STEPHEN II (III), POPE. — Of Roman family. As soon as he was elected pope, between 16 and 25 March 752, he had to contend against the designs of the Lombard king Aistulf, who intended to seize the Duchy of Rome. An agreement was concluded with him in June of the same year; but the claim advanced by the sovereign to impose the poll tax on the Roman people threw the city into unrest.
To Stephen II, moreover, more than to the Romans, the idea of being subject to a barbarian was repugnant, and he wished to safeguard his freedom of action and his temporal authority. There was nothing to hope for from the emperor of Constantinople: therefore the Pope turned to the Franks, who were also on good terms with the Lombards. Stephen II decided to go to Pippin the Short and to solicit support in person. He set out on 15 October 753; after having dealt unsuccessfully with Aistulf at Pavia, Stephen met Pippin at Pontifcy (Marne) on 6 January 754 and obtained from him the promise of an intervention in favour of the cause of the blessed Peter and the Roman Republic. A serious illness endangered the Pope’s life at the abbey of Saint-Denis; having recovered, he returned to Rome under the protection of the Franks (October 755), victors over Aistulf. However, when the Frankish army had crossed the Alps, Aistulf attacked Rome (19 January 756); then Pippin came to the aid of the Romans, freed the besieged walls, and reduced the Lombard to submission. The vanquished was obliged to cede to the Holy See a vast territory; thus, thanks to the tenacity of Stephen II, the Papal State was founded (v.).
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