54 Facts About Otto II

Otto II, called the Red, was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983.

Otto II was made joint-ruler of Germany in 961, at an early age, and his father named him co-Emperor in 967 to secure his succession to the throne.

Otto II's father arranged for Otto II to marry the Byzantine Princess Theophanu, who would be his wife until his death.

When his father died after a 37-year reign, the eighteen-year-old Otto II became absolute ruler of the Holy Roman Empire in a peaceful succession.

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.

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Otto II continued the work of Otto I in subordinating the Catholic Church to Imperial control.

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.

Otto II's victory allowed him to exclude the Bavarian line of the Ottonians from the line of Imperial succession.

Otto II's conquests brought him into conflict with the Byzantine Empire and with the Muslims of the Fatimid Caliphate, who both held territories in southern Italy.

Otto II died suddenly in 983 at the age of 28 after a ten-year reign.

Otto II was born in 955, the third son of the King of Germany Otto I and his second wife Adelaide of Italy.

Otto II was later crowned by his uncle Bruno the Great, Archbishop of Cologne, at Aachen Cathedral, probably on Pentecost .

Otto II was likely motivated by the high risk associated with his expedition into Italy to claim the Imperial title from the Pope.

Otto I crossed the Alps into Italy, while Otto II remained in Germany, and the two archbishops, Bruno and William, were appointed as his regents.

Otto II I sought a marriage alliance between his Imperial house and the Eastern Macedonian dynasty.

Otto II's coronation allowed marriage negotiations to begin with the East.

Otto II was confined primarily to northern Italy during his father's time south of the Alps.

Otto II spent his reign continuing his father's policy of strengthening Imperial rule in Germany and extending it deeper into Italy.

Otto II had been king of Germany for twelve years and Emperor for five at the time of Otto the Great's death.

Unlike his father, Otto II did not have any brothers to contest his claims to the throne.

The Archbishop of Mainz, Willigis, appointed in 975, who had been Otto II's advisor since Otto the Great's second expedition into Italy in the 960s, had not been born into a noble family.

Otto II died soon after the appointment of Pope Benedict VI in 973.

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.

Otto II sought continued peace between himself and the descendants of his uncle Henry I, Duke of Bavaria.

Otto II severely punished the conspirators: Henry II was imprisoned at Ingelheim and Bishop Abraham at Corvey.

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Whether Otto II released him from prison or he escaped is not known for certain.

Otto II reduced the size of Duchy of Bavaria by almost a third.

Otto II gave the newly diminished Duchy of Bavaria to his relative Otto, the Duke of Swabia, and appointed Henry III, son of the former Bavarian Duke Berthold, as Duke of Carinthia.

Otto II imprisoned Henry II under the custody of the Bishop of Utrecht where he would remain until Otto II's death in 983.

Otto II attacked Harald's forces, but the joint Danish-Norwegian army repelled the German army.

In return, Otto II appointed Charles as Duke and promised to support his claim to the French throne.

Otto II met with little resistance on French territory, devastating the land around Rheims, Soissons, and Laon.

Otto II then had Charles crowned as King of the Franks by Theodoric I, Bishop of Metz.

Pope Benedict VI, who had been appointed by Otto II I, had been imprisoned by the Romans in Castel Sant'Angelo.

When Otto II sent an imperial representative, Count Sicco, to secure his release, Crescentius I and Cardinal Franco Ferrucci had Benedict VI murdered while still in prison in 974.

Otto II appointed Willigis, the Archbishop of Mainz, to serve as his regent over Germany.

Otto II proceeded to hold court in Rome, making the city his Imperial capital, where he received princes and nobles from all parts of western Europe.

Otto II I's military protection of Pietro IV ensured his hold over power in Venice despite his autocratic tendencies over the republican city.

Otto II followed the policy of his father in expanding the importance of the Church in his Empire, in particular the importance of monasticism and monasteries.

Otto II employed monks among his top political advisers, including Ekkehard I and Majolus of Cluny.

Otto II appointed him as his Imperial Chancellor from 980 to 982, as well as abbot of Nonantola Abbey.

Not satisfied with the territorial gains made under Otto I, Otto II's policy was based not only on securing his power in Rome and cooperating with the Papacy, but on gaining absolute dominion over the whole of Italy.

The following year, under Otto II, Pandulf added the Principality of Salerno to the Empire.

Otto II attempted on several occasions to reunify the Lombard principalities politically and ecclesiastically into his Empire after Pandulf's death.

Otto II then held an Imperial Diet at Verona on Pentecost 983.

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At the assembly, Otto II appointed Conrad and Henry III as the new Dukes of Swabia and Bavaria respectively.

Otto II then prepared for a new campaign against the Muslims and obtained a settlement with the Republic of Venice, whose assistance he needed following the destruction of his army at Stilo.

Otto II stayed in Italy to further address his military campaigns.

Otto II was then buried in the atrium of St Peter's Basilica, the only Holy Roman Emperor to be buried in St Peter's.

In 976, Otto II had deposed Henry II as Duke of Bavaria and imprisoned him.

Otto II was a man of small stature, by nature brave and impulsive, and by training an accomplished knight.

Otto II was generous to the church and aided the spread of Christianity in many ways.

Otto II is much more likely to have inherited the epithet from his half-uncle Conrad the Red, who died the year he was born and from whom he is likely to have inherited some property.

Otto II was a member of the Ottonian dynasty, which ruled Germany from 919 to 1024.