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VICTOR III

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 25 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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VICTOR III . (Dauferius Epifani), See also:pope from the 24th of May io86 to the 16th of See also:September 1087, was the successor of See also:Gregory VII. He was a son of Landolfo V., See also:prince of See also:Benevento, and was See also:born in 1027. After studying in various monasteries he became See also:provost of St See also:Benedict at See also:Capua, and in 1055 obtained permission from Victor II. to enter the See also:cloister at See also:Monte Cassino, changing his name to See also:Desiderius. He succeeded See also:Stephen IX. as See also:abbot in 1057, and his See also:rule marks the See also:golden See also:age of that celebrated monastery; he promoted See also:literary activity, and established an important school of See also:mosaic. Desiderius was created See also:cardinal See also:priest of Sta See also:Cecilia by See also:Nicholas II. in 1059, and as papal See also:vicar in See also:south See also:Italy conducted frequent negotiations between the See also:Normans and the pope. Among the four men suggested by Gregory VII. on his See also:death-See also:bed as most worthy to succeed him was Desiderius, who was favoured by the cardinals because of his See also:great learning, his connexion with the Normans and his See also:diplomatic ability. The abbot, however, declined the papal See also:crown, and the See also:year 1o85 passed without an See also:election. The cardinals at length proclaimed him pope against his will on the 24th of May Io86, but he was driven from See also:Rome by imperialists before his See also:consecration was See also:complete, and, laying aside the papal insignia at See also:Terracina, he retired to his beloved monastery. As vicar of the See also:Holy See he convened a See also:synod at Capua on the 7th of See also:March Io87, resumed the papal insigniaon the 21st of March, and received tardy consecration at Rome on the 9th of May. Owing to the presence of the antipope, See also:Clement III. (See also:Guibert of See also:Ravenna), who had powerful partisans, his stay at Rome was brief.

He sent an See also:

army to See also:Tunis, which defeated the See also:Saracens and compelled the See also:sultan to pay See also:tribute to the papal see. In See also:August ro87 he held a synod at Benevento, which renewed the See also:excommunication of Guibert; banned See also:Archbishop See also:Hugo of See also:Lyons and Abbot See also:Richard of See also:Marseilles as schismatics; and confirmed the See also:prohibition of See also:lay See also:investiture. Falling See also:ill at the synod, Vicar returned to Monte Cassino, where he died on the 16th of September ro87. He was buried at the monastery and is accounted a See also:saint by the See also:Benedictine See also:order. His successor was See also:Urban II. Victor III., while abbot of Monte Cassino contributed personally to the literary activity of the monastery. He wrote Dialogi de miraculis S. Benedicli, which, along with his Epistolae, are in J. P. See also:Migne, See also:Patrol. See also:Lat. vol. 149, and an See also:account of the miracles of See also:Leo IX.

(in Acta Sanctorum, 19th of See also:

April). The See also:chief See also:sources for his See also:life are the " Chronica monasterii Casinensis," in the Mon. Germ. hist. Script. vii., and the Vitae in J. P. Migne, Patrol. Lat. vol. 149, and in J. M. Watterich, Pontif. See also:Roman. Vitae.

See J. See also:

Langen, Geschichte deriromischen Kirche von Gregor VII. bis Innocenz III. (See also:Bonn, 1893) ; F. See also:Gregorovius, Rome in the See also:Middle Ages, vol. 4, trans. by Mrs G. W. See also:Hamilton (See also:London, 1900—2) ; K. J. von See also:Hefele, Conciliengeschichte (2nd ed., 1873—90), vol. See also:Hirsch, " Desiderius von Monte Cassino als Papst Victor III.," in Forschungen zur deutschen Geschichte, vol. 7 (See also:Gottingen, 1867) ; H. H. See also:Milman, See also:History of Latin See also:Christianity, vol.

3 (repub. London, 1899).

End of Article: VICTOR III

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