LEO III., a native of Rome, was elected after the death of Adrian I. in 795. He immediately communicated his election to Charlemagne, to whom he, like his predecessor, acknowledged allegiance. Charle magne replied by a letter of congratulation, which he entrusted to the abbot Angilbertus, whom ho commissioned to confer with the new poutiff respecting the relations between the see of Rome and the "Patrician of the Romans," for this was the title which Charlemagne had assumed. In 796 Leo sent to Charlemagne the keys of St. Peter and the standard of the city of Rome, requesting the king to seed some of his nobles to administer the oath of allegiance to the people of Rome. The dominion of Charlemagne over the city and duchy of Roma is attested by Paulus Diacouue, who says that "Charles added to his other sceptres that of the city of Romulus." lathe year 799, an atrocious aasault, the motive of which is not clearly ascertained, was committed on the person of the pope. While Leo was riding ou horseback, followed by the clergy, and chanting the liturgy, a canon of the name of Paschal and a sacristan called Campulus, accompanied by many armed fell upon him, threw him Sown from hie horse, and dragged him into the convent of St. Sylvester, when they stabbed him in many places, endeavouring to pull out his eyes and cut out his tongue. In this however it seems that they did not succeed, as Leo was delivered by his friends from the hands of the assassins, and taken to Spoleti under the protection of the Duke of where he soon after recovered, and was enabled to travel as far al Paderborn in Germany, where Charlemagne then was, by whom the pope was received with the greatest honours. Charlemagne sent bier back to Rome, with a numerous escort of bishops and counts, anc also of armed men. The pope was met outside of the city gates by the clergy, senate, and people, and accompanied in triumph to the Lateran palace. A court, composed of the bishops and counts, pro ceeded to the trial of the conspirators who had attempted the life o the pope ; and the two chiefs, Paschal and Campulus, were exiled to France. From this very lenient sentence, and other concomitant cir cumatances, it appears that Charlemagne had greatly at heart ts conciliate the Romans in general, in order to deter them from betaking themselves again to the protection of tho Greek emperors.
In 800 Charlemagne himself visited Italy, and was met at Nomentum outside of Rome, by the pope; and the next day he repaired to till Basilica of the Vatican, escorted by the soldiers and the people After a few days Charlemagne convoked a numerous assembly o prelates, abbots, and other persons of distinction, Franks as well a Romans, to examine certain charges brought against the pope by th partisans of Paschal and Campulus; but no proofs were elicited, any Leo himself, taking the book of gospels in his band, declared himsel innocent On Chrietmas-day of that year the pontiff officiated in th Basilica of the Vatican, in presence of Charlemagne and his numerou retinue. As Charlemagne was preparing to leave tho church, th
pontiff stopped him, and placed a rich clown upon his head ; Nylon the clergy and the people, at the same moment, cried out "Carol piissimo," "Augusto magno imperatori," and other expressions any acclamations which were used in proclaiming the former emperors. Three times the acclamations] were repeated, after whicl the pope was the first to pay homage to the new emperor. From the time Charlemagne left off the titles of king and patrician, and style himself Augustus and Emperor of tho Romans; and he addressed th mperor of Constantinople by the name of brother. Thus was the western empire revived, 325 years after Odoacer had deposed :oinulus Augustulus, the last nominal successor of the Camara on he throne of the West. From that time all claim of the Eastern mperors to the supreme dominion over the duchy of Rome was at n end ; and the popes froin the same time assumed the temporal uthority over the city and duchy, in subordination however to fflarletuagne and his successors ; they began also to coin money, with he pontiff's name on one aide and that of the emperor on the other. In the year 801 the pope went to pass the Christmas at the court of ;harlemagne at Aquisgrana (Aix-la-Chapelle), after which be returned o Italy. In the division which Charlemagne made by will of his lominione among his sons, the city of Rome was declared to belong to duo who should bear the title of emperor. Louis le Debonnaire was ,fterwards invested with that title by Charlemagne himself, and we ind him accordingly, after the death of his father, assuming the supremo jurisdiction over that city on the occasion of a fresh con 'piracy which broke out against Leo, the heads of which were convicted the ordinary courts at Rome, and put to death. Louis found fault with the rigour of the sentence and the haste of its execution, and he irdered his nephew Bernard, king of Italy, to proceed to Rome and nvestigate the whole affair. Leo, who seems to have been alarmed at his proceeding, sent messengers to the court of Louis to justify oneself. Meauwhile he fell seriously ill, and the people of Rome broke out into insurrection, and pulled down some buildings he ha boon to construct on the confiscated property of the conspirators. The Duke of Spoleti was sent for with a body of troops to suppress the tumult. Leo died hi 816, and Stephen IV. was elected in his place. Leo is praised by Anastasius, a biographer of the same century, for the many structures, especially churches, which he raised or repaired, and the valuable gifts with which he enriched them. lu his temporal policy he appears to have been more moderate and prudent than his predecessor, Adrian I., who was perpetually soliciting Charlemagne in his letters ior fresh graute of territory to his see.