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blow lo the Hungarian invaders.
The eastern Bavarian march is re–
conquered, and the foundation for a
future Austrian state is laid. From
now on, Otto can lay claim to being
another Charles Martel , saving
Christian Europe from the "infidel."
He is the protector, the vahant mili–
tary chieftain. And it is Germany
which emerges as tbe strong arm of
a coming Holy Roman Empire.
Yea r 96 2 : O tto t he Grea t
Crowned Roman Emperor. The pa–
pacy and clergy have been in a de–
generate moral condition for a
century.
Throughout tbe first fifty years of
the tenth century, popes are made
and unmade by the family of Theo–
phylact, an official of the papal
court. Pope Sergius IIl (904-911)
is
the lover ofTheophylact's daughter.
Jobo X (914-928) is the paramour of
Theophylact's wife. John is later
murdered.
Jobo XI (931-935) is imprisoned
by Aberic, who rules Rome as dicta–
tor for 22 years. His son Octavian
becomes Pope John XII (955-964) at
age nineteen. John XI I drinks in–
cessantly, gambles, fights and wen–
ches. He publ icly invokes the
biessings of Jupiter and Venus. The
Palace of the Lateran becomes a
brothel.
It is no wonder that Cardinal Bar–
onius, the historian of the Counter–
Reformation, will term the papacy
32
of tbis period a "pornocracy." And
it
is
the "pornocrat" John
xn
who
calls to Otto for help.
Otto responds, enters Italy and
restores order. He marries Adelaide,
heiress of the crown of Lombardy,
and pronounces himself king of
Italy. The Pope bestows the impe–
rial crown on Otto, February 2, 962.
It is the beginning of the
Sacrum
Romanum lmperium Nationis Ger–
manicae
-
the "Holy Roman Ero–
pire of the German Nation." The
full term will not be applied until
the fifteenth century. But in fact, the
empire of Otto the Great and his
successors assumes a nationai char–
acteristic:
It
is based primarily on
the military and economic strength
of the German states.
According to a papal chronicler
looking back on the coronation,
Otto "was acclaimed by all the
people of Rome and was named
and consecrated Emperor and Au–
gustus by Pope John." Otto requires
John to publicly acknowledge
him–
self a subject of the emperor. The
citizens of Rome are forbidden to
elect any future pontiff without
Otto's consent.
John XII will soon feel the impact
of Otto's power. Otto is forced to
summon a synod of Jtalian bishops
to try Jobn XI I for perjury, murder,
sacrilege, adultery and other crimes.
After the synod, John
is
deposed.
However, immediately after Otto
departs, John reinstates himself,
savagely brutalizing bis enemies.
Before Otto can reverse the situ–
ation, John dies on May 4, 964.
Otto will spend ten of his last
twelve years keepiog order in ltaly.
There are complications with the
eastern Roman or Byzantine em–
peror, who resists the establishment
of a new emperor in the West. The
eastem emperor will not recognize
Otto until 972. Though Otto plans
to seize the Byzantine provinces of
southern Italy if Byzantium declares
war, there is no plan for extending
his dominion to the south.
Otto the Great dies at Memleben,
May 7, 973. His exploits have
earned him the appellation "Great"
as did Charlemagne's. Otto has con–
quered the pagan Magyars and
Slavs just as Charlemagne had con–
quered the pagan Saxons and
Avars. There is a single nation from
the Rhine to the Weser and from
the Elbe to the Danube - all united
under the sign of tbe cross. The ero–
pire is now the
lmperium Chris–
tianum
and the German king is
rex
Christianus.
Years 983-1002:
Otto
IU Makes
the Empire Strong. Italian affairs
have taken a turn for the worse.
Factions are reviving. I t is time to
construct a practical and powerful
imperial administration in Italy
if
the German Ottonian empire is to
maintain control. Otto 111 is
PLAIN TRUTH
January
1974