Why would a Monarch seek the title of (Holy) Roman Emperor?

by Antiochene

Hi guys, I'm working on an undergraduate thesis based around the Medieval concept of the Roman Empire, specifically early medieval (800-1024), and I can see no tangible reason for a suitably powerful monarch to submit to the Pope and receive the Imperial Title. Yet monarchs waged substantial wars to the benefit of the Papacy for the promise of this title. Why?

I would really appreciate a signpost towards an author (or authors) who deals with this idea, or better yet, a /thickly/ sourced explanation.

Cheers!

Kolibri8

I can give you a list of german historians and some of their writings, which touch the subject of Rule and Imperial self-conception. The Problem is most of it is written in german, and not much was translated into english.

For those books I could not find an english title I'll add a rough translation of the title, maybe you're able to find a translation this way.

  • Gerd Althoff, Hagen Keller: Heinrich I. und Otto der Große. Neubeginn auf karolingischem Erbe. Göttingen, 1985. ** Henry I and Otto the Great, Restart upon carolingian Heritage.
  • Gerd Althoff: Die Macht der Rituale. Symbolik und Herrschaft im Mittelalter. Darmstadt, 2013. ** The Power of Rituals. Symbolism and Rulership in the Middle Ages.
  • Gerd Althoff, Phyllis G. Jester (translator): Otto III. University Park, PA. 2003
  • Gerd Althoff, Christopher Carrol (translator): Family, Friends and Followers: Political and Social Bonds in Early Medieval Europe. Cambridge, New York, etc, 2004
  • Gerd Althoff: Die Ottonen. Königsherrschaft ohne Staat. Stuttgart, 2013. ** The Ottonians. Kingship/royal rule without State.
  • Gerd Althoff:Kontrolle der Macht. Formen und Regeln politischer Beratung im Mittelalter. Darmstadt, 2016. ** Control of Power. Forms and Rules of political Council in the Middle Ages.
  • Gerd Althoff, Hagen Keller:Die Zeit der späten Karolinger und der Ottonen: Krisen und Konsolidierungen 888–1024. Stuttgart, 2008. ** The Age of the late Carolingians and the Ottonians: Crisis and Consolidation 888-1024.
  • Egon Boshof: Königtum und Königsherrschaft im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert. München 1993. ** Kingdom and Kingship in the 10th and 11th century.
  • Hans K. Schulze:Grundstrukturen der Verfassung im Mittelalter. Bd. 3: Kaiser und Reich. Stuttgart 1998. ** Foundations of Constitution in the Middle Ages. Vol. 3: Emperor and Empire.
  • Hans K. Schulze:Grundstrukturen der Verfassung im Mittelalter. Bd. 4: Das Königtum. Stuttgart 2011. ** Foundations of Constitution in the Middle Ages. Vol. 4: The Kingdom.

Gerd Althoff is the leading german historian, when it comes to the Ottonians, so you might want to look that name up when looking for literature.

If you are not that bound to the time period of 800-1024, I've got bibliographies for 284-800 and 1024-1256.