellious lords", which term definitely covered Matthew Csák and the Kőszegi family.

Through his unidentified daughter, Stephen also related to Dominic Rátót, who established a dominion in the neighboring Nógrád County with his brothers and cousins.

[15] Thereafter Stephen Ákos was a member of the royal council and acted in various occasions alongside his allies, who also concluded their alliance with Andrew.

In addition to them, two co-palatines of the previous year, Roland Rátót and Apor Péc also received the title as a counterweight, according to Zsoldos' theory.

Stephen Ákos was the de facto ruler of Borsod and Gömör counties, his small dominion wedged between the extensive empires of Matthew Csák and Amadeus Aba.

Alongside Amadeus Aba or Ladislaus Kán, Stephen Ákos exercised sovereign rights in his domain but remained loyal to the kings, and never rebelled against Andrew III or Charles I.

The Hungarian lords and prelates decided to offer the crown to the young prince and sent a delegation to his father, Wenceslaus II to Bohemia.

[21] Historians Mór Wertner and Kabos Kandra considered that Stephen had the most leading role in offering the crown to Wenceslaus II, then his namesake son.

Majority of the historians, including Gyula Kristó and Jenő Szűcs, considered, these barons, for instance, Matthew Csák, Amadeus Aba, Ivan Kőszegi and Stephen Ákos were arbitrarily styled themselves palatines, usurping the position, which marked its devaluation.

[21] However, in accordance with Zsoldos' theory (as presented above), the claimants to the Hungarian throne inherited Andrew's last decision, and they were forced to accept the status quo.

It is plausible that Stephen participated in the war against Bohemia in the autumn of 1304, when Charles I and Rudolph III of Austria jointly invaded the kingdom.

[27] According to the contemporary Chronicle of Osterhofen (Chronicon Osterhoviense), both Ivan Kőszegi and Stephen Ákos were present in the coronation of another pretender Otto in December 1305.

[28] Stephen Ákos and his eldest son, Nicholas were present at the Diet of Rákos on 10 October 1307, which confirmed Charles' claim to the throne.

[33] Based on his father's royal grants, Stephen Ákos urged to establish a contiguous area of his acquired lands with the tools of his purchases, exchanges and unlawful armed attacks.

[35] The Ákos kindred built their centre in Diósgyőr (present-day in Miskolc), where Stephen erected a castle at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.

The monastery also had a scriptorium; one of the codices created here had been copied by a monk named Ladislaus for the Church on the Avas Hill, now held in the archives of Eger.

For instance, when he granted Varbó to his familiaris, Stephen, son of Lodomer, he used peculiar, poetic narration and preliminary in the donation letter.

[7] Another servant, Albert Szuhai was granted the land of Felbarca by Stephen in 1287, since he had previously released his lord from captivity by paying ransom.

The eldest son was Nicholas, who already participated in unlawful actions in the late 1290s and led troops against the Gutkeleds' landholdings in Borsod County in 1300.

According to Stephen's own document, issued on 26 February, "de gloriosissimo sanguine regis Bohemie et Polonie nobilem puellam filiam domini Bavarini ducis Bavarie magistro Stephano filio nostro ... matrimoniali federe fecit copulati".

Many historians – e.g. Antal Pór, János Karácsonyi and Pál Engel – identified the bride as an unnamed Bavarian duchess from the House of Wittelsbach.