From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 218-220.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
SERGIUS II.
A.D. 844-847.
SERGIUS the Second, a Roman, whose father was named Sergius, of the fourth ward, came to the Popedom in the second year of Michael III., Emperor of Constantinople. It is said that this Sergius was surnamed Bocca di Porco, or Hog’s-mouth, which for shame of it he changed for Sergius, and that from thence came the custom down to our times, that when any one is made Pope he laid by his own name and took one of some of his predecessors, though all have not observed it. However it was, it is certain that Sergius came of a noble family and degenerated not from his ancestors, being assisted in his good inclinations by Leo III., Stephen IV., Eugenius II., and Gregory IV., under whose tuition he lived so well, that upon the death of Gregory he alone was thought worthy of the pontifical dignity. At that time there was so great a feud between the sons of Louis, about the division of the empire, that Louis and Charles gave their brother Lotharius battle in the country of Auxerre, near Fontenay, where many on both sides were slain; Lotharius losing the day, fled first to Aachen, but being forced from thence by the pursuing enemy, he conveyed himself with his wife and children to Vienna. Hither also he was followed by his brothers with their army, to whom not only many of the great men of the empire came, but several also were sent by Pope Sergius to endeavour to make peace between them, the chief of whom was George, Archbishop of Ravenna, who having been before to make up the matter, was present with Lotharius in the second battle, and the victory inclining to Charles and Louis, he lost all his train there (of 300 horsemen) and hardly escaped alone from the slaughter. But these men at last looking with pity upon the misery and ruin under which the whole empire lay, procured a peace upon these terms, viz., that the western part of the empire which reached from the British Ocean to the Maese, should be subject to Charles, and the 219 names of Franks should continue to the inhabitants; that all Germany, as far as the river Rhine, and so much on the other side of it as his father had been possessed of, should be allotted to Louis; and that Lotharius should, with the title of the emperor, hold the city of Rome, with Italy and that part of France which was formerly called Gallia Narbonensis, now Provence. To this they added that country lying between the rivers Scheld and Rhone, which, as I suppose, now took the name of Lotharingia [Lorain] from Lotharius. Matters being thus composed, Lotharius sends his son Louis, whom he had taken into a partnership in the empire, into Italy with a mighty army, giving him for companions Drogon, Bishop of Metz, and others of the clergy eminent for prudence and gravity, by whose advice he was to govern himself. But the young man, being puffed up with his great fortune, wheresoever he marched, filled the country with slaughter, rapine, and destruction. Yet when he approached the city, and the citizens of Rome came out of respect to meet him, laying by his Gaulish fierceness he grew more mild, because contrary to his expectation he found that he might enter the city without force of arms. The religious also came a mile out of the city to meet him with their crucifixes, singing, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.” Thus they accompanied him as far as the steps of St Peter’s Church, where, meeting the Pope, they reciprocally kissed and greeted each other and went together to the Silver Gates, which were not opened. Then said the Pope, “If thou comest hither with peaceable and friendly intentions, and if thou hast more regard to the advantage of Christianity than to the pleasure of exercising cruelty and rapine, then, with my good will thou mayest enter; if thou art otherwise minded, touch not these gates, for over thy head hangs a sword, which will certainly avenge any such wickedness.” But when he had given the Pope assurance, immediately the doors were thrown open. Hereupon a multitude of Romans and Franks entering pel-mel, as soon as they came to the altar of St Peter, they all kneeling down together gave thanks to God Almighty and to the prince of the apostles, that matters had been carried according to their minds without hurt to anybody; this was done upon the Monday after Whitsunday. But soon after the suburbs were sacked by the soldiers, and it wanted little but that they had got into the 220 city for the same end, so that the eighth day after their coming the Pope anointed Louis with the holy oil, crowned him and declared him king of Italy. Soon after came Siconolfus, Prince of Beneventum, to congratulate him, and then the multitude was such that the trees were lopped, the beasts driven away, and even the standing corn cut down, that their horses might not want provender. The Pope therefore easily agreed to all their requests, if they were reasonable, that he might the sooner rid the city of them: and the Romans being now delivered from the fear of their tyrannical barbarity, celebrated their Pope as the true vicar of Christ and the only father of his country. He betaking himself to the beautying of churches, restored that of St Sylvester and St Martin which time had ruined, and in it, together with those of the two confessors, he placed the bodies of Fabianus, Stephanus, Sotherius, Asterius, Cyriacus, Maurus, Smaragdus, Anastasius, Innocentius, Quirinus, Leo, Arthemius, Theodorus, and Nicander. He built also near that church from the foundation a monastery dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, where Mass was incessantly sung. But at last this holy Pope having managed the affairs of the Church with great integrity and success, in the third year of his pontificate, died and was buried in St Peter’s Church. The see was vacant upon his death fifteen days.
Previous Pope: 103. Gregory IV. 104. Sergius. Next Pope: 105. Leo IV.