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The Marriage Charter of Empress Theophanu (State Archives of Wolfenbüttel, 6 Urk 11) is the dower document for the Byzantine princess Theophanu. Written in Latin, the document was created in the Early Middle Ages after the marriage of Theophanu to Emperor Otto II in 972, which made her the Holy Roman Empress. The document was prepared by Otto II and exemplifies an instance of political and cultural contact between the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. It serves as an example of Ottonian Renaissance art, and the calligraphy of the manuscript has led it to be regarded as one of the most beautiful diplomatic documents of the Middle Ages. == Historical context == After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire was the sole successor of the Roman Empire. Charlemagne's imperial coronation in 800 put strain on Western relations with the Byzantine Empire ruled from Constantinople. When Otto I became emperor in February 962, there was contention between him and the Byzantine Empire, and this issue revived in 967 between Otto and Nikephoros II Phokas over the dominion of Italy. On 25 December 967, Pope John XIII anointed Otto II as Otto I's co-emperor. In autumn 968, battles between the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire commenced in the Principality of Capua, in the Duchy of Benevento and Apulia, and hostilities continued until 970. Both sides of the conflict made many attempts to find a diplomatic solution. Otto I intended to receive recognition of his title in Byzantium, and to clarify the borders of Western and Eastern allegiances in southern Italy. He wanted this agreement to be ratified by the marriage of his son, Otto II, to a member of the Byzantine imperial family. Anna, daughter of the deceased Emperor Romanos II, was considered a possible bride. However, Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas was unwilling to marry off a purple-born princess (i.e. a child born to a reigning emperor). After tough negotiations with Nikephoros II Phokas' successor John I Tzimiskes, Archbishop of Cologne Gero secured the marriage of Otto II with Theophanu, a member of the Byzantine imperial family who was not, however, born to the purple. The Marriage Charter acts as the reference document for the wedding of the 17-year-old Otto II and the 12-year-old Theophanu. The wedding took place on 14 April 972 in St. Peter's Basilica and was officiated by Pope John XIII. Politically, the marriage marked the recognition of the Ottonian Empire by the Byzantine Empire. In this document, Otto II granted Theophanu the right to an extensive dower for personal use throughout her life (''legitima dos''), as well as her entry into a ''consortium imperii'' with Otto II, meaning that both would share imperial authority over the Holy Roman Empire. It is likely that Theophanu kept the document until October 989, when she left for her journey to Italy and Rome, at which time it is believed she placed it in Gandersheim Abbey to preserve the document. It was discovered and published in 1700 by writer and historian Johann Georg Leuckfeld. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was among the first to recognise the historical significance of this document, and reports on it in ''History of Welf''. After the secularisation of Gandersheim Abbey in 1811, the document was transferred to the Göttingen State and University Library. On 4 May 1820, the archives from the abbey were delivered to the treasury of the duchy of Brunswick. In 1835, the document was transferred to the State Archives of Wolfenbüttel, where it remains. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Marriage Charter of Empress Theophanu」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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