ALEXANDER V. (Peter Philarges), Pope from 1409 to 141o, was born in Crete of unknown parents and entered the order of St. Francis. He was a member in turn of the Universities of Oxford and Paris, and finally settled in Lombardy, where, thanks to the favour of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, he became eventually arch bishop of Milan. Created cardinal by Innocent VII., he worked for the realization of the union of the Church, in spite of the two rival popes. He was one of the promoters of the council of Pisa, and after that assembly had declared Gregory XII. and Benedict XIII. deposed, the cardinals elected Alexander as Pope (June 26, 1409), thus adding a third to the number of rival pontiffs. During his short reign of ten months Alexander V.'s aim was to extend his obedience with the assistance of France. He died suddenly at Bologna in the night of May 3-4, 141 o, and it was suspected, though without proof, that he had been poisoned.