Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/307

 '" tflict between Gregory VII and Henry IV 271 took up the bones of the innocent son of the king, who had been buried there, and scattered them about as an insult to the father. In the year of our Lord 1074, after Pope Alexander of Hildebrand, blessed memory had died, Hildebrand, later called Gregory, the monk > followed him ; by profession and rank he was a monk and pope? archdeacon. Under him the Roman Empire and the whole Gregory vn Church began to be threatened by new and unheard-of divi- sions and turmoil. Since Gregory had reached this height of power without the king's permission, simply through the favor of the Romans, some asserted that he was not right- fully chosen, but had seized the papal dignity with his own hand. Therefore he was not recognized by some of the bishops. Gregory repeatedly summoned King Henry through messengers and letters to answer for his deeds before a synod. In the year of our Lord 1074, Pope Gregory, after hold- ing a synod, condemned the simonists, namely those who bought and sold the gift of the Holy Ghost, and provided that. the Nicolaitae, that is to say, the priests who had married, should be removed from the service of the altar, and forbade the laity to attend masses performed by them. In the year of the Lord 1075, King Henry moved against the Saxons, after he had collected a strong army from Alemannia, Bavaria, and Germania, and from Bohemia. He fought with the Saxons on the river Unstrut and after much blood had been shed on both sides, he finally returned home victorious. Rudolph, duke of Alemannia and Burgundy, who later usurped the imperial crown, fought bravely there with his followers for the king. Bishop Hermann of Babenberg was deposed, on account of his simoniacal practices, by command of Pope Hildebrand, and Ruotpert was put in his place by the king. In this year died Anno, archbishop of Cologne, rich in merits of piety, and was buried in the cloister of Siegburg, which he himself had built. He was followed by Hildolf.