Christian, Archbishop of Mainz

CHRISTIAN, archbishop of MAINZ. - Born around 1130 into a comital family of Thuringia. Early distinguished himself for military prowess, knowledge of languages, and diplomatic skill, so that by 1161 he already had supporters who wished to see him as archbishop of Mainz. His candidacy then failed; but his qualities won him the favour of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who took him to Italy in 1162, appointed him chancellor, and from 1164 made him imperial legate in Tuscany. Toward the end of that year he led troops against Rome to install the antipope Paschal III. In 1165 he went to Genoa to reconcile it with Pisa. When Conrad of Wittelsbach was deposed from the see of Mainz in that same year, C. was elected to it, but was consecrated only two years later (5 March 1167).

The spiritual care of the vast archdiocese interested him less than politics and war. John of Salisbury calls him “non Christianus sed Antichristus.” In 1167 he freed Rainald von Dassel, besieged at Tusculum by the Romans, defeated them at Monte Porzio (29 May 1167), and with the Emperor obtained the surrender of Rome. When Rainald died of the plague, C. succeeded him as imperial chancellor. In April 1168 he helped the Romans, now allies of the Germans, to destroy Albano. The following year he procured the election of the Emperor’s son Henry as king of the Romans. In 1170