11 March 2010

Lentorama 2010: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 21: Gregory V (996-999)

The first German pope, Gregory was presented as a candidate for the papacy by Otto III, his cousin. One of Gregory's first act as pope? Crowning Otto III Holy Roman Emperor. Very convenient.

Too convenient for some, as for much of his short reign Gregory had to contend with an antipope elected by the Roman nobility. Having a cousin as emperor worked out for Gregory, as Otto invaded Rome and captured the antipope, cutting off various part of his face before sending him to a monastery to live out his days. Which wound up being longer - by more than a decade - than Gregory got, as he died unexpectedly (and perhaps suspiciously) in his late 20s.

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