Otto and the Pope's Pact
Emperor and pontiff divide power in Rome
Emperor Otto I and Pope John XII co-signed the Diploma Ottonianum, a landmark agreement that recognized the pope as ruler of Rome while establishing the emperor's authority over papal elections. This delicate balance of power between church and state defined medieval European politics for centuries. The document formalized a relationship that would generate both cooperation and conflict between popes and emperors for the rest of the Middle Ages.
