this time emperor of Greece, having, while prefect of
the army, dethroned Constantine; and as Puglia and Calabria, which, as
before observed, were parts of the Greek empire, had revolted, he
gave permission to the Saracans to occupy them; and they having taken
possession of these provinces, besieged Rome. The Romans, Berengarius
being then engaged in defending himself against the Huns, appointed
Alberic, duke of Tuscany, their leader. By his valor Rome was saved from
the Saracens, who, withdrawing from the siege, erected a fortress upon
Mount Gargano, by means of which they governed Puglia and Calabria,
and harassed the whole country. Thus Italy was in those times very
grievously afflicted, being in constant warfare with the Huns in the
direction of the Alps, and, on the Neapolitan side, suffering from the
inroads of the Saracens. This state of things continued many years,
occupying the reigns of three Berengarii, who succeeded each other; and
during this time the pope and the church were greatly disturbed; the
impotence of the eastern, and the disunion which prevailed among the
western princes, leaving them without defense. The city of Genoa, with
all her territory upon the rivers, having been overrun by the Saracens,
an impulse was thus given to the rising greatness of Pisa, in which city
multitudes took refuge who had been driven out of their own country.
These events occurred in the year 931, when Otho, duke of Saxony, the
son of Henry and Matilda, a man of great prudence and reputation, being
made emperor, the pope Agapito, begged that he would come into Italy and
relieve him from the tyranny of the Berengarii.

The States of Italy were governed in this manner: Lombardy was under
Berengarius III. and Alfred his son; Tuscany and Romagna were governed
by a deputy of the western emperor; Puglia and Calabria were partly
under the Greek emperor, and partly under the Saracens; in Rome two
consuls were annually chosen from the nobility, who governed her
according to ancient custom; to these was added a prefect, who dispensed
justice among the people; and there was a council of twelve, who each
year appointed rectors for the places subject to them. The popes had
more or less authority in Rome and the rest of Italy, in proportion as
they were favorites of the emperor or of the most powerful states. The
Emperor Otho came into Italy, took the kingdom from the Berengarii, in
which they had reigned fifty-five years, and reinstat