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crowned emperor in Rome in 996
by his cousin, Bruno ofToul. Bruno
sits on the papal throne as Gregory
V (996-999). Otto IIl has men of
great capability in bis government
- Gerbert of Aurillac, Bernward of
Hildesheim, Odilo of Cluny and the
chanceUorHeribert. They embark on an
immediate governmental reform.
In 999, Gerbert becomes pope,
taking the narne Sylvester
11
(999-
1003) . Sylvester cbecks the growth
of fe udalism by putting German
ministeriales
(imperial officers) on
church lands. These counter the
strong efforts of the lower nobility to
expropriate those lands for their
own use.
Otto III also begins to build up
the
demesnes
(manorial land ac–
tually possessed by the lord and not
beld by tenants) of crown and
church. He begins in the north and
proceeds south to Rome. The Italian
episcopate is excluded ; it can not be
trusted. A non-Italian element is
brought into the highest ecclesiasti–
cal and secular positions in Italy.
Otto III builds what no emperor
had befare him - a firm and unbro–
ken line of communication from
Rome nort hward through Lom–
bardy to the German frontier. These
lines are controlled by non-Italians.
Earlier, in 998, Otto III has set on
bis sea \ the famous inscription:
Renovatio imperii Romanorum
-
"restoration of the empire of the
Romans." But how much restora–
tion has been the direct policy of
Otto 111 himself is a question. This
grandson of Otto the Great, and son
of the Byzantine princess Theo–
phano, wi ll be only twenty-one
years old when he dies in 1002. His
premature death, and tbat of Syl–
vester the next year, will end the
possibil ity that Rome will become
the center of the German empire.
We know Gerbert of Aurillac has
been instrumental in forging the Ot–
tonian policy. As Pope Sylvester, he
impresses on Otto the superior
claims and titles of Westem Roman
tradition. "Ours, yea ours is the Ro–
man Empire," says Sylvester. " Its
strength rests on fruitful Italy and
PLAIN TRUTH
January
1974
populous Gaul and Germany. Our
Augustus art thou, O Caesar, the
Emperor of the Romans."
But Europe is then conceived of
as a
religious-political
union of pea–
pies. Otto and his advisers feel that
the empire needs a trustworthy spir–
itual head who, as Otto views it, can
be none other than the Roman pon–
tiff, Sylvester
11.
Thus, a vital part of
Otto III's policy is to raise the pa–
pacy from its moral d itch and pro–
vincial narrowness to a position of
European esteem.
The name "Sylvester" has a
sacro-political significance in the
light ofOtto's policy. Sylvester
1
was
the bishop of Rome in the time of
Constantine the Great. Gerbert is
the second Sylvester, who, with Otto
III, his new Constantine, will restore
the sacred unity of the empire. One
of Otto's documents begins, "Otto,
slave of the Apostles and according
to the will of the Lord Savior, au–
gust emperor of the Romans. We
proclaim Rome capital of the world.
We recognize that the Latín church
is the motber of all churches." Otto
I II even takes up residence
in
Rome.
During Otto III's reign, a system
of alliances and friendships devel–
ops. A historian will write, "His ten–
ure of the imperial office is the first
occasion on wbich we tind the cm–
pire being projected as a model , pri–
marily as a model for a federation
of European peoples."
Otto and Gerbert want to create a
Large federal empire which would
include east-central Europe. The
Ottonians desperately want to avoid
a renewal of tbe German vs. Slav
struggle. Otto goes to Poland to give
tbe Christian duke of Poland an
honorary title. He does the same for
the king of Hungary.
ln Otto's design, the empire will
come astonishingly clase to a Euro–
pean project to be undertaken
nearly ten centur ies Ia ter. This
project
will
begin in the economic
sphere with a pact to be called tbe
Treaty of Rome, signed March 25,
1957. The union will be called the
European Economic Community.
But its framers will look beyond
economics to social and political
union.
This European union, like Otto's
Holy Roman Empire, will be de–
signed to encompass in one grand
union peoples and societies of
widely different social composition
and mental outlook. This proposed
European union will be, in spirit,
the direct descendant of Otto's Holy
Roman Empire.
Year
1024:
The O ttonian Dynasty
Ends. Henry
11
(1002-1024) is to be
the last Saxon ruler. The imperial
crown now passes to Conrad II
(1024-1039), duke of Franconia. He
founds the Salic-Frankish dynasty.
Under bim, the kingdom of Bur–
gundy is annexed as part of the
German empire ( 1032).
Years
1039-1056:
Salic-Frankisb
Dynasty Reaches Greatest Dignity.
Henry
lii (
1039-l056) represents
German imperial power at its ze–
nith. He comes to the rescue of a
degraded papacy. Three rival popes
are deposed. Clement II is ap–
pointed, and the empire and papacy
cooperate harmoniously. Henry will
elect severa\ German popes, among
them Leo IX, the emperor's cousin.
In 1040, a new títle is introduced
- "King of the Romans." This be–
comes the designation for tbe em–
peror-elect befare bis coronation or
for the emperor's designated succes–
sor. The title is important because it
eliminates the uncertainty of succes–
sion.
During Henry's reign in 1054, the
schism between tbe churches in the
East and West becomes complete.
Year
1077:
Emperor Pleads at tbe
Feet of the Pope. Henry IV (1056-
1106) is
only
six years old when he
comes to the throne. Chaos and an–
archy march onto the horizon as
secular nobles reassert their author–
ity.
Meanwhile, the Cluniac monk
Hildebrand sits on the papal throne
as Gregory VII (1073-1085). G reg–
ory launches a majar attack orr
sim–
ony,
the sale of ecclesiastical offices,
and
/ay investiture,
the right of tbe
king or feudal lord to invest clerical
33