To help calm the situation in the west, Otto II appointed Charles, his cousin and brother of Lothar, as Duke of Lower Lorraine. Half brother of Emma of Italy; Wilhelm von Sachsen, Erzbischof von Mainz; Liudolf, Duke of Swabia and Liutgarde. Though established by Otto I, the exact details of the diocese's boundaries were left to Otto II and his aides. The early death of Otto II and the ensuing events proved to be a serious test for Empire. The ruling Kalbid dynasty had conducted raids against Imperial territories in southern Italy. While Otto I had secured succession of the throne, he had violated the Kingdom's unwritten law that succession rights could only be granted to a child who has reached the age of majority. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Henry's actions in naming a bishop in a duchy not his own and without Imperial direction brought him into conflict with both Otto II and Burchard III. Matilda, born 979, died 1025; who married Ezzo, count palatine of Lotharingia, Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor, born June or July 980, A daughter, a twin to Otto, who died before October 8, 980. Though the Muslim troops were forced to retreat to Sicily after their victory, the Muslims remained a presence in southern Italy, harassing the Byzantines and Lombards. -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor Otto II (955 – December 7, 983), called the Red (Rufus), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. In July 983, Pope Benedict VII, a longtime Ottonian supporter, died of natural causes after having reigned for almost ten years. Owain ap Gruffudd ab yr arglwydd Rhys. Shortly after his father died Otto faced a rebellion by his cousin, Henry the Wrangler, duke of Bavaria, who coveted the crown. With his older brothers dead, the two-year old Otto II's became the Kingdom's crown prince and Otto I's heir apparent. Faceted Browser ; Sparql Endpoint ; Browse using . Otto II, 955–83, Holy Roman emperor (973–83) and German king (961–83), son and successor of Otto I. In Pavia, Otto II and his mother, the dowager empress Adelaide of Italy, were reconciled after years of being apart. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy. The exact reason for this unusual procedure has been lost to history. Copyright © 1994-2001 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. - http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/GERMANY,%20Kings.htm#OttoIIdied983. His victory allowed him to exclude the Bavarian line of Ottonians from the line of Imperial succession. Otto II. [9] The Emperor's army besieged and captured the Byzantine city of Taranto, the administrative center of Apulia, in March 982. With matters in southern Germany settled, Otto II turned his attention to defeating and capturing Henry II. The Byzantines joined forces with the Muslims and regained possession of Apulia from Ottonian forces. Nonetheless, Otto left a firmly established realm to his son and successor Otto III. [3] Years earlier in 958, Otto the Great banished their father Reginar III, Count of Hainaut, to Bohemia after he attempted a failed revolt. Otto “der Erlauchte”, duke of Saxony. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor - Wi Otto III, lid van de Ottonische dynastie, was de enige zoon van keizer Otto II en zijn vrouw Theophanu. Following the defeat of Otto II at Stilo in 983, the Lutici Federation of Polabian Slavs revolted against their German overlords, sparking a great revolt known as the Great Slav Rising (Slawenaufstand). Otto II had only one known wife. He was crowned joint emperor in 967. With Henry II deposed, in July 976 Otto II issued far-reaching edicts on the reorganization of the southern German duchies. Seeing an opportunity to fully incorporate Venice into the Empire, Otto II agreed. Otto I (23 November 912 7 May 973), also known as Otto the Great, was emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, reigning as German king from 936 until his death in 973. The most important action taken by Otto II at the assembly, however, was to secure the "election" of his son Otto III, who was then only three years old, as King of Germany and heir apparent to the Imperial throne. Also, the appointment of Conrad I allowed the House of the Conradines to return to power in Swabia for the first time since Emperor Otto I in 948. Emir Abu al-Qasim, who had declared a Holy War (jihad) against the Empire, retreated when he noticed the unexpected strength of Otto II's troops when the Emperor was not far from Rossano Calabro. Without consulting Otto II, Henry II named his cousin Henry as the new Bishop of Augsburg. The Lombard Princes Landulf IV of Benevento and Pandulf II of Salerno, German Bishop Henry I of Augsburg, German Margrave Gunther of Merseburg, the Abbot of Fulda, and numerous other Imperial officials were among the battle's casualties. The oldest son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda, Otto was "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy". [16] However, this policy necessarily meant war with not only the Byzantine Empire but the Muslim Fatimid Caliphate as well, who claimed southern Italy as within their sphere influence. Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II (955 – December 7, 983), called "the Red" (Rufus), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. According the German chronicler Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg, the decades-long, forced Germanization and Christianization of the Slavs associated with these two churches was the reason for their destruction. This article was most recently revised and updated by. After an initial failure, the brother attempted again in 976, this time with the support of King Lothar of France. Henry I, Bishop of Augsburg, and the newly appointed Carinthian Duke Henry III joined Henry II in rebellion, forcing Otto II to return from Bohemia. Son of Otto I, Holy Roman emperor and Saint Adelaide of Italy Sophie I, Abbess of Gandersheim and Essen, born 975, died 1039. The marriage brought the Empire and Venice into close relationship, with Otto I, in 967, granting a series of commercial agreements to Venice in general and to Pietro IV's family in particular. While Otto II was in Rome overseeing the election of a new pope, a malaria outbreak in central Italy prevented the resumption of military activity in southern Italy. One of the most important such monks was John Philagathus (the future Antipope John XVI). Otto II returned to Rome in September to name a new Pope, selecting the Bishop of Pavia Pietro Canepanova (who reigned as Pope John XIV) in November or early December. Upon arriving in Italy in 981, Otto II immediately imposed a trade embargo against the island republic. The only German king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1210. Prior to his appointment, Otto had been a long-time opponent of Henry II's expanding influence in Swabia. Otto II spent his reign continuing his father's policy of strengthening Imperial rule in Germany and extending the borders of the Empire deeper into southern Italy. Though Otto I was crowned Emperor in 962 and returned to Germany in 965, the political situation in Italy remained unstable. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy. After a violent clash, a corps of Otto II's heavy cavalry destroyed the Muslim center and pushed towards al-Qasim's guards, with the Emir killed during the charge. In 974 Benedict was imprisoned in the Castel Sant'Angelo, the stronghold of the Crescentii family. However, the death of Otto II the next year and the resulting civil war prevented the Empire from appropriately responding to the defeat. The Muslims regrouped and managed to surround the Imperial soldiers, slaughtering many of them and inflicting a severe defeat upon the Emperor. She would later appoint John as the bishop of Piacenza, and would send him to Constantinople to arrange for a marriage between Otto III and a Byzantine princess. In 979 Benedict VII's position as ruler of Rome was threatened, forcing the Pope to withdraw from and seek the aid of the Emperor. At his father’s death in 973 he was accepted without opposition as successor, although revolts in the duchy of Bavaria and in Lorraine occupied the early years of his reign. After initial successes in unifying the southern Lombard principalities under his authority and in conquering Byzantine-controlled territory, Otto II's campaigns in southern Italy ended in 982 following a disastrous defeat by the Muslims. When Otto II sent an imperial representative, Count Sicco, to secure his release, Crescentius I and Cardinal-Deacon Franco Ferrucci, who would subsequently become Boniface VII, an antipope, had Benedict murdered while still in prison. He was generous to the church and aided the spread of Christianity in many ways. Around the year 982, Imperial authority in Slavic territory extended as far east as the Lusatian Neisse River and as far south as the Ore Mountains. Soon after Otto II crushed Henry II's revolt in the south, the Emperor and his wife Theophanu returned to the old capital of Aachen in Lorraine. In Rome, Otto II held a magnificent court ceremony to mark Easter. Upon his return, Henry came into open rebellion against Otto II, claiming rulership over the Empire for himself. On April 14, 972, he married the Byzantine princess Theophano. Henry II's claims were supported by Archbishop Egbert of Trier, Archbishop Gisilher of Magdeburg, and Bishop Dietrich I of Metz. When Harald became king in 958, he expanded the control of his kingdom into Norway, becoming king there in 970. Pandulf's lands were partitioned among his sons, though further quarrels between the local Lombard princes soon followed. News of the battle did cross the Alps, however, reaching as far as Wessex in Britain, signifying the magnitude of the defeat. This was not enough for the young Bavarian Duke, who wished to extend his influence in the Duchy of Swabia as his father had under Otto the Great. Otto the Great also failed to clarify affairs in Italy prior to his death. Early in his reign, Otto II defeated a major revolt against his rule from other members of the Ottonian dynasty who claimed the throne for themselves. While in Bohemia, a revolt broke out in Bavaria. Otto II was a member of the Ottonian dynasty of rulers of Germany (and later the Holy Roman Empire) from 919 to 1024. The situation between East and West was finally resolved to share sovereignty over southern Italy. In September 978, Otto II retaliated against Lothair by invading France with the aid of Charles. Unlike his earlier son Liudolf, whom Otto I named Duke of Swabia in 950, Otto II was granted no area of responsibility. On the journey back to Germany, Otto's rearguard was attacked and destroyed by French forces, with their supplies being captured. [30] Otto III's right to the throne, however, was supported by Archbishop Willigis of Mainz and the Dukes of Saxony, Bavaria, and Swabia. While his father had founded only one monastery (Otto I later replaced the abbey with the Cathedral of Magdeburg) during his 37 years of reign. Not satisfied with the territorial gains made under Otto I, Otto II wanted more. Henry II's four-year old son, also named Henry, was sent to Hildesheim to study for an ecclesiastical career. With both Otto the Great and Count Reginar III dead, it appears Otto II desired a fresh start with the two sons. Otto I, byname Otto the Great, German Otto der Grosse, (born Nov. 23, 912—died May 7, 973, Memleben, Thuringia), duke of Saxony (as Otto II, 936–961), German king (from 936), and Holy Roman emperor (962–973) who consolidated the German Reich by his suppression of rebellious vassals and his decisive victory over the Hungarians. Otto I sought a marriage alliance between his Imperial house and the Eastern Macedonian dynasty. In return, Otto II appointed Charles as Duke and promised to support him in claiming the French throne. Needing to put his affairs in order prior to his descent into Italy, Otto I summoned a Diet at Worms and had Otto II elected, at the age of six, co-regent in May 961. In 983 he summoned a diet at Verona, where his young son, Otto III, was crowned German king. In relation to the other members of his dynasty, Otto II was the grandson of Henry I, son of Otto I, father of Otto III, and a first-cousin once removed to Henry II. Otto II also continued the work of Otto I in subordinating the Catholic Church to Imperial control. Adelheid I, Abbess of Quedlinburg and Gandersheim, born November or December 977, died 1040. Despite the Emir's death, the Muslim troops did not flee the battlefield. Imprisoning the Doge within his palace, the Venetians nobles set fire to the building. His conquests brought him into conflict with the Byzantine Empire and with the Muslims of the Fatimid Caliphate, who both held territories in southern Italy. The Ottonians had particular religious interest in Memleben as both Otto II's father Otto I and grandfather Henry I had died there. Instead, Otto II hoped to subordinate the Bavarian line of Ottonians to his Imperial authority. He was the oldest son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda. He was elected king Aug. 7, 936 and crowned emperor Feb. 2, 962. The Polabian Slavs destroyed the bishoprics of Havelberg and Brandenburg. The Emperor sensed the far-reaching ambitions of his cousin and denied his request. The domestic problems Otto the Great faced between 963 and 972 had not been resolved by his death. Boniface VII was then summarily excommunicated for his unsuccessful attempt to take the papacy. Otto II's marriage to the Byzantine Princess Theophanu proved to be to his disadvantage because the Saxon nobles felt it distanced the Emperor from their interests. [15] Otto II appointed him as his Imperial Chancellor from 980 to 982, as well as the Abbot of the Nonantola Abbey. With Otto II busy suppressing revolts in Germany, the Venetians opposed to Pietro IV found their opportunity to depose him. Needing allies in his campaign against the Muslims and the Byzantine Empire, Otto II reconciled with Amalfian Duke Manso I, granting Imperial recognition of his rule over Salerno. The same year, Otto II appointed Egbert as his Imperial Chancellor. OTTO (end 955-Rome 7 Dec 983, bur Rome St Peter's[292]). After occupying Aachen for five days, Lothair returned to France after symbolically disgracing the city. In relation to the other members of his dynasty, Otto II was the grandson of Henry I, son of Otto I, father of Otto III, and a first-cousin once removed to Henry II. As early as 980 Otto II demanded a fleet from the city of Pisa to help him carry out his war in southern Italy,[18] and in September 981 he marched into southern Italy. Informed of the Muslim retreat, Otto II left his wife Theophanu and young son Otto III (along with the Imperial treasury) in the city and marched his army to pursue the Muslim force. His reign is generally considered to be the true beginning of the Holy Roman Empire. Otto died soon after the appointment of Pope Benedict VI in 973. These measures and the unusual size of the abbey perhaps suggest that Memleben may have been intended as an Imperial Mausoleum for the Ottonians. In October 967, father and son met in Verona and together marched through Ravenna to Rome. "Ottone fratre [Machtild unica filia…patre Otto imperatore et matre Athelheida imperiatrice]" was recorded by Annalista Saxo[294]. With his power over northern and central Italy secured, Otto I sought to clarify his relationship with the Byzantine Empire in the East. Bruno was again appointed regent over the eleven-year old Otto II during Otto I's absence. Henry II and his followers complied and submitted to Otto II before armed conflict broke out. With the change in leadership, Otto II was reluctant to renew the city's commercial agreements which his father had previously granted to the city. In 979 Otto received the submission of Bohemia and Poland, and in 980 Lothair renounced his claim to Lorraine. The defeat at Stilo forced Otto II to flee north to Rome. After five years away, the Imperial family returned to Saxony in August 972. Having thus secured his German dominions, Otto marched into Italy in 980, where German rule had been maintained by an imperial party headed by Hugh, marquis of Tuscany. Although Otto II had succeeded peacefully to the throne, internal divisions of power still remained unaddressed. Otto II, however, severely punished this conspirators: Henry II was imprisoned at Ingelheim and Bishop Abraham at Corvey. There, Otto II declared war against France and prepared his army to march west. Otto III (juni / juli 980 - 23 januari 1002) was keizer van het Heilige Roomse Rijk van 996 tot aan zijn vroege dood in 1002. The arrival of a minor on the Imperial throne threw te Empire into confusion, allowing Otto III's mother, the Byzantine Princess Theophanu, to reign as his regent. Otto III thus became the only German king elected south of the Alps. 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