474 G E R M A N Y. 
the cities of Italy, and acquired a confiderabie degree 
of popularity by confirming the donations of Pepin and 
Charlemagne. During Otho’s refidence at Capua, he 
received an embally from Nicephorus Phocas, emperor 
of Confiantinople, who profefled a defire of renewing 
the alliance which formerly lubfifted between the eafl:- 
ern and w^fiern empires. Otho returned a polite an- 
fwer to the Greek emperor, and fignified his afient to a 
matcli which had been propofed between his own fon 
Otho and the princefs Theophania. But Nicephorus 
w'as fo highly incenfed at the refufal of fome other de¬ 
mands, that he refolved to take a cruel revenge ; and, 
accordingly, when the German ambafiadors were fent 
to fetch his daughter, he caufed both them and their 
attendants to be mafiacred. This enormity, however, 
was foon punifhed by an imperial army, under counts 
Gonther and Sigitiid ; and, on tlie fubfequent aflaflina- 
tion of Nicepl^orus, the princefs Theophania was fent, 
with a magnificent train, into Italy, where her marriage 
witli the emperor’s fon was immediately folemnized. 
In 972, about two years after this event, the emperor 
died, at the city ot Minleben in Saxony, after an adtive 
reign of thirty years, during which he gave fome extra¬ 
ordinary proofs of piety, courage, and generofity, and 
juftly acquired the epithet of Great. His confort Alix 
retired into a convent immediately after his deceafe ; 
and his remains were interred with due folemnity in the 
cathedral church of Magdebourg, where his tomb may 
Hill be difiinguiflied by a Latin infcription. 
Otho II. lurnamed the Sanguinary, fucceeded his fa¬ 
ther on the imperial throne : but his authority was 
warmly difputed by Henry duke of Bavaria ; and the 
commencement of his reign was difturbed by fome hof- 
tile incurfions ot the Danes and Bohemians. After 
fome time, however, the rebellious duke was fubdued, 
and baniflied to Utrecht ; and the invaders were com¬ 
pelled to agree to a very difadvantageous peace. But 
no fooner were thefe commotions appeafed, than Otho 
found himfelt involved in a troublefome war with Lo- 
thaire king of France. That monarch ha'd revived his 
pretenfioiis to the fovereignty of Lorrain, and granted 
his protection to the two Ions of Ranier, count of Hai- 
nault, w'lio had been deprived of his dominions during 
file reign of the late emperor. Oclio attempted to ap- 
peafe tJie Frencli king by fome important concellions ; 
but this proving unfuccefsful, he allembled an army of 
fixty thouland men, made an irruption into the enemy’s 
country, and committed fuch dreadful ravages, that he 
loon obtained peace upon hisowm terms. In this expe¬ 
dition, liowever, lie w'as expofed to imminent danger 
by an inundation of the river Aifne, which deftroyed a 
confiderabie part of his army. 
Alter devoting fome time to the arrangement of his 
affairs in Germany, he led a numerous body of forces 
into Italy, A. D. 979, in order to punifli a revolt of the 
Romans, and to recover Apulia and Calabria, which 
had been taken by the Greeks and Saracens. He ac¬ 
cordingly entered Rome without oppofition, and foon 
afterward hazarded a battle with the enemy; when his 
arjny was utterly defeated, and he was reduced to the 
necetTity of committing himfcdf to tlie mercy-of the 
waves in a lolitary veflel. This fnip being taken by 
corfairs, who were totally ignorant of his quality, he 
W'as carried into Sicily ; but on the payment of a large 
fum of money, he obtained his freedom. Soon after 
this event he renewed the war vrith increafed vigour, and 
his exertions were attended with fuch fignal fuccefs, 
that the Saracens in Italy were utterly exterminated, in 
980, He then chafiifed the pufillanimous troops who 
had deferted him in his former engagement; gave up 
the town of Beneventum to military execution, for hav¬ 
ing furnifhed his enemies with provifions ; and revenged 
himfelf for the defeffion of the Romans, by caufing 
Kiany of the principal citizens to be maffacred at a ban¬ 
quet. This aflion, fo totally unworthy of a Chriftian 
prince, was the occafion of his being branded with the 
epithet of Sanguinary. In 983, the emperor died at 
Rome, of a bloody flux, faid to be occafioiied by the 
wound of a poifoned javelin, received in his war with 
the Greeks. Some hiftorians however have afferted, 
tliat Ins death was haftened by the imprudent behaviour 
of his emprefs Theophania, who publicly exulted ia 
the viftory of her countrymen, though it was obtained 
over her own hufband. 
Otho III. was but twelve years of age when he fuc¬ 
ceeded his father in the empire, for which reafon he was 
furnamed the Infant; btit this appellation was foon laid 
afide, and lie acquired the epithet of Rufus. The com¬ 
mencement of his reign was diffurbed by fome hoftile 
incurfions of the Danes and Sclavonians ; but they were 
repulfed in feveral inftances, and the imperial arms were 
decidedly vicforious. The emperor, having attained 
the age of difcretion, made a progrefs, A.D. 988, 
through the different provinces of the empire, enaded 
fome excellent regulations for the welfare and civiliza¬ 
tion of his fubjedts, and confirmed the ecclefialfics in 
the enjoyment of many valuable privileges. At the 
fame time the Saxons repulfed a frefli irruption of the 
Danes ; and Eric king of Sweden foon afterward an. 
nexed Denmark to his hereditary dominions. Otho, 
being apprifed of this eircumllance, thotight it advifable 
to court the friendfhip of his poweidui neighbour; and 
a treaty was concluded by the two princes, which au- 
thorifed the German miflionaries to preach the gofpel 
in the dominions of Eric, and promifed future fecurity 
to the inhabitants of the empire. 
A revolt being now excited by Crefcentirts, the em¬ 
peror marched with a numerous army into Italy, and 
took polfellion of Milan, where he was crowned king of 
Lombardy. He then repaired to Ravenna, and railed 
his relation Bruno to the papal chair, which had become 
vacant by the demife of John XV. The new pontiff' 
alfumed the name of Gregory V. and, on the firfl: con¬ 
venient opportunity, expreffed his gratitude to his pow. 
erful patron, by crowning him king of the Romans. 
Having rellored the public tranquillity in Capua and 
Beneventum, and extended his pardon to the turbulent 
Crefcentius, Otho fet out on his return to Germany, 
taking his route through the principal towns of Lorn- 
bardy. On his arrival at Modena, he gave a ftriking 
proof of liis love of juftice, by his conduff towards the 
emprefs Mary, daughter of the king of Arragon. That 
princefs, exalperated at tlie coidnefs of an Italian count 
to whom Ihe had made fome amorous advances, accufed 
him of iiaving infulted her by an attempt upon her ho¬ 
nour. In confequence of this charge, the unfortunate 
nobleman was tried, and fentenced to lofe his head ; 
but,, as his innocence was clearly proved after his exe¬ 
cution, the vile calumniatrefs was ordered to be burnt 
alive, and the emperor devoted a large fum of money 
to the benefit of the nobleman’s widow. 
Otho next made a tour tlirough the towns of Upper 
Saxony ; and thence proceeded to 'Poland, which he 
created into a kingdom, at the I'equelf of duke Bolellaus, 
who confented to hold his dominions as a fief of the 
empire. Shortly after this event, Otho was called into 
Italy to repel an invalidn of the Saracens, and to cruih 
a Irefli revolt of the turbvilent Romans. His exertions 
againft the Saracens were attended with complete fuc- 
cels ; but the Romans openly refufed to fiibmit to his 
authority ; awd while he was afl'embling an army to re¬ 
venge this infult, he was poifoned by a widow, whom 
he is faid to have feduced under a promife of marriage. 
The Germanic empire fuftained a heavy lofs by the 
death of this prince ; for he was equally famed on ac, 
count of his munificence to the church, his valour in 
defending his dominions, and his equity inredrefling the 
wrongs of his lubjeds. He died at Paterho, in the 
Shjrtietk 
