Background
Toma was born in Split between 1450 and 1460. Although his father was an eminent citizen of Split who carried a title „ser“, he was of common birth.
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Toma Niger
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He committed most of his life to diplomacy, trying to help crumbling Kingdom of Croatia against the Ottoman Empire. He was probably educated in Split, and later in Italy. From 1487 he was professor of grammar in Hvar and Split.
Around 1499 he became archdeacon and vicar of the archbishop of Split.
Toma participated in the Fifth Council of the Lateran in 1512 as a secretary of the archbishop of Split, Bernardo Zanne. In the same year, Toma returned to Split, and supported Hvar Rebellion against Venice, under the leadership of Matija Ivanić.
After the conspiracy was discovered, he was taken captive and, along with other eminent citizens of Split, taken to Venice, but was allowed to return in 1514. Serving as a legate of Croatian ban Petar Berislavić, he was sent to Rome where he appealed to Pope Leo X. The Pope sent help, naming Croatia „antemurale Christianitatis“ and appointing Toma to be bishop of Skradin.
After Skradin was taken by the Turks, Toma was appointed by the Pope as the bishop of Trogir in 1524, but he soon resigned the honor due to his old age.
Toma retired to Franciscan Monastery in Poljud, Split where he died somewhere around 1532. His toombstone stands in the cloister of the monastery. Toma"s diplomatic work began somewhere around 1499.
As a secretary of the archbishop of Split he went to Venice, and in 1503 through Zagreb to Hungary.
He also visited Bohemia and Poland. At the Fifth Council of the Lateran in 1512 he spoke brusquely against „Turkish“ invasion and crimes against the citizens of Split.
In 1514 ban Petar Berislavić appointed him as his legate. In 1515 he went to Venice, later to the Pope in Rome, and Emperor Charles V in Bruxelles appealing for help and describing the difficult position of Croatia.
Pope Clement VII sent help to Klis Fortress (in 1524) which was besieged by Ottoman forces.
In 1522 he went to Krakow and Budapest, but after crushing defeat at the Battle of Mohács, Toma decided to withdraw from diplomacy.
