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Rh of Saxon and Franconian princes held at Erfurt in his father's lifetime; but not content with this, he laid great stress on the importance of a solemn ceremony which took place early in August at Aix-la-Chapelle, the old Carolingian seat of residence. There the Archbishop Hildebert of Mayence presented the young duke to the assembled multitude of people with the words, "Behold, I bring to you Otto, the elect of God, the chosen of our lord Henry, and now made king by all the princes. If the election is pleasing to you, declare it by show of hands." Immediately the whole people lifted their hands and hailed the new king with clamorous shouts. He was invested at the hands of the Archbishop with the insignia of royalty, the sword with which to strike down the enemies of Christ, the bracelets and cloak, the emblems of peace, the sceptre and the staff by which tokens he is inspired to chasten his subjects and to stretch out the hand of mercy to the servants of God, to widows and orphans. Finally he was anointed and crowned by the Archbishop of Mayence assisted by Archbishop Wikfried of Cologne and by them was led by a special stair to a throne set up between marble pillars where he could see and be observed by all. After the celebration of mass, the company adjourned to the palace for a state banquet at which the dukes officiated, Gilbert of Lorraine as Chamberlain, Everard of Franconia as Steward, Herman of Swabia as Cupbearer, and Arnulf of Bavaria as Marshal. It was a festival of the highest significance; it was a public recognition of the union of the German tribes, the foundation of the German monarchy.

The royal influence was no longer to be confined to the limits of Saxony; while he retained the duchy in his own hands he delegated many of the ducal functions to Herman Billung, a noble connected with the royal house and founder of the later ducal house of Saxony. Another important post was granted to Count Siegfried, who is described as second only to the king among the Saxon chiefs; and on his death it passed to Count Gero. Herman and Gero were the two men who, throughout the reign of Otto, by their untiring efforts not only kept the Wends in check, but established German authority on a firm footing in the marches between the Elbe and the Oder; they relieved the king of a difficult task, enabling him thereby to turn his whole attention to his policy of centralising the government, of extending the royal influence, and later of adding Italy to his dominions and of restoring the imperial title. But these appointments were unpopular in Saxony. Wichmann was jealous of the advancement of his younger brother Herman, and by the selection