Chapter 333 - 241: The Council of Clermont

In April 1076, not long after Eleanor had given birth, news arrived from the East: Eric’s father, Giscard, had been excommunicated again. Shortly after Eric’s departure from Rome, the Holy See had ordered Giscard to halt his offensive against the Byzantine Empire. Giscard, however, refused to comply. He concocted a new excuse, claiming to have learned through his contacts in Sicily that the Greek Empire had become a lackey to the infidel Turkic People. As a loyal vassal of the Roman Curia, he declared, he had no choice but to strike them a heavy blow.

He even proposed that the Crusades should begin from within the Catholic World itself.

Thanks to Eric’s success in resolving the matter with Emperor Henry, Giscard was able to attack the Byzantine region of Epirus without reservation, achieving considerable success. He occupied a large portion of Byzantine Epirus.

His offensive, aided by the Pechenegs, unexpectedly led to yet another change of Emperor in Constantinople. Emperor Nikephoros—who had only recently overthrown Emperor Michael VII to usurp the throne—was killed suddenly in a war against the Pechenegs. One of his generals, a man named Alexios, then seized the imperial throne for himself.

Alexios continuously made overtures to Gregory, stating that he would continue Emperor Michael VII’s policies toward the West. He pledged to work toward mending the schism between the Eastern and Western Churches and implored the Holy See for aid on both the Byzantine Empire’s eastern and western fronts.

He also made clever use of the Holy Relics treasured in Constantinople, such as the pillar where Christ was bound and whipped before being crucified, the Execution Whip, the Blood Rope Binding Christ, the Thorn Crown, the Robe Worn at the Crucifixion, the nails that pierced him, the Linen Clothes Collected from the Tomb, and the Twelve Baskets containing the remains of the five loaves and two fishes that fed the 5,000.

In addition, there were Relics and relics belonging to the various Apostles, Saints, and Prophets.

The new Emperor, Alexios, formally gifted a fragment of the True Cross to the Roman Curia. For centuries, influential Western visitors to Constantinople had to be carefully screened before being granted the opportunity to view the fragments of the True Cross kept in the city’s collection.

Emperor Henry received a gold-inlaid Relic Box containing the relics of several Saints, with the relics of each Saint individually marked with a small tag.

King Robert of England received a solid gold pectoral Cross inlaid with pearls, which was said to contain a fragment of the Cross worn by Saint Andrea.

King Philip of the Franks received the finger of John the Baptist.

Emperor Alexios continuously dispatched envoys to the princes of the Frankish and Germanic Regions, as well as to monasteries north of the Alps, bearing gifts of Holy Relics. He won considerable goodwill among the Dukes and Counts of the West.

They called him the most glorious Emperor of Greece. Many Knights and Lords, especially Free Knights, answered his call and headed to the East ahead of schedule, even though the Roman Curia had told them they should make full preparations and follow the most reputable noble leaders of their regions who had already vowed to join the Eastern Expedition.

Eric also received a linen garment, said to have been worn by Jerome. The Old Baron enshrined it in the chapel of Fougeres Castle and declared that the small chapel would now be called Saint Jerome’s Church.

Eric spent most of his time traveling back and forth between Normandy and England. In October, he would travel to Tuscan to be with Matilda.

The southern border was largely quiet. The King of France, previously defeated by Robert, was embroiled in a dispute with the Roman Curia. He was hell-bent on getting a divorce and was carrying on an illicit affair with the wife of the Count of Anjou.

This appalling scandal brought great humiliation upon the Count of Anjou. He swore to make the King of France pay the price. As a result, the King of France spent half his time dealing with the constant harassment from Fulk, the Count of Anjou, on France Island, and the other half searching for someone to lobby the Roman Curia on his behalf. He was trying to divorce his current wife and marry the Countess of Anjou, but to no avail.

The King of France’s blatant adultery, however, was common knowledge throughout the Frankish lands. Even the imperial princes in the Rhineland region knew all about it.

Interestingly, however, Saint Gregory acted out of character and, in the end, did not excommunicate the King of France.

While in Tuscan, Eric learned that the Roman Curia was displeased and concerned about Robert blocking news of the Eastern Expedition in England. They cursed the Normans for their fickleness. To ensure the King of France would not side with Emperor Henry, they ultimately only urged the King to take the vow for the Eastern Expedition as soon as possible.

As for the other Nobility of the Franks, the Holy See’s deputy, Gerard’s Otto—who would later be known as Pope Urban II—was preparing to travel to the Frankish lands personally with Pope Gregory. The Frankish lands were his homeland, and the lords of Southern France had always been supportive of the Roman Curia. The Franks were worthy of this honor.

Leading a delegation from the Holy See, he traveled north from Toulouse in Southern France. He gave speeches all along the way, visiting nearly every important Frankish noble, until he returned to his hometown of Clermont, a region adjacent to the Rhineland. There, he and Pope Gregory prepared to hold an unprecedented council.

Throughout the year 1076, the Roman Curia’s call for a Holy War in the East made the Frankish lands exceptionally bustling, filled with all sorts of situations, both imaginable and unimaginable.

In early 1077, the entourages of the Frankish Dukes and Counts, along with the imperial princes of the Rhineland, set out for the Pope’s council in Clermont. They traveled with all due pomp and ceremony, their processions more magnificent than anything the oldest Frankish resident could remember.