Pornocratie

The pontifical pornocratie is an expression which indicates, in traditional historiography, one dark period of the Roman Papauté of 904 with 963. The term comes from German “ Römisches Hurenregiment ”, used by the historians of the 18th century, and which means “ literally; Roman government of the courtisanes ”.

Definition

During this period and according to this historiography, papacy is subject to the strong influence of discharged women pertaining to the family of the “ sénateur ” Théophylacte: primarily Théodora Old the, wife of this last, and his/her two daughters Théodora the Young person and Marozie (mother of Albéric {{II}}).

Actually, the Roman big families made and demolished the Pape S, often placing on the episcopal see of laic inefficient (Liutprand de Crémone writes in particular that Jean {{XII}} was unaware of Latin grammar). Thus, this Théophylacte, high-ranking dignitary of the Lateran ( vestiarius ), gave his/her daughter Marozie for wife to Albéric, noble of Spolète of franque origin. This last was posed a time as a rival of the pope Jean {{X}} before being killed; on the other hand, his/her son Albéric {{II}} became Patrice of Rome, thus controlling all Latium, he placed his son like pope at the eighteen years age (Jean {{XII}}).

Such popes were obviously only fantoches with one very short lifespan.

The period was completed when Otton Large the, king of Germanie, deposited Jean {{XII}} and placed its favorite on the episcopal see, thus initiating the “ restoration impériale ”.

Chroniclers of the Middle Ages (whose Liutprand de Crémone) reports that the period was marked by the vice, the acts of cruelty and the sacrileges. However, current historiography largely relativized this vision which was especially the fact of writers in favor of the emperor Otton.

List popes installed

Serge {{III}}: (904 - 911)
Anastase {{III}}: (911 - 913)
Landon: (913 - 914)
Jean {{X}}: (914 - 928), imprisoned and assassinated by Marozie.
Leon {{VI}}: (928 - 929)
Etienne {{VII}}: (929 - 931)
Jean {{XI}}: (931 - 935), wire of the Serge pope and Marozie.
Leon {{VII}}: (936 - 939)
Etienne {{VIII}}: (939 - 942)
Marine {{II}}: (942 - 946)
Agapet {{II}}: (946 - 955)
Jean {{XII}}: (955 - 963), wire of Albéric, pope at the 18 years age.

See too

External bonds

Traduction of texts of Liutprand de Crémone on the site of Bibliotheca Classica Selected the University of Louvain.
Gregorian Reform

Another meaning

In contemporary vocabulary, a pornocrat is a proselyte of the marketing activity related to the practice of the Pornographie.