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XLI. Louis II
- West Virginia University Press
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338 invaders began ravaging the land with fire. The king commanded greater forces as he rode into the city of Regensburg, where he revealed his might. The Bavarians sustained great damage from Lothair’s men as they destroyed towers and other fortifications. Margrave Herman ordered the castle moat-ditch filled in; following judgment by all the Bavarians, he was slain. King Lothair left that place, and, taking a large part of his army with him, occupied Agest, where the duke was seeking refuge. The duke escaped, but his men were captured and killed. The duke vacated the Empire. Lothair and his men turned toward the Rhine. The king took control over the Bavarians’ land, and the Bavarians served him for more than five years. Duke Otto was unable to negotiate anything for himself; no men of authority could be guarantors for him, and so he began to waste away from sickness and died among the Greeks. King Lothair had four noble sons: One, named Louis, possessed the Empire after him. The second, named Lothair, was a bold and energetic hero. The third was named Charles, and it would be tedious to recount how often they fought among themselves. The fourth was named Pippin. Lothair [I] had the Empire for exactly seventeen years; then he abdicated to enter a monastery, turning over body and soul to God. XLI Louis II Louis II (r. 850 – 875) was the eldest son of Lothair I. In 850, he was crowned joint emperor with his father by Pope Leo IV, and, upon Lothair’s death in 855, he became sole emperor. Later, Louis’s power in Italy was sufficient to require Pope Adrian II to accept “tutelage” from him in secular affairs. Conflicts over divisions in the Empire continued. What was new in Louis’s reign was a successful campaign by the emperor in 866 against invading “Saracens” Louis II 339 (Muslims), although he could not follow up his land victory with a naval one simply because the Empire did not have much of a fleet. Three years later in cooperation with the Byzantine emperor Basil I, he took Bari, the Muslim stronghold in southeastern Italy. Afterwards , when he was reorganizing his troops in Italy for a further campaign, he was treacherously taken prisoner by Adelchis, Prince of Benevento. He was released, and in Rome Pope Adrian II crowned him emperor a second time. Massmann (see Introduction) assumed that this Ludwig or Louis is Louis the German; however, the fact that our author brings Pope Adrian into the story (even though in a different role from his historical one) and clearly gives this Louis the position of sole emperor would tend to support the idea that this second Louis is indeed the eldest son of Emperor Lothair I. louis then held the Empire, but great strife broke out between Charles and Pippin, and they enlisted friends and relations against each other—Owî! How many men soon lay dead! Huge numbers—lords and vassals alike—were slain in these conflicts, to which no one was able to bring peace or any separation of the combatants. With one voice the nobles addressed the king, saying that it was not fitting that he permit such widespread raiding and burning within the Empire. The great suffering and need led him to convoke a council at Worms, but when he opened the proceedings there—the Book confirms this—such signs came from heaven that all his men deserted him. A lightning bolt struck Worms and set it ablaze. I am telling you truly: the people there saw huge flashes of lightning and heard louder thunder than ever. The king was so terrified that he was forced to flee from there; the others left, too, with no love for the king. Right then other feuds and conflicts broke out, and King Louis was blamed for the hunger and loss of crops that accompanied them. It was said that it was his fault—that it came because of his misdeeds. Bishops and dukes summoned the king to Rome, and the exalted ruler made that journey. [34.230.84.106] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 09:06 GMT) 340 The lords lodged a complaint with Pope Adrian against King Louis, saying that it was his fault that the Empire was torn apart and destruction wrought upon Christendom. He never wanted to hold court, and they could not put up with this state of affairs any longer. Pope Adrian settled the conflict by directing...