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The Lives of the Popes Vols. II-III: The Popes during the Carolingian Empire, Leo III to Stephen VI
*Includes Table of Contents
*Illustrated with dozens of pictures of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, Raphael's paintings, statues of Jesus, depictions of saints, and more.
Mann’s Lives of the Popes is an incredibly expansive chronological history of each of the popes of the Middle Ages. The Lives of the Popes Vols. The Popes during the Carolingian Empire is a chronology of the popes from Leo III in 795 to Stephen VI in 891 A.D.
A table of contents is included for easier navigation through the over 330 pages.
*Illustrated with dozens of pictures of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, Raphael's paintings, statues of Jesus, depictions of saints, and more.
Mann’s Lives of the Popes is an incredibly expansive chronological history of each of the popes of the Middle Ages. The Lives of the Popes Vols. The Popes during the Carolingian Empire is a chronology of the popes from Leo III in 795 to Stephen VI in 891 A.D.
A table of contents is included for easier navigation through the over 330 pages.
489 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 4, 2015
About the author
Horace K. Mann
76 books2 followersPriest, educator, and historian of the medieval papacy. Mann devoted his intellectual activity to the medieval papacy and became the outstanding English historian in this field in the 20th century.
His major work is the Lives of the Popes in the (Early) Middle Ages (18 v. in 19, London 1902–32), treating the popes from Gregory I through Benedict XI; the last four volumes were issued posthumously. Although still valuable, the Lives has been largely superseded by later research. Mann wrote also an independent biography of Nicholas Breakspear (HadrianIV) A.D. 1154–1159 (London 1914), Tombs and Portraits of the Popes of the Middle Ages (London 1929), articles for the Catholic Encyclopedia, and numerous essays and reviews.
His major work is the Lives of the Popes in the (Early) Middle Ages (18 v. in 19, London 1902–32), treating the popes from Gregory I through Benedict XI; the last four volumes were issued posthumously. Although still valuable, the Lives has been largely superseded by later research. Mann wrote also an independent biography of Nicholas Breakspear (HadrianIV) A.D. 1154–1159 (London 1914), Tombs and Portraits of the Popes of the Middle Ages (London 1929), articles for the Catholic Encyclopedia, and numerous essays and reviews.
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August 22, 2026
Another solid work, this time covering the papacy during the Carolingian Empire. The time after the Fall of Rome isn't one of my strengths, so reading this series has been covering new ground for me. Some attempt at holding the Empire together seems to have been at least an ideal for some centuries after 476, but the reality on the ground eventually placed the temporal power into the hands of the Popes. But Rome itself was simply not strong enough to hold the West together politically. The power of the Franks eventually solidifies and provides some basis for civilization during the life of Charlemagne.
Unfortunately, that renaissance was brief, due largely to the ridiculous inheritance laws that basically divided the empire along with everything else. The brief period of unity between Church and State fractures, not because they were in conflict but because the State was effectively dissolved. Lacking any strong imperial center, local nobles claim increasing levels of authority and devolve into an insane amount of local conflicts. Feudalism has begun. There is a weird segment of too online Trad Catholics who see feudalism as somehow a Christian ideal; this book would be a good corrective, as the author, a die hard Catholic, frequently expounds upon the weakness brought upon Europe and Christianity by this lack of an actual nation.
This volume convinced me of the "greatness" of St. Nicholas the Great, who deserves his place with Sts. Leo and Gregory. Apart from his famous role with Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Nicholas had to contend with the schism of Photius, perhaps the most destructive individual in the history of the Church until Luther. At the exact same time, our saintly Pope finds the emperor of the West trying to divorce his wife, going so far as to accuse her of incest. One can't help but compare Lothaire to Henry VIII, and wonder whether if the former had the centralized control of the latter, what evils he might have inflicted upon Christendom some seven centuries earlier.
The issue of the False Decretals is mentioned. The short of it is, the papacy is documented having all the power claimed by the Decratals before the Decretals were put on paper. That the Decretals were accepted indicates that they were considered "normal" and certainly not revolutionary.
Perhaps the most important point of these two volumes so far is that Rome is the uncontested center of the Church. Any dispute, even by the likes of Photius, is sent to Rome, and never from Rome to anywhere else. Constantinople alone made an attempt at placing itself as an equal, and it was shot down, as even many later patriarchs of that city admit. There simply is no other church during this jaunt through three centuries than the Roman Catholic Church. The statement by Cardinal Newman about history and the faith is fully justified. But during these three centuries, popes of outstanding character have reigned. This volume ends with the author's trepidation of evening discussing the next two centuries, where the papacy hits its nadir. As interesting and worthwhile as the previous two volumes were, that is the volume I picked up this series for, to see how the claim of the Church holds up at the worst of times.
Unfortunately, that renaissance was brief, due largely to the ridiculous inheritance laws that basically divided the empire along with everything else. The brief period of unity between Church and State fractures, not because they were in conflict but because the State was effectively dissolved. Lacking any strong imperial center, local nobles claim increasing levels of authority and devolve into an insane amount of local conflicts. Feudalism has begun. There is a weird segment of too online Trad Catholics who see feudalism as somehow a Christian ideal; this book would be a good corrective, as the author, a die hard Catholic, frequently expounds upon the weakness brought upon Europe and Christianity by this lack of an actual nation.
This volume convinced me of the "greatness" of St. Nicholas the Great, who deserves his place with Sts. Leo and Gregory. Apart from his famous role with Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Nicholas had to contend with the schism of Photius, perhaps the most destructive individual in the history of the Church until Luther. At the exact same time, our saintly Pope finds the emperor of the West trying to divorce his wife, going so far as to accuse her of incest. One can't help but compare Lothaire to Henry VIII, and wonder whether if the former had the centralized control of the latter, what evils he might have inflicted upon Christendom some seven centuries earlier.
The issue of the False Decretals is mentioned. The short of it is, the papacy is documented having all the power claimed by the Decratals before the Decretals were put on paper. That the Decretals were accepted indicates that they were considered "normal" and certainly not revolutionary.
Perhaps the most important point of these two volumes so far is that Rome is the uncontested center of the Church. Any dispute, even by the likes of Photius, is sent to Rome, and never from Rome to anywhere else. Constantinople alone made an attempt at placing itself as an equal, and it was shot down, as even many later patriarchs of that city admit. There simply is no other church during this jaunt through three centuries than the Roman Catholic Church. The statement by Cardinal Newman about history and the faith is fully justified. But during these three centuries, popes of outstanding character have reigned. This volume ends with the author's trepidation of evening discussing the next two centuries, where the papacy hits its nadir. As interesting and worthwhile as the previous two volumes were, that is the volume I picked up this series for, to see how the claim of the Church holds up at the worst of times.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review