gain, his
bride being Adelheid, widow of the Italian king Lothaire, who, hard
pressed by Berengar, ruler of Ivrea, had called the Emperor to Italy as
her protector and liberator. "Otto," says Tietmar, naively, "who had
heard of her far-famed beauty, under the pretext of travelling to Rome,
marched to Lombardy, wooed the princess, who had escaped from Berengar's
cruel prison, and induced her, after he had won her favor by rich
presents, to yield to his wishes." We have a life of Empress Adelheid by
the abbot Odilo of Cluny, who was an intimate friend and closely
connected with her during the last years of her reign. He deprecates his
ability to write the life of the empress, to do which either Cicero
would have to be recalled from Orcus or the presbyter Hieronymos from
heaven. "For she deserves to be revered as the most imperial of all
empresses. Not one before or after her was her equal, she so elevated
and increased the Empire. She subjected defiant Germania, fruitful Italy
and their princes to the sword and sceptre of Rome. Then noble king Otto
won through her the imperial crown. Also the son whom she bore him, was
the pride and ornament of the Empire."

After the death of Otto I., Adelheid, with her son, Otto II. (973-983),
happily conducted the affairs of the empire and firmly established its
supremacy. But evil people alienated the heart of her son; she retired
to Burgundy, her home. Meanwhile, Germany mourned the absence of the
benefactress, but all Burgundy exulted over her return. Seized by
repentance, Otto humbly besought his mother to meet him at Pavia.
Weeping, he threw himself down before his mother, and from that time the
insoluble bond of love remained until Otto's premature death. Otto III.
(983-1002) and his Greek mother, Theophano, his guardian, succeeded Otto
II. Theophano, incited by the Greek, Philagathus, Archbishop of
Piacenza, became hostile to the empress, and, overcome by anger, she
uttered these menacing words: "If I shall still reign one year, Adelheid
shall not rule over more ground than one can encompass with one hand."
Before one month was over, Theophano was overtaken by Nemesis and died
(June 15, 991), while Adelheid outlived her in the enjoyment of
happiness. "So many realms as she possessed, through the grace of God,
first as the consort of the great Otto, then as the guardian of her son
and grandson, so many cloisters did she found at her own expense, in
honor of the King of kings." Be